Pairing/characters: Gin, Izuru and Rangiku, with hints at GinKira and GinRan
Rating: G
Warning: none
Spoilers?: not really, mentions of canon!character death, so be sure you're caught up with the hueco mundo/war arc
Disclaimer: Unfortunately Bleach is not written by me
This little plotbunny appeared while I was trying to take a nap, so I had to write it, of course. Please excuse any grammer/spelling errors, I don't have a beta (though I would love one if anybody is interested? just message me over on my Tumblr, I check that more regularly than this)
Oh, and those requests are in the works! Fear not :)
In the weeks following Gin's death, Rangiku would often find herself drifting off into a restless slumber, dreams of hands and bones and blood inevitably ending with her waking to screams. At first the screams would startle her, throw her off, until she came to terms with the fact that they were emitting from her own throat, and that there would be no stopping them. She grew tired, and ached but was too scared to ever drift too far into sleep, lest she dream of faces and voices and names and demons she was not yet ready to confront. So she would make herself tea and sit outside, trying to ease her bruised mind and aching heart.
:.:.:
He would often find himself startled awake, heart pounding, panicked, and drenched in a cold sweat. It was easy enough for him to accept this. It was an inevitable hardship, he thought. His captain had abandoned him, and nightmares of hands and bones and blood were anticipated, almost welcomed. It gave him a sense of normalcy, in a world that had been completely flipped upside down. And when he would wake from his discontent sleep, he would make himself tea and sit outside, head bowed and heart feeling irreparably torn.
:.:.:
It was a month after Ichimaru's death that they saw each other. Izuru recognized the haunted, sleepless look in Rangiku's eyes, heavy with bags that couldn't be completely hidden no matter how thickly she may cake her makeup on. It started with a nod, an understanding glance. Eventually it moved into lunch, free time spent together, not talking yet (neither of them felt they were quite ready for that).
:.:.:
They had been meeting regularly for what seemed like eons before either of them broke their silence. It was Rangiku that cracked first, voice broken, pleading, asking why, why had he left her, abandoned her. Izuru had nodded his understanding, mumbling about how he understood, about how it all seemed so surreal, how distant he felt from the others. Rangiku looked up, somewhat surprised, not anticipating the agreement (rather, expecting false comfort, false understanding). Upon seeing the look the third's lieutenant gave her, she came to the startling conclusion that he must have been in the same boat as her. They had bother loved him, both suffered heartache at his absence. His death, something she thought was tearing only her apart, was something they could both grieve over. They were on equal grounds.
Their talks started off rocky, talking about the former captain, about all that had happened and all that they felt about his leaving. Eventually they started to move on, away from the breaking voices and tears. Talks mourning his death moved onto talks celebrating the good times, and talks about what the future might hold. And it wasn't long before their shoulders stopped hunching, and their eyes lightened, and they felt they were able to laugh whole-heartedly again. Their meetings eventually fizzled out, coming to an end. But neither was too remorseful for this, they had both shared something, and moved on, and the small smiles at each other in passing was all they really needed to be assured they weren't alone.