Author's Note: WOO. I can officially say that school is over, and I am now a sophomore. -beams proudly- -smacked by upper classmen- Ah well, it's better than being at the bottom of the food chain. ... And I have summer school, but whaaaatever.
I went to the mall today and scourged through every anime-related store for anything Gin-related. I almost cried.

Theme #3
Winter

Rangiku hated the winter season. She hated the cold and biting air, she hated how her toes would freeze from just barely touching the wood, she hated the risk of frost bite. She hated how it resembled death so much.

Summer had always been her favorite season. The sun was always out, basking her in sunlight. The air was always fresh and calling for her, enveloping her in their arms when she went running through the fields. Summer was always so full of life.

Autumn and spring never played as large a role in her opinion as did summer and winter. They were more like... what kept it all together. Like glue. Or something like that.

Whenever Rangiku looked at Gin, she thought of winter. She didn't hate him, of course not, but he just reminded her so much of the season she loathed. Even with that prolonging smile... He always seemed to have a cool aura around him.

It was winter now. Rangiku was cuddled up in a little ball, sitting as close to the fire as she could without getting burnt. Gin was currently out gathering some firewood. It was snowing outside.

Even with the blanket wrapped around her thin form, and the cotton yukata, she felt as though her blood were frozen. The fire before her seemed to do nothing to give her warmth. "I hope he comes back soon," she mulled. "It must be freezing outside."

Her blue eyes wandered over to the window, confirming her thoughts when she found the blizzard raging on. "Gin..."

She nearly jumped when the door was cracked open, and a snow-covered Gin stalked in. Once he closed and locked the door, he saluted her with one hand and held up the logs with the other. "Yo. Sorry 'bout comin' back all late. The storm's a killer."

She could only watch as he walked over to the fire and tossed each log in, one by one.

She kept her eyes on one flake of snow on his yukata, which slowly melted into the material. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"Hmmm, I 'unno. I kinda jus' went numb after a while," he responded jokingly.

Apparently she didn't find it very funny.

"Don' worry 'bout it. I'm fine," he reassured, turning his body to reveal his signature grin.

Rangiku sighed in exasperation and patted a spot next to her. "Come sit with me. We'll warm up by the fire together." He tossed in the final log wordlessly, and crawled over to take the position next to her. "I hate winter," she mumbled.

"Oh?" He cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... but I don't think I liked it in my previous life either. All I remember is freezing late at night during the winter season, and since 'Tou-san had to work late, I was always alone. At least when I was alone during the summer I wasn't afraid of freezing to death in my sleep."

"Hmm. I dunno. I've always liked winter," Gin mused. "It's pretty weird, I guess. I was always so cold, but there was always this feelin' of reassurance, ya know? Like there was always hope past winter." Rangiku looked at his face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. His expression and grin had softened, and it appeared as though he were in a dreamlike state. "And besides..."

"Hm?"

"It was always reason to cuddle up, eh?" He quirked his brows suggestively, which only resulted in a smack upside the head from Rangiku. "Maah, maah, I was jus' kiddin' around, Rangiku," he chuckled as he rubbed where she had hit him.

Rangiku could only shake her head, though a small smile quirked at the corner of her lips. As she stared into the fire, she felt a warmth growing on her side. Dismissing it as her imagination, she pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them.

The warmth continued to grow, but she continued to ignore it. She eventually felt sleep growing, and found it difficult to keep her head up.

"Tired?"

"Mm."

Absentmindedly, she drooped her head onto his shoulder, and it was only a matter of seconds until she felt that familiar warmth take over her body. Maybe winter wasn't so bad after all.

Word Count: 720
I love the winter season. And I'm pretty sure I love my reviewers more. :D