Author's Note:
Why am I such a lazyass? How can I go on for, like, two months without posting a single drabble? (That's where you answer, "Because you're a fucking lazyass, Renoh.") Anyways, my birthday passed and Christmas is coming up, so I'm pretty pumped. :3

Here's a word of advice: don't ever let your best friends grab a hold of your phone. The other day I was sitting on the bed with my friend, and she was going through my phonebook, so I was pointing to people and telling her who they were. I pointed to one guy's name and said, "That's the guy I liked last year." So I lean back, close my eyes, and realize that she hasn't said anything.

... She called him.

After screaming at her like a mad woman, I finally grabbed it back and hung up. He texted me and asked me why I called and didn't say anything, and admitted that he definitely did hear screaming. It was quite embarrassing. DX (But on the bright side, we talked well into the morning. X3)

Kaleidoscope
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) drabble set

Theme #41
Sick

Opening Song: "Great DJ" - The Ting Tings

Winter had finally taken its toll in Soul Society, and the students of the Shinigami Academy dealt poorly with its cruelty. Girls and boys would run to their classes, hoping to escape the freezing atmosphere. No one sat outside for lunch these days, and it would be an unusual sight to see anyone out of the dorms in the evening.

Some of the students were luckier than others. Nobles had the nicer dorms; the one-man dorms decorated extravagantly and padded perfectly for winter weather. The poorer students, however, dealt with the two-person dorms that barely sufficed in the middle of winter.

Unfortunately, Rangiku belonged to the latter.

Wrapped tightly in her futon, Rangiku huddled in the corner of her room, trying to create as much body warmth as possible. Her thin pink scarf was wound around neck several times, she had pulled on the two gis she owned, and she was wearing two pairs of socks. And, in the end, she was still freezing.

Just as her head fell back against the wall with a "thunk", the shouji slid open, and in walked her hacking roommate. The small female said nothing as she stumbled towards her own futon, slipping into it and rolling against the nearest wall all in one motion. She remained still for a moment or two, then erupted into another series of coughs and sneezes.

Rangiku blinked at her roommate. "Mayumi? Are you alright?" The brunette mumbled something incomprehensible. "Huh?"

"No medicine," she wheezed.

The strawberry blonde sighed. Her roommate was nice, but her forgetfulness got tiresome. "Would you like me to pick some up for you?" Mayumi rolled over onto her other side, smiling wearily at her. As inwardly distressed as she was, Rangiku returned the smile and reluctantly pulled herself from her nice, warm cocoon. "Alright, I'll be back soon." Pulling both gis tighter against her body, she slid open the shouji, headed down the hall, and braced herself as she walked outside.

The snow storm nearly whipped her off her feet, and she had to grip onto the side of the building to keep from falling face-first into the snow. She better get me one hell of a Christmas present, Rangiku thought bitterly as she prodded through the snow, wincing at the wind whipping at her face and hair.

A good twenty to thirty minutes passed before she finally made it to the medicine store, in which she barely convinced the man to open the door for her. They had closed ten minutes ago, but the man had said, "The look of utter despair on your face made it impossible to say no." Rangiku picked up Mayumi's medicine, bobbed her head in thanks, and lingered in the doorway for a couple moments before the man pushed her outside.

"Rude!" she grumbled, turning to glare at the man, who quickly shut the blinds.

Shaking her head in disgust, Rangiku began the journey back to the Academy, but her legs began to wobble halfway through her journey. She could just feel the nausea rising in her stomach, and she had to stop to rest against a building. Ugh... This is so ridiculous. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her vision, but the snow fell relentlessly. Shit. It'll kinda suck if I die here.

As her body began to slump against the building, a hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder, and she instinctively aimed a fist at her attacker's temple. Cold fingers quickly wrapped themselves around her wrist, trapping her in place. "What in the hell are ya doin' out in a snow storm, Rangiku?" Rangiku knew that her eyes were shifty, but there was no way she could mistake that voice and that grin. Gin chuckled as he tugged on her wrist, pulling her towards the entrance of the building she had been leaning on.

"What're you doing?" she grumbled, trapped in a half-daze.

Gin glanced over his shoulder for a brief second, shook his head, and pulled her into his home. He dropped her onto a futon near the warm fire before walking into the kitchen. "Isn't the Academy supposed'ta have some kind o' security for this stuff?" he cursed under his breath.

When he came out from the kitchen with a cup of warm water in hand, he found Rangiku sitting on the futon, swaying from left to right, before dropping the box of medicine and curling in a ball by the fire. He blinked at the shivering form of his best friend before snickering. Placing the cup down on a table, he crouched down by her side and pulled the covers over her body before placing a hand on her forehead. She instantly shivered and he pulled away, his the corners of his lips tugging downwards.

He sighed, reluctantly reaching forward to run his fingers through her hair before placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "'Night, Rangiku."

-

"AAACHOOOO!"

Rangiku rocked back and forth in her futon ball, her eyes puffy and her nose runny. Mayumi sat by her side, smiling sympathetically as she fed another spoonful of medicine to Rangiku. The strawberry blonde swallowed it down, but made a face of disgust right after. "Gross!" she hissed.

"Ichimaru-san said you needed to take it," Mayumi insisted.

She made another face of disgust. "Screw you, Gin."

The shouji slid shut completely, closing the small gap that had allowed him to peek in. Gin smirked, shook his head, and walked off with a smirk.

Closing Song: "Curbside Prophet" - Jason Mraz

Word Count: 918

Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, messages, etc. You guys are seriously da bomb. (I'm so ghetto I don't even understand it.) If I don't post another one soon, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! :3 I love you all so verrry much.

I bought this amazing Joker/Heath Ledger poster the other day. It's amazing. (Yet it scared me when I woke up to it.)

By the way, was anyone else upset when it was Hinamori who saved Rangiku? The fangirl in me sobbed that it hadn't been Gin. D: