Toki ga setsuna no yume de aru nara
Sore wa hana no you na mono deshou ka
(If life is just a momentary dream
It must be something like a flower)
The orange-haired vice captain sighed. Another day of boring paperwork. Another day of getting yelled at by her captain. Another day of ignoring the white-haired shrimp. Another day of sake, parties and gossip. Yes, another normal day. Or at least, another normal day of pretend.
"Matsumoto! Don't just sit there and space out! We've got more paperwork than normal to do!" Hitsugaya yelled, throwing the book he held.
Normally the vice captain would avoid it and turn around and say something to make her captain even angrier. But today, she just let the book thump in the back of the head and not say anything. What could she say?
The white-haired captain settled down, staring at his vice captain curiously. "Matsumoto?"
"I heard." An awkward silence settled over the room as Hitsugaya continued to stare at the motionless Rangiku.
Finally, when Hitsugaya thought time would drag out to eternity in the small, paper-flooded room, Rangiku slowly stood and shuffled to her desk. Her hand found the buried pen and brought it to the stack of work waiting to be completed. The bright sky blue eyes now lacked its usual luster, fading to a dull blue-gray. They scanned the meaningless words over and over again without comprehension.
Tatoe chiriyuku sadame de attemo
Hakanaki hodo ni tada itooshiku
(Even if our fate is to fall like petals
We are all the more beloved in our transience)
Hitsugaya scratched the back of his head. Now, instead of spacing out on the couch, his vice captain was spacing out at her desk. The protégé sighed; he stood up and walked over to the front of her desk. "Take a break, Matsumoto."
"Hm?" was the unenthusiastic, un-Rangiku-like answer. Her head slowly rose to see Hitsugaya's face, her brain trying to register what was going on.
"I said to take a break. You're obviously not in the mood to do this, but then again, you never are. But…" Hitsugaya wandered off in thought, trying to remember where he was going with this.
"Taichou, I'm just tired," Rangiku slurred, rubbing her temples.
Hitsugaya sighed. Fine, he would resort to his normal yelling technique. "Matsumoto! I order you to get out from behind the desk and go take a break. If you come back here and attempt paperwork again today, you will be sleeping in the Fourth Division quarters until further notice! Am I clear?"
Rangiku stared at her captain oddly. "Taichou-"
"Am. I. Clear?" Hitsugaya hissed, his blue-green eyes glaring sharply into hers.
Rangiku sighed. "Yes, sir," she gave in and shuffled to the door. She paused when her hand touched the wood and turned back to look at Hitsugaya.
"What are you waiting for? Get out!" Hitsugaya hollered, picking up another hardbound book to throw at her.
"Taichou…thanks." Hitsugaya huffed but said nothing. Rangiku let fleeting smile cross her face before leaving the room.
"…You're welcome," Hitsugaya muttered to the air before returning to his desk.
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Itsuka dokoka de ushinatta mono
Ano hi dokoka ni oite kita mono
(Something we lost once somewhere
Something we left behind somewhere that day)
Her eyes mirrored the sky that day: cloudy and unclear. The strong gusts of wind blew her orange hair crazily behind, in front and all around her. But instead of fixing it, she kept walking as if in a trance. Despite all her admirers wondering why she was letting her hair fly about wildly, the vice captain shuffled along the corridors. Something was calling her, something that she didn't know but chased after it anyways. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't really care. She just wanted to go there, just wanted to go back to her normal self.
Soshite sono te ni nokotta mono wo
Kono michiyuki ni tsure tatte
(And that which is left in our hands
Accompany us down this road)
When she saw the stand, she crumpled to the ground. Clutching her arms to her side as if to shelter herself from the horrible truth, three months worth of bottled feelings rushed out. All those words she could never say, all those fears she could never face; they wracked her body with sharp intakes of breath and uncontrollable trembling.
Anata wa ima nani wo omou no deshou
Watashi ni wa nani ga dekiru deshou
(What are you thinking of now?
What can I do?)
The wind howled wildly at Sōkyoku Hill, whipping the splattering tears all across the vice captain's face. Desparately, she clung to her last happy memories, hoping they wouldn't be swept away by the storm. They were precious to her, the very last memories of him.
Katachi naki yue toutoi no deshou
Zankoku made ni utsukushii no deshou
(Is it so precious because it has no form?
Is it so beautiful it's cruel?)
"Why'd you have to do this? Why'd you have to hurt us all? Why'd you have to hurt me?" Rangiku moaned, tears still streaming down her cheeks. The wind caressed her lightly for a moment before stealing her pink scarf. The vice captain paid no attention; she had plenty more of those. What she wanted most was him, was him to come back, was him to talk to her one more time with that small if not creepy smile of his.
Ame ga futtemo kaze ga fuitemo
Moe tatsu hi mo seijaku no yoru mo
(Even if it rains, even if the wind blows
On blazing days and silent nights)
"Damn it! Why'd you have to leave?" Rangiku cried, letting the storm wash out all her pent up rage, all her hidden sadness. "Why'd you have to do something so stupid? I wanted for this to be a joke so badly…I wanted to show you everything…I wanted to be with you…"
Koko ga sekai no hate de attemo
Yume no tsuzuki wo misete agetai
(Even if this is the ends of the Earth
I want to show you the rest of the dream
"I'm not as strong as you think! I need you! I need you for everything."
Kirei na hana wo sakasemashou
Soshite anata ni sasagemashou
(I will make a beautiful flower bloom
And then offer it to you)
"You made me feel important, made me feel wanted…for the first time. You made me appreciate myself. I wanted to grow for you."
Kirei na hana wo sakasemashou
Soshite anata ni sasagemashou
(I will make a beautiful flower bloom
And then offer it to you)
"I wanted to live up to my name for you."
Anata wa ima nani wo omou no deshou
Watashi ni wa nani ga dekiru deshou
(What are you thinking of now?
What can I do?)
"You never tell me where you're going. You haven't changed since we first met, all those years ago."
Kirei na hana wo sakasemashou
Soshite anata ni sasagemashou
(I will make a beautiful flower bloom
And then offer it to you)
"Where are you now? Where are you going? I want to be with you. I don't care where you take me. I just want to be with you."
Kirei na hana wo sakasemashou
Soshite anata ni sasagemashou
(I will make a beautiful flower bloom
And then offer it to you)
"I want you to tell me that you need me, not me telling myself that I don't need you. I want you to compare me to those other flowers like you did when we were little and played in the park all day. Come back and let me see you again! I miss you, damn it!"
"I'm sorry."
Watashi wa uta wo utaimashou
(I will sing a song)
The vice captain slowly raised her head, numb with the venting, disbelief raging throughout her entire body. Her wet, tangled orange hair stuck to her white doll face as she turned to face the voice.
"I missed you too. I'm sorry, Rangiku, my girl."
Rangiku stared, not comprehending the situation. The pink scarf fluttered lightly in the dying wind as the flash storm faded into the distance, his small white hand gripping it tightly. Her mouth moved to form words that lodged in her throat, preventing her from speaking.
"I'm back, Rangiku, my girl." His quavering voice echoed into the blue-speckled cloudy sky, settling over the hill with an unnerving presence. When the vice captain remained motionless, he took a step towards her. And another. And another, until finally he towered over her crumpled form.
Anata no soba de utaimashou
(I will sing at your side)
"Gin…" Rangiku finally managed before tackling the ex-captain in a hug. He stumbled backwards and slowly knelt to the ground, clutching her body to his, muttering his apologies over and over again into her hair. Gin stroked her back, unsure of what else to do.
When Rangiku's sobs into his ragged robes subsided, Gin cupped his hand around her chin and lifted it to look at her face. "Didja miss me?"
"Of course I did!" Rangiku hollered, her anger finally taking over. She shoved him away from her and snatched her scarf from his hand, glaring at him. "Why'd you have to go and do something so damn stupid? Why couldn't you just stay here…with me? Why'd you have to…to…" Rangiku broke into dry sobs, clutching her scarf to her heart. The very same scarf he had given to her for her birthday before he left.
His little grin faded almost instantly and his face held that same apologetic look like it did three months ago. He looked away, unable to bear seeing her and knowing that it was him who made her that way.
"I had ta, Rangiku. I can't say why, jus' I had ta."
"Then why come back?"
Gin hesitated before staring her straight on. "I had ta see my girl. Jus' one more time."
"When are you leaving, Gin?"
"…Sooner, the better."
"Then you should go now." Rangiku averted her gaze to her skinny fingers repeatedly stroking the silky scarf. Her bitter words lingered over them, stunning them both.
Gin studied her for a minute before sighing. He stood up, much to Rangiku's surprise. She hadn't really wanted him to go…but if he stayed any longer, he risked death. And knowing that he was alive but somewhere far away she would never be was better than knowing he was dead because she wanted him to stay.
"Rangiku…"
"I said, just go no-!" Gin's lips pressed against her own, cutting off her order. Almost as fast as he kissed her, he pulled apart, his fingers stroking her cheek. The alluring crimson eyes revealed themselves to her sky blue ones and Rangiku felt herself losing control.
"Come with me, Rangiku. I need ya too," he whispered almost inaudibly.
"Gin, I can't. I have a duty to Hitsugaya-taichou, to the Gotei 13," Rangiku forced herself to say. Her heart screamed, yearning to go with her love.
"Don' ya love me?"
"Of course I do, Gin…but I can't. I just…can't." Rangiku trembled under his crimson eyes staring into her.
He sighed and let her go, turning around. "Kay, then. I'll try ta come back soon, ta see my girl," murmured the silver haired traitor.
Watashi wa uta wo utaimashou
(I will sing a song)
"Gin…" Rangiku's voice cracked as she stared into his back. The same back that she always saw when they were little. The same back she always saw when he was vice captain and she was a lower ranked shinigami. The same back she always saw when he was captain and she was vice captain. The same back she never wanted to see again.
"Gin, I'm sorry!" Rangiku pulled herself up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his body from behind.
"Rangiku…"
"I don't want to see your back anymore. I want to come with you. I don't care what happens. I just want to be with you."
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"Are you sure, Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori asked nervously.
"Let her do whatever she wants, Hinamori. If she wants to be with him, then so be it. We can't protect her forever, but Ichimaru will come close." Hitsugaya stated, crossing his arms and closing his blue-green eyes. The two stood at the base of the hill, hidden behind two trees.
"But Rangiku-san…she'll be marked a traitor."
"I don't think she cares much."
"…Whatever you say, Hitsugaya-kun."
Hitsugaya opened one of his eyes, resting his back against the tree he stood behind. "You'd better believe it."
Hinamori smiled. "I'm glad Rangiku-san's happy. She's been so down lately."
"She was just missing him."
"I know. I feel that way sometimes," Hinamori stated, looking meaningfully at her Shirou-chan.
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"…Kay then. I'm glad, Rangiku, my girl." Gin lifted his arm and pulled the orange haired vice captain to his side.
Rangiku slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. Her blue eyes closed; this all felt like a dream, her shining silver knight coming back for her after so long, whisking her away to some place far away where they could be happy and stay together forever.
"I love you, Gin…"
"Me too, Rangiku."
Anata no soba de utaimashou
(I will sing at your side)
Dolls-Ayumi Hamasaki
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A/N: I absolutely love this song and this story hit me when I finally understood Ayu's lyrics. I wasn't really sure on how to write Gin because he isn't really easy to portray saying "I love you." And I'm pretty sure Rangiku's a little OOC too. Review?