Okay so I've decided Kiss me, Kill me is going to be a series of interconnected onshots, just like Saints and Sinners and Formal Affair. As always they might be interconnected but most of them will be stand alones.
So this is a very sappy, fluffy oneshot about Gin and Matsumoto's first kiss. Everyone is a bit more carefree than they are now and much more innocent, they're a bit OOC--okay they're a lot OOC given how they act now. But remember this is a very long time ago.
The stars that blanketed the sky of Soul Society were something that Gin knew he would never get tired of. They were gorgeous, bright jewels set in the inky velvet of the sky. Even if his hands were raw with scrubbing and his thumb had a blister on it, he still found beauty in the night sky. He didn't even want to wonder what Aizen would say, or his Division if they knew that the murderous Gin Ichimaru was an avid stargazer. The man who never opened his eyes, who didn't need too even when he was killing people had no problem keeping them open to look up at the night sky. The moon was just a sliver that night, barely a moon at all really. Gin let out a sigh of pure contentment and leaned back on his forearms to look up at the sky. His hair was so heavy now, he really needed to find the time to get it cut.
"There you are!"
Gin bent his head further back, letting his eyes slit. Upside down Matsumoto was just as breathtaking as she was when he was upright. They used to stargaze together and he would tell her all about the constellations and what they meant. She had graduated the Academy very recently, just long enough for her to 'personalize' her Shinigami uniform. The garment was very loose on top and very tight on the bottom before it fanned out into the traditional hamaka. The big white bow on her waist gave just a hint of juvenility to the otherwise mature outfit. Wrapped around her neck was the pink scarf he had given her ages ago that she had refused to take off practically since he gave it to her. At the moment she looked somewhat less than thrilled with him, her grey eyes sparking with fury which was softened by her cropped strawberry blond hair.
"You cut your hair," he said, feeling the weight of his own too-long locks.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! Captain AIzen said you left hours ago!"
He had left hours ago, on AIzen's business. After killing three men quietly and disposing of the bodies he had spent half an hour scrubbing his hands so that there was no trace of blood on his boney fingers. Then he had sat down on the top of the Tenth Division--her Division--and let his guard drop. His Spiritual Pressure was so familiar to Matsumoto that it took her barely any time to find him. He was very good at masking his Spiritual Pressure though, good enough that when he wanted too it was virtually impossible to find him. There were people that he wanted to be hidden from, people he needed to hide from but if there was someone he wanted to be found by it was Matsumoto. The only time he hid himself from her was when Aizen wanted him too.
"Yeah I had things to do," he said with an upside down shrug. A sigh of frustration escaped her parted lips, "you gonna stand there or you wanna come sit with me?"
Matsumoto sighed again before walking over to him. She hated when Gin had his 'things to do'. He was always disappearing off to God knows where. She hated it when he did that but it was not as though she had any say in the matter. Slowly she walked over to where he sat and lowered herself down next to him, letting her legs dangle off the edge of the building. Gin pushed himself up and looked over at him, his silver hair flopping into his eyes. His lips pulled up into his usual bright grin. Matsumoto felt her own lips curve into a reciprocal smile. She found it impossible to keep the smile off her face when Gin grinned up at her--except if he was being particularly infuriating, then she could defend herself from his smile.
"You're hair's too long," she said glancing up at his hair, "you should get it cut."
"I've been busy," he said with a shrug.
"Busy," she repeated, "how can you even see--" she stopped remembering he didn't even open his eyes, "well its gotta be even harder with your bangs in your eyes."
"Eh I'll get around to it one day," he said with another careless shrug as he looked up at the sky, "how was work today?"
"Horrible," she pouted, "you're lucky your Captain does paperwork, mine just pines over some girl," she pulled out the bottle of sake he didn't even realize that she was carrying and uncapped it, taking a long drink, "its really quite pathetic."
"You're such a romantic," Gin grinned over at her.
"I am," she said defensively, "just not when it involves me having to do two people's worth of paperwork."
Gin snorted, despite the fact that Matsumoto's eyes glared furiously at him in response. Matsumoto didn't have a romantic bone in her body and he had seen that body in all stages of development from starving orphan to voluptuous woman. If she was a romantic she'd keep her top closed or consider their relationship with romantic eyes. He knew people were wondering right and left if there was something between the two of them. He was a heartless bastard and she was, well, she was a far cry from him. It wasn't like he could deny the fact that she was a very attractive woman, he didn't think that even Tousen could deny that. But there was more to it. Every time that someone made the slightest derogatory comment he was behind them with his grin and slitted eyes. It was as if in some strange way he felt he had a claim to her. Perhaps it wasn't a sexual thing or even a romantic thing but Matsumoto was not going to be harmed, not if he could do anything about it.
He had kept her safe for as long as he could, protected her in the little cottage that was the first place he had ever called home, but she had discovered she could be a Shinigami. She didn't know before then what he was, his rank and his abilities, he was just 'Gin', the strange boy who saved her life and became her world. But the moment she set foot in that academy she had discovered that he was something much much more. He had already graduated, he was a prodigy in every sense of the world and the newly appointed Captain Aizen, one of the strongest and most beloved Captains in Soul Society had taken him under his wing. For the first time in his entire life Gin Ichimaru had been embarrassed. He hadn't been embarrassed when he met Byakuya Kuchiki who practically pissed nobility even though he had dirt on his nose, he hadn't been embarrassed when he met the Commander General even though he still had blood on his hands from the last person he killed. But meeting Matsumoto in his full Shinigami uniform when he had been so careful to change into a commoner's robe before meeting her, that was embarrassing.
After she finished screaming at him for lying she had assured him that nothing would change and that he'd better help her with her homework since he was such a genius and all. In the time before the Court of Pure Souls when they had lived in that little shack, they had seen each others bits. On cold nights they had even slept in each other's embrace to share body heat. But once they were in the Court where there was food and heat and everything they needed, those moments seemed to slow to a trickle. He still knew what her body felt like pressed against his and she still knew what he looked like naked but the moments were far and few between. Especially now that she was the Lieutenant and so was he.
"Gimme that," Gin reached over and took the bottle, one of his hands brushing against her breast.
"Hey!" Matsumoto cried, outraged.
She was outraged both at the theft of her sake and at the forearm that brushed against her breast. It wasn't like Gin hadn't felt them before but still...things were different now. She had learned that her body was something that men viewed differently than Gin had. He had never treated her differently because of how she looked. She knew she looked different, that he was a boy and she was a girl but she didn't realize that there were pretty girls and ugly girls. Apparently she was one of the former. Gin still treated her like he usually did but the rest of the boys, they seemed to have gone crazy for her. She knew there were men who would kill each other to touch what he had just touched but Gin was completely unaffected as usual by her appearance. He simply took a long pull of the drink before holding the bottle out in front of her.
"Give that back!" she said knowing the moment she reached for it he would pull it away, "Gin," she wined his name, hoping that would get him to give her back her drink, "I've been listening to my Captain whine all day! I need that!"
Gin just grinned and took another drink.
"Give that back!" Matsumoto repeated hotly leaning over him.
"You're sounding like an alcoholic Ran," he said letting his nickname for her drop easily from his lips.
"So what if I am?" she reached forward but he held the bottle high over his head, "Gin!"
Matsumoto toppled fully into his lap, her chest pressing against his thighs. Instantly his free arm went around her waist to make sure she didn't fall, they were on the edge of the building after all. Matsumoto sighed and looked over at him. Gin grinned brightly and wiggled his fingers so the sake bottle danced. Matsumoto, knowing it was hopeless sighed and twisted around, shifting so that her head was in his lap instead of her chest. Gin raised an eyebrow at her easy giving up on their game. Usually she played until he beat her soundly or found himself amused enough to let her win. He pouted at the loss of the fun and lowered his hand. Instantly her own enclosed around the bottle and pulled it free.
"Gotcha!" Matsumoto smirked angling her head and taking a long drink of sake, "I won that time," Gin grinned, "stop looking so smug," Matsumoto said.
"You won that one," Gin said with a shrug.
"You're supposed to look upset."
"Why'd I be upset? I won every other time--ow!" Matsumoto hit his side, "it's not nice to hit your pillow," Gin said looking down at her face. Matsumoto stuck her tongue out at him, "besides if you're not nice I ain't gonna give you your present."
"Yes you will," Matsumoto said.
"You sound so sure of yourself--if I'm getting that predictable I'd better change up and keep this for myself," he said with a grin.
"Oh no you won't," Matsumoto said.
"Why not?" he said, intrigued at her sake-induced confidence.
"Because I'll make you give it to me."
"And how'll you do that?" he asked cocking his head to the side.
"Like this," she said reaching up and grabbing a fistful of his hair.
Gin expected her to try and attack him. They had fought before with him always being careful not to hurt her and she always calling him a sexist pig. But now when she grabbed his hair her motives seemed entirely different. The sight of her pink tongue darting out and moistening her lips was about all the warning he got before her pink lips were pressed against his grinning ones.
Well that got rid of his grin fast.
She tasted like sake and like, like peaches. The smirk was gone from Gin's face as his ruby eyes not only opened but got wider than they ever had been. Her lips were soft, as soft as the body pressed against him. He was too stunned to move, to think, to do anything but wonder if she was trying to kill him and take his present for her. It certainly felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. Her eyes were open too, first as she glared at him and then as the glare slipped into her own expression of shock. She hadn't expected kissing him to feel so, so good. His lips were soft too, odd considering the rest of him was so bony and hard. His too long silver hair tickled her cheek even as his ruby eyes stared back at her in complete shock. SHe didn't think she had ever seen him look shocked before, certainly not to the degree that he did now. Finally though she pushed herself back from him. sat back on her heels, perpendicular to his body and held out her hand.
Equally wordlessly Gin reached into his pocket and pulled out a black pouch, placing it in the palm of her hand.
"Yay!" Matsumoto pushed aside her racing heart to undo the little tie on the pouch and empty the contents into her hand. The gold necklace pooled neatly into the center of her palm, "oh Gin," she gasped.
"You never could get the claps," he said referring to the only other necklace she owned which she could never do the clasp of.
"This is beautiful but how did you afford--how did you find--why--" she stared at the present, completely shell shocked that he would go through all that trouble just to pick out the most perfect gift she'd ever received, "Gin," she looked at him, unable to understand.
"You're supposed to say 'Thank you' Ran," he said, hating how she looked so much like the pathetic, starving creature he had rescued so long ago, "don't tell me you can't figure out how to put that one on."
"Of course I can!" she said hotly looping the chain around her neck and feeding it through the ring. On her it even looked more perfect than he imagined it would, "its cold," she said feeling the cool metal against her skin, "thank you Gin," she said with a smile.
"So where'd you learn to do that?" he asked.
"Oh, I--" Matsumoto flushed, "someone just said that they'd do anything to kiss me so I thought i'd see if it'd work."
"On them?" he demanded feeling something odd coil inside him.
"Of course not! I just kissed you didn't I?" she questioned feeling her cheeks heat up, "why'd I wanna kiss those boys? They just stare at me," she shook her head, "i don't know why."
"You're pretty Ran," he said with a shrug before he realized what he had just said,
Gin's eyes widened when he realized what he just said. He had just called her pretty. Matsumoto's eyes widened as she looked over at him. Oh shit, now she was going to think he was one of those weird boys that just stared at her--she was going to go and kiss them now. God, why did he have to embarrass himself so much around her? It was a miracle that she hadn't told Soul Society what a complete idiot he could be. But he was only an idiot around her, not around anyone else. He was 'cool' around everyone else or at the very least intimidating. But not around her. Around her he was becoming as stupid as that Kuchiki brat.
"I' mean--" he began, scrambling to salvage what dignity he had left.
"You think I'm pretty?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Gin started at her. Matsumoto bit her lip. She knew she was pretty but she hadn't ever thought that Gin thought she was pretty. It was infuriating because she never knew what to make of him and wonderful because he didn't treat her oddly thanks to how she looked. It had only recently become a problem when she had seen couples kissing or doing more in darkened corners and wondered what it would be like to do that with Gin, only to admonish herself that Gin was her oldest, closest friend and didn't think of her like that. One of her fingers came up to touch the necklace at her throat as she stared at him, her heart pounding as he looked actually nervous for once in his life. Finally his head bobbed in meek confirmation of the compliment and Matsumoto felt her heart soar in response. He thought she was pretty. Her hand slipped from the necklace to brace her weight as she closed the distance between them.
This time he met her half way, not just her lips pressing tightly against his. It was softer this time, both were a bit clumsy with their movements. His silvery hair touched her cheek as she leaned closer to him, her weight shifting to come against his. Somehow they both lost their balance and toppled back onto the roof, her body landing on top of his. But they didn't stop, their lips still played against each other as they tried to figure each other out. For all her beauty and for all his abilities, neither had any experience in the area of kissing prior to that night, prior to the moment when Matsumoto rammed their lips together to get her present from Gin. But now with their eyes closed and their lips moving against each other with less and less shyness, they found themselves in an odd but wonderful situation. When Gin's long, pale fingers came up to brush through Matsumoto's hair, she felt almost dizzy. Everything that had a moment ago been so chaste and innocent was suddenly not so.
Finally they pulled apart but she remained pressed against him. The hand that had toyed through her hair rested against her waist as she pushed herself up against his chest.
"You think I'm pretty?" she repeated looking down at him.
"Yeah," he said, finally finding his voice, "I think you're pretty."
"Okay," she said with a grin before she turned so they were laying side by side, her head cushioned on his chest. One of her hands came up and pointed upwards, "what are those stars right there?"
"Those are Pegasus," he said taking her hand in his and tracing the shape they were supposed to form before beginning to tell her the story.
Matsumoto smiled as he spoke, his chest vibrating against her ear. His voice was odd but she had always found it soothing. This was no different as he told her stories about the stars as they passed the bottle of sake between them. Every once in a while their lips would meet in kisses that became increasingly clumsy as the bottle dwindled. Finally though Matsumoto pushed herself up and looked at Gin with the same foggy determination she had to get her present.
"I'm sleeping with you tonight," she announced.
Gin looked up at her and pushed his too long hair out of his eyes before he got to his feet.
"Okay, lets go."