Second snippet in the 'Reminiscence' series.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach...but I wish I did.

I distinctly remember the first time you asked to see my eyes.

We were still children, in more ways than just our naiveté, and we'd just gone swimming in the little creek behind our hovel. We lay side by side on the dirty ground together, basking in the warm sun as we dried.

You were chattering about something as you often did, to fill the silence I helped to create. You sat up suddenly and looked at me rather quizzically.

"Gin," you'd said, your voice confident as it always was. "Why do you never open you eyes?"

"They're open," I'd replied, titling my head towards her, squinting my eyes shut a bit more against the sunlight. You were beautiful even then, wet and dirty, silhouetted in the golden light.

You rolled your own light-blue eyes. "Well obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see. I meant why don't you open them all the way?"

I shrugged. "No need ta'."

"What color are they?" was your next curious question.

I shrugged again.

I'd never seen a mirror in my life, so I wouldn't know that way.

I knew what my reflection in water looked like—I knew I was long and gangly with silver hair— but it wasn't as if I could get close enough to see my eye color without sticking my face under.

You gave me a searching look after that, trying to figure out what to say next. You decided on nothing, and soon we got up and headed back into our hut.

I remember the second time you asked to see my eyes, too. It was also the last time.

Years had passed since the day out by the creek, how many I'm not sure. We'd both grown in the time that had gone by. I was tall, maybe six feet already, and you were a head or so shorter than me. My body had changed, becoming lithe and covered with ropy muscle from my long excursions. Your body had changed a bit more significantly, in a way that neither I nor any other male could ignore.

You complained about your breasts at first, saying they got in your way and made your back hurt, but you got over that eventually. Once you discovered the power you held over the male species with them, you seemed to get along with them just fine.

I'd just come back from a typical, weeklong absence. I was especially excited about returning to you as I'd brought you something I knew you were going to like.

I'd spent a few days on a farm, helping with the harvest for a decent sum of money, and purchased a silken, pink scarf for you after I'd bought food for the both of us. The shop keeper who I'd gotten it from had given me a dirty look when I'd walked in—which wasn't surprising, I was covered in dirt from head to toe, and my silvery hair and typical facial expression usually made people wary of me.

Once I'd emptied what remained of my gold purse however, he was more than happy to assist.

It didn't take me long to pick the scarf out for you. I knew what your favorite color was, as well as your appreciation for simple beauty. I was annoyed I didn't have enough money for a longer one, but I knew you'd enjoy the small, twilly one anyways. It was long enough for you to tie your hair back with it, or wear it around your wrist or neck.

I wandered into the hut, bag of food slung over one shoulder and the box with the scarf held in my other hand. Your back was to me when I entered, and you were sitting by the pit we used to cook. You were making something, what I don't remember, and I doubt you do either.

If my memory serves me correctly, whatever it is you were cooking was never actually consumed.

It took you a moment to realize my presence—you hadn't yet learned how to pick up on reiatsu as quickly as you would. You turned your head, smiling slightly at me over your shoulder.

"Welcome home, Gin," you said, taking in my dirty appearance and packages with a small smile I liked to think you saved just for me.

"Aa," I said, walking over and setting the bag of food against the wall by the pit, turning to face you.

It never ceased amaze me how beautiful you could look in a plain yukata, drawn up to your knees, your legs streaked with dirt, your hair in tangles. I think it was your eyes. They never ceased shining.

"I brought ya' somethin'."

Your smile changed as you looked at me, it seemed like you wanted to scold me for bringing you yet another gift. I handed the box to you over the fire, my smile toned down as I waited for you to open it.

You set your ladle down, and with careful fingers, untied the string that was wrapped around the box and slowly lifted the lid.

"Gin!" you gasped, your eyes flashing from me to the scarf.

"Ya like it?" I asked with a grin. Unlike most of my smiles, this one was genuine.

There were few things I enjoyed more than making you smile.

"It's beautiful!" you said, taking it out with careful fingers.

