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

You cornered me in the months preceding my departure from Seireitei. I was alone in my office, doing nothing in particular with my feet up on my wooden desk, when you stormed in.

I could tell right away that you were angry.

Your eyes were hard, cold, and your mouth was set in a thin line. Your reiatsu crackled around you in a violent manner.

"Rangiku," I said conversationally, masking my surprise. You hadn't really spoken to me, let alone come to visit me, in years. "Ta' what do I owe th' pleasure?"

You strode forward, stopped before my desk, and placed your palms down on the flat surface. I'd lowered my feet when you were walking forward, and I looked at you now, almost confusedly.

"Ichimaru taicho," you nearly spat.

If I couldn't tell before, now I knew for sure you were angry with me. You had only ever referred to me as 'Ichimaru taicho' in public.

We were completely alone.

"Aa?" I asked conversationally, raising an eyebrow.

You cut right to the chase.

"What are you doing to Kira-kun."

It was not a question.

I blinked, very slightly, and then narrowed my eyes more than usual.

The gestures were small-- miniscule-- but I know that you noticed. You titled your head in acknowledgement of the movements. There was a satisfied gleam in your eyes; you knew you were on to something.

To be honest, I wasn't surprised.

The changes my fukutaicho was going through were becoming more and more noticeable as time passed. I told Aizen it would happen, but, not surprisingly, he wouldn't listen to me.

I wanted to tell you that I was doing nothing to Kira; really, it was all Aizen. I don't know the details of it, but Aizen kept a spell on the boy with Kyoka Suigetsu. I never asked, because in all honesty, I didn't want to know. I doubt that even Aizen understands the depth of his cruelty, and I was certain whatever he was doing to Kira went well past 'cruel'.

Even I have my limits. I'm certain that whatever magic Aizen was working on Kira would leave a sour taste in my mouth.

I wasn't particularly attached to my fukutaicho, not that anyone would've ever known, so I can't say it saddened me to think of what was happening to Kira. But I had no desire to know, in case I suddenly decided to grow a conscience.

I never really had anything resembling a conscience, except when it came to you.

Aizen believed it was crucial to keep a front up when it came to Kira, convinced it would keep his loyalty to me.

Nothing against Kira, really he means well when he isn't brainwashed, but he is incredibly easy to manipulate.

Yachiru could have done it.

It was the sole reason Aizen had him placed as my fukutaicho. Part of me almost felt bad for the kid. All he wanted to do was make his noble family proud and serve his squad. Which he did…in a sense.

I couldn't tell you any of this, however.

I knew I was going to have to take the blame, try and assure you I wasn't doing anything while making it apparent I was lying.

If there is one thing I hate doing, it is lying to you, Rangiku. I never truly did it outright until that day.

Apparently, my luck had run out.

You were friends with Kira, this I knew. Aizen often used him to report on your group of companions, something that I tended to frown upon. I wanted to keep Aizen as far away from you as possible.

"Izuru?" I asked. "What d'ya mean?"

If you'd been anyone else, you would have been convinced I was confused by the question. But you were you, and you didn't believe me for a second.

Your eyes narrowed, and you looked more dangerous than I'd ever seen you. You were still beautiful, even then, when I could practically feel your blade at my throat the way your reiatsu was crackling around your body.

"Exactly what I said," you responded, your voice a near-deadly whisper.

I let out a sigh. "I ain't doin' nothin' to Izuru, 'cept for makin' him do paperwork," I replied, "Jus' like any taicho."

"Don't try and be funny, Gin," you retorted.

It was nice hearing my name from your lips for the first time in a long time. Though I wished the circumstances had been different.

"I'm not," I replied, my voice taking on a harder edge.

You drew back slightly at my words. I'd never used that tone with you.

I may not have liked lying to you, but I was an accomplished liar in every possible way, so I knew I could do it. It wouldn't be the easiest thing for me to do, but it was necessary.

Both for my protection, and yours as well.

I knew I was going to have to play the part of sadist with you now. In order for me to follow through with my own plans in regards to Aizen, I knew that at this point, I would have to push what ever was left of our past relationship over the edge. And then I'd have to watch it smash into pieces right before my eyes.

I'd known I was going to have to do it at some point, but really, I would have liked some warning.

"I'm not doin' a thing to my fukutaicho," I said, leaning forward onto my desk and standing, my hands closer to yours than they'd been in almost a century.

I stood above you now, and stared down at you through slitted eyes.

Your gaze faltered slightly, but you were determined.

"Don't try and lie, Gin," you growled, "in case you haven't forgotten, I can read your mask."

You spat the last word out, and I nearly winced.

"You think I would forget somethin' like that, Ran-chan?" I purred. "I ain't forgotten nothin'."

You recoiled slightly at both my tone and my words.

You knew what I'd implied: the nights we spent in each others arms, the days we did nothing but lay in the sand behind out little hut, the afternoons we'd go into the village and steal food, the mornings that you'd wake up in my bed…

It had been my intention.

Your eyes grew wide, but you returned to glaring at me soon after. "You're breaking him, Gin," you said. "Destroying him, little by little.Why?"

I felt that there was so much behind that single word.

'Why'.

I opened my eyes, fully and truly opened them. You stared straight at me.

I wished I could tell you.

"Do ya' even have to ask that, Ran-chan?" I said quietly.

It was part of the façade, part of the charade I'd been playing so well since I first began following Aizen.

Cold. Power hungry.Sadistic. Uncaring. Manipulative.

It wasn't all together untrue.

I could see the wheels turn in your head, and the realization on your face. You didn't want to believe it, you never had.

But it all was too apparent now.

"Why?" you asked again. Your voice was a whisper now. You were almost breathless, and there was desperation in your tone.

I leaned forward, edging closer to you, so close our noses were almost touching. I could feel your breath, shallow exhales, on my face.

"Why not?"

It flowed so smoothly off my tongue, so perfectly in character.

Your face contorted, almost as if you were in pain, and you reeled back from my desk.

Almost in slow motion then, your face set once more.

I saw it coming, but I did nothing to stop you.

You brought your hand up, and then fiercely dragged it across my cheek in a slap that was laced with your violent reiatsu. I winced, but nothing more. I didn't grab your hand, or fight back, nor did I reprimand you for hitting your superior.

It was the least I could give you, the satisfaction of slapping me… the look on your face, though, was more pained than satisfied.

It only wrenched whatever was left of my heart.

"You are a bastard, Ichimaru Gin."

Your voice was a low rumble. I could almost hear Haineko purring in delight, hoping you would draw her against me.

I almost sighed. It was nothing I didn't know.

"I can't believe you, Gin," you said, your hands now clenched into fists at your sides. You'd backed away from my desk after you'd hit me, and you stood a few feet in front of it.

I looked at you, my eyes open, and cocked my head slightly.

My words came out a whisper, and my tone was…almost melancholy.

"Can't you?"

I'd been leaving behind forever, Rangiku. I'd been withholding the truth from you for almost as long. You knew of my attraction to power, and you were well aware I had my bad side.

Was it really so hard to believe?

You didn't say anything.

You only stared at me, your eyes hard.

You'd lost me, just as I'd lost you, long ago, and we both knew it. You took a deep breath then, standing as straight as you could. You titled your chin up at me, almost haughtily in anger, and then you turned on your heel and left.

It was the first time you had ever left me.

I don't think it was easy for you, but still, you never once looked back.

I collapsed back into my chair once you'd disappeared and put my head into my hands.

It hadn't been easy for me either.

Well? I tried to do some more Evil Gin With Reason.

Reviews? Please?

PS-- the latest manga chapter had me so excited. Kenpachi's goin' to make SAUCE outta Nnoitra... WTF is his released form anyways?

A spork?

...ok, I know that was awful, but I couldn't resist.

-Luin