Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

Daybreak

Gin had been taken by surprise at how nice it was to have Rangiku around. When he had fed her and given her shelter, he hadn't really expected to keep her. But he was rather glad that he had. He hadn't realized how much better it was with two until he had her around. While it was true that it was harder to feed them both instead just himself, Gin found that there were other things that more than made up for that. Rangiku was a much sunnier personality than he was, and she brought something to their little home that he could not. There was also the fact that she never showed any trace of fear of him.

He was used to people fearing him. Gin was aware of the fact that he didn't exactly look normal with his closed eyes and perpetual grin. The closed eyes were better than the reaction he got when he left them open. Save for Rangiku. The one time he had slipped and opened his eyes in her presence she had exclaimed over how pretty they were. It had completely startled him. But then Rangiku seemed completely content with who he was. Either that or she was completely unaware of how odd he was. There were times Gin did worry about her though.

While it didn't often happen, sometimes Gin did run into adults in the woods. They weren't a threat to him; Gin had proved that several times. But Rangiku had an innocence about her that could make her a target, and he wasn't sure that she could fight off an opponent. He had a feeling that if she was truly in danger, Ran would prove to be quite a fighter, but she might not recognize danger when she encountered it. And her kindness could very well be her downfall. Still, Gin didn't want her to lose that innocence and kindness. It was part of what made her Rangiku.

One of these days, though, someone was going to find them. Gin wasn't sure what they were going to do then. Once this place wasn't a secret anymore, it would lose its greatest defense. He wanted to have a plan for when that happened. Besides, there was more to the world than just this forest. They couldn't live in isolation forever. There was time to make plans though. Gin figured that they would remain here over the winter at least, and he would do some investigating before they went anywhere.

"Gin? The fish are about ready." Rangiku called from outside.

They cooked outside when they could. It was easier that way, and it made clean up quicker. He had managed to catch several fish from the river, and Ran had gotten to be pretty good about cooking. They sat in silence as they ate and the sky began to dim. It didn't take long for the stars and a sliver of the moon to illuminate the sky. Rangiku lay back in the grass with a sigh, peering up at the stars.

"Do you remember much about before? I mean before it was just you." Rangiku's voice was soft and a little hesitant. She didn't often pry into his past.

Gin shrugged. "Nope."

He had been on his own for as long as he could remember. He had run across others like him from time to time, but the only one who had ever stayed and who he had ever wanted to stay was Rangiku. Companionship wise, she was all he really needed. Ran might not be the smartest person in the world or the most entertaining, but she genuinely liked and cared about him. It was something Gin had never had before, and it was something he wanted to keep.