"I know," I replied, watching as you took it out, unfurling it and admiring it every way you could. "I thought it'd be nice in yer hair." You hair had grown long in the past years, longer than you usually let it grow. It dusted your shoulders in soft waves. I admit, on more than one occasion, I'd brushed it from your face when you were sleeping, just as I was tempted to do now.

"Arigatou, Gin," you said, looking back at me. Your eyes were watery, and it alarmed me slightly.

"Yer welcome," I said, watching warily as tears slowly slid down your face. "Oi, Ran-chan, what's wit' th' tears?" I walked over to you around the fire, standing a few feet in front of you.

You sniffled, a rather pathetic sound I would have mocked had it come from anyone but you.

"You always do such nice things for me, Gin," you said after you'd gathered your thoughts and stopped the slow tears. You clutched the scarf tightly in one hand and the other was twirling a lock of your hair around your finger, something I knew meant you were frustrated. "I don't know how I'm ever going to pay you back for it all."

I raised my eyebrow. "That's th' most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," I said, and it was. I didn't expect any form of repayment, not from you. Your smiles always seemed to be enough for me.

"But it's true!" you said earnestly. "Gin there's no way I can ever—"

You stopped speaking as I put my hand on the side of your cheek. I don't know why I did it.

Maybe I wanted you to stop worrying about paying me back, or to stop rambling. Maybe I simply wanted to touch you. It'd been a daily urge, something I grappled with every day and second I was in your company.

Whatever the reason, you didn't move away, didn't push my hand off. You just stared at me.

I don't know what prompted you to ask, but the same words you spoke years before you said again then: "What color are they?" you asked softly, and before I could ask what, you hand was on my face as well, your fingers dusting over my eyebrows.

I knew you meant my eyes. Your fingertips continued to trace the contours of my face, my eyes and eyebrows.

"I dunno," I replied, my voice coming out softer, and huskier, than I'd intended it to.

"Let me see them," you said softly. It was a demand, but a polite one.

There are very few people I take orders from, no more than a very small handful.

You were the first person I'd ever obeyed.

Slowly, I raised my lids and stared down into your own, corn-blue orbs. Your eyes widened, as if you were surprised, but then a smile broke out across your lips.

"They're blue," you said quietly, smiling, "Almost like… ice." You brought your other hand up to my face, running a finger along my jaw-line. You seemed to be thinking then, and I watched you, my eyes wide open.

Slowly, hesitantly, you leaned into me, drawing my face closer to yours. I didn't need any help then. My other hand immediately snaked up and wrapped tightly around your tiny waist, crushing your body to mine as you set our lips against one another.

What happened next, I'm sure you have no problem remembering, Rangiku. We fell in a heap onto my pallet and spent the next weeks exploring each other in ways I never thought we would. I've never done things like that with any one besides you since then, and I don't think I will ever again.

No one could, can, or will ever compare to you.

You started wearing the scarf around your neck the next day, sometimes tying it around your wrist, or using it to old back your hair. It made my heart do strange things in my chest whenever I saw you with it.

By the time you retired the small pink piece of silk, we were shinigami, assigned to our respective squads, third seats both of us. The only reason you stopped wearing it was because I'd given you a longer one, finally able to afford something lavish for you, something I thought you deserved. I know you kept the little scarf though, in your jewelry box, along with a cluster of flowers you dried on the wall of our hut.

I wonder if you've kept them still, or if you discarded them after I left, just as I discarded you.

It wasn't easy to do, was it Rangiku?

If you can't tell, I have a very romantically-tragic spin on Gin and Rangiku's relationship. They are probably my favorite couple ever, even though we don't really know if they ever were a couple.

Please, please, please review!

-Luin

Note: If you only watch the anime, then to you all, Gin's eyes are red. In the manga, however, according to Kubo Tite, they are a light green-ish/blue. Check out the cover of volume 20. I like the red eyes too (I use the red in my other GinRan fic), but I wanted to be true to Gin's character.