I'm sick of writing disclaimers. So... In the remaining chapters I won't bother with them.
Serenity/Storm
Rangiku woke up the with buttered rays of the sun warm on her face. Her eyes fluttered open to greet the morning dawn. She felt strangely calm. The anxiety she had been feeling for a number of months she could no longer detect on her chest. She smiled, contented, the night before playing itself on her reverie.
She turned to her side feeling the empty dented space beside her on the mattress laid out on the floor. Last night she had fallen asleep under the stars and only stirred a little when Byakuya brought her to his room. She didn't even feel exposed or threatened when he unclothed her and dressed her in a sleeping, and much more comfortable, kimono.
Byakuya rose not long ago, that much she can surmised. The space in which he had slept in, his heat and scent still lingered.
She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the warmth seep in to her palm and into her body.
The door opened. The scent of hot and mouth-watering food and the familiar aroma of tea greeted her olfactory senses. Along with it was a different smell. Man.
She opened her eyes and her eyes were greeted with the sight of Byakuya as neat as he always is, his hair still glistening wet from bath.
"Ohayou, anata*," Byakuya greeted, bestowing her with a smile she knew he wouldn't give to just anyone, propping the tray he was carrying on her lap.
"Eat up. You must be hungry," he urged. "No need to worry finishing your meal. I talked to Hitsugaya-san to allow you to take the day off. He was reluctant but he gave his assent in the end. But only for half a day."
"Oh, no! I forgot abbout work!" Rangiku exclaimed, shocked at her negligence of duties.
"You must have been tired from eating too much last night," Byakuya fibbed, poker-faced, eyes twinkling.
Rangiku stuck out her tongue, not knowing whether to laugh or frown, instead she started attacking the food.
To wake up like this each morning, life would be bliss, she thought to herself.
Byakuya's sleep last night was undisturbed. He closed his eyes with no frustrations to trouble him. He lied by her side, feeling content, serene. And when he opened his eyes this morning, even he himself was surprised at the smile that alighted on his face when he saw her sleeping form.
Watching her now he wished nothing and nobody would ever hamper their road to happiness.
He was bored. There. He finally admitted it to himself. Gin had been restless, doing almost nothing but to wait for the completion of their preparations.
Boredom leads to idleness. And idleness would give way to thoughts unwanted, thoughts he would rather lock and seal in a chest, throw it into the depths of an ocean so they'll never come out and bother him again.
The sole activity he consoled himself with, that has the ability to engage him was watching the Arrancars make fools out of themselves to get closer to Aizen, to gain their lord's favor.
That is what he is doing right now. The cameras hidden in every crevice and corner of the palace prove to be useful in entertainment.
A big screen of images of various rooms and people is set before him. His mouth twitched into a sly smile when he spied a view so rare that would make anyone jump with woozy joy.
Ulqiuorra and Grimmjow banging each other. What a sight. For all their nastiness toward each other they obviously cannot deny themselves from the carnal pleasures only the other could offer and provide.
His smirking lips dropped into a thin line, his eyes opened into narrow slits. An image captured his attention that upset him, making his hackles rise and lose his appetitie in watching a diverting seen folding out before him.
It was Aizen staring up at a camera in his throne room, his mouth twisted into a knowing smile, irritating him, getting into his nerves.
Just when I was starting to enjoy watching the two kids get into an acrobatic position, he complained inwardly, curing Aizen and his all-knowing smile.
"Fuck you!" he cursed out loud, no longer able to contain his irritation and disappointment over having his act of voyeurism delectation interrupted.
He stood up in all haste, toppling the chair he was sitting in, grabbed his katana, turned around, only to halt in his step.
Aizen stood before him, blocking his only exit, still wearing the smile he had on moments ago.
How he wanted to wipe it off. Doing that would give him a lot of grievances. Number one would be Touzen.
Gin straightened himself and reverted back to his stoic state thinking, I will not lose to this bastard.
"Aizen-kun, that was fast, eh. Oshiete, how you did it, ne."
"Why don't you and I do something far more interesting, something like, say... The one you were watching on that screen," Aizen baited.
"Nah. Thank you but I'm not interested," he replied with all calmness.
"I'd rather play with others, so... Jaa ne!"
With that he left Aizen bristling in the surveillance room, bristling with anger at his easy dismissal.
"Oi, Ran-" the next two syllables got stuck somewhere in Abarai Renji's vocal chords. Instead what came out was a choked sound caught in betwwen surprise and amusement.
What drew out that response from him was the sight of Rangiku and Byakuya walking together. They were not talking. They weren't even holding hands and there was no skin contact between them. But one would see that there was something going on. Their auras were just different. More bright.
Everywhere the reaction is the smae. Only in places that can be counted by the fingers was the reaction nil, meaning no reaction at all.
So he finally made his move. Renji had observed that his captain would stare fixedly with the intensity of a blue flame at Rangiku when he thought no one is looking at him or would take notice.
He was happy for them. This is only the beginning of a change in their lives but he can foresee a happy ending to their courtship.
They will survive the war.
They will win.
They will erase those who seek the destruction of their worlds.
They will destroy those who threaten the happiness of living beings and souls.
When the day they defeat their enemis comes, everybody will finally live on with smiles and laughter.
I'm changing the pairing from GinxRangiku to ByakuyaxRangiku. Over the course of this story I fell in love with the idea of Byakuya and Rangiku ending up together.