He didn't know how long he knelt there. Sobs tore though his body and his tears just wouldn't stop flowing. Slowly his mind blurred and he blacked out.

Golden sunshine warmed his cold body and hands shook his weary frame. "Hitsugaya taicho. Wake up!" Came Shunsui's deep chocolaty voice. He sat up with a start. "Wha…" Memories of last nights fight flowed back into his head. "Oh man…"

"Hitsugaya taicho what happened?"

"We… We fought…"

"Oh dear…" came Shunsui's soft sigh "So it didn't go well then?"

"No. She'll never forgive me now. I need her…"

"Then go to her"

"Its too late"

"No its not. This morning Rangiku came in looking thunderous, she immediately wrote some kanji on a paper and said she was declining the request. She's on her way to the first now if you want to stop her though it's probably your last chance so it had better be good"

He was gone before it was over.

A hand grabbed Rangiku from the sky as she passed be a deserted area almost to the first division. She gave a cry and found herself pinned to a wall by…

"What are you doing?"

"I just want you to hear me out okay?"

"No"

"Then I won't let you go"

"Fine"

He let go of her wrists and took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm really sorry about what I said, one month ago and yesterday night."

"I don't care"

"I see"

"I just want you to know that I understand that just saying 'sorry' is not enough but I don't know any other way to express this"

"Oh"

"Rangiku, you're the only person who truly respects me in my division and is truly loyal to me. I know I haven't been… easy to put up with…"

Her lips twitched and he ploughed in further.

"I'm sorry I haven't been treating you like I should and I do like it when you're around me… I really do… and um… I… um… I…"

He trailed of lamely.

"Rangiku?" Her head was turned away and she was biting her bottom lip as if deep in thought. He waited for what seemed like eternity before she took a deep breath and turned to face him. Silence lingered between them…

"Rangiku please accept. I swear I'll treat u better… Hell I'll even wear pink if it makes you happy…"

That was the last straw. She flung herself onto him and he pulled her close, enjoying her closeness and the sweet fragrance of her hair.

It was only then that he noticed how much he had grown, his eye now level with hers.

"I won't decline" She murmured into his ear and his heart leapt with joy.

"Thank you, Rangiku"