Author's Note:

Guys. I am such an ass. I know you've dealt with my excuses and blubbering and utter bullshit for the past three and a half years, but, God, seriously. I am such an ass. I don't even know what the effff I've done over the past couple of months. But, hey, all of my friends are back in/headed back to their colleges, sooo I no longer have a social life. Again. :D Which means - MORE WRITING TIME FOR RENOH.

I've recently become addicted to Tumblr. Does anyone else have an account? :D (Self promotion: my username is frauleinawesome.)

I promise you guys that this drabble isn't out of order - it's just supposed to be a memory (as the theme states).

Dankeee, EmmaMarie, Soomin, imjuzakyd, sunsetblossom, Charmane, CYLi, CrossroadsofLife, and mochicocoa for reviewing! I promise I'll get back to answering all your reviews individually. I've just been lazy and... an ass. Basically. And I basically don't deserve you guys at all. BUT I LOVE YOU SO MUCCCH.

Kaleidoscope
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Theme #66
memory

Opening Song: "Un Amico" - Ennio Morricone

"Owch!" A hiss of pain accompanied Rangiku's curse as she dropped the hammer and brought her throbbing finger to her mouth. Through watery eyes, she glared at the nail jutting out from the wooden plank and proceeded to kick said plank - only to have it completely detach itself from the wall. "Are you kidding me!"

"Rangiku?"

The hammer gripped tightly in both of her hands remained raised high above her head. Slowly and guiltily, the strawberry blonde turned her head, only to find her silver-haired companion watching her with curiosity and weariness. Blocks of wood were huddled in arms, implying that he'd finished his chores and was about to start the fire. "Back already?" she asked with a grin, quickly dropping her arms as to hide the hammer behind her back.

Slowly, he bobbed his head. "Mhm. I was gonna get dinner started." She could tell he was eying her patch up work on the house's front. A rather pathetic clump of wood and nails had been slapped over the hole in the wall (which had, sure enough, been caused by Rangiku's rage a couple days before). "Are ya, uh, sure ya don't want me to do that?"

She huffed at his indirect insult towards her handiwork. "Does it not look I've got it under control?" His silence confirmed his real opinion, and she scowled in response. "Well fine! Since you're just sooo great at repairs, why don't I start dinner?"

Without a word of protest, Gin darted into the house.

Almost insulted by his silent refusal to let her cook, Rangiku glared at his thin figure through the makeshift window. "This is why I just sleep. My hard work always goes unappreciated," she thought dramatically, sighing as she picked up the piece of wood she had previously abused. She held it up against the clump, cocked her head to the side, narrowed her eyes, and contemplated redoing the entire thing. "Yeah right. What a waste of time." Scoffing at the thought of wasting all her hard work, she merely grabbed a couple of nails, jammed them into the plank with the hammer, and went to join Gin.

A pot of boiling water sitting over a new fire greeted her when she walked in, causing a broad grin to break out across her face. "So, what's for dinner?" she asked as she took a seat beside the fire pit.

"Soup," was the simple answer, accompanied by the sound of vegetables being diced.

A groan escaped her lips as she fell back onto the floor, stretching her back and arms along the wood. "Again?"

"Sorry, food's gettin' pretty expensive." Sensing the true apology behind his words, Rangiku frowned. He'd been apologizing quite frequently lately, especially in terms of their living conditions. She could tell he was growing upset with their situation, that he wanted to change it. Despite the guilt that pooled in her stomach, Rangiku said nothing, and only rolled over onto her side so that her back was facing him. The room remained immersed in silence, with only the occasional "plop" that came with Gin's dropping the vegetables into the pot. Once dinner was complete, a dark kimono, along with a small bowl, entered her vision. "Ya should probably sit up," he suggested with a grin.

They both ate in silence, each too drawn up in their own thoughts to say anything to the other. Things were hard, a fact that Rangiku was too aware of. They lived in a shack in a less than impressive area of Rukongai. They lived off fish and vegetables, their futons were ratty and torn, and the walls of their home were too easily punctured by her temper. They didn't live the ideal life - far from it - and she was suddenly aware of how often she complained about it. Then there was Gin, who said nothing, but whose silence explained all. He was unhappy, but he dealt with it. Maybe, she thought, she was being a little unfair. Upon finishing her soup, Rangiku glanced at Gin, who was staring intently into the flames.

"I like it here, you know."

Gin looked up from the fire, his eyebrows raised in surprise. She was looking directly at him, bearing a small, almost apologetic smile.

"I don't mind living here," she elaborated, suddenly shifting her gaze to the crackling embers. "I mean, it's not ideal, and it's not extravagant. It was pretty bad when we first got here, and I didn't think I'd ever like it." She paused and pressed her lips together. "But it's home. I'm comfortable here."

His look of bewilderment softened, and though he smiled she could tell there was some remorse behind it. "But I don't want ya to jus' be comfortable, Rangiku. And definitely not jus' 'cause ya've gotten used to it. Ya deserve better than that."

Rangiku's blinked, almost as if in shock, but she laughed and gave his shoulder a light push. "But we have to make do with what we have, right? And considering what we do have, I'd say we're doing alright." She grinned crookedly at him and leaned against him.

Though his face remained weary at first, he soon gave in, and his grin matched hers. "Heh, yeah. I guess I'd say we're alright."

He looked down at her, and she noticed him swallowing thickly. Rangiku pulled back slightly, eyes widening at the proximity of their faces. "Hey, what's up?" she laughed, too aware of the nervous hitch in her voice.

"Nothin'." His warm breath fanned over her lips.

Her answer, whatever it was going to be, got caught in her throat, and she ended up gawking at her childhood friend like a fish out of water. The moment his lips had touched hers (had they even?), his head pulled back, he was on his feet, and it was though he'd never been sitting next to her. "G-Gin?" she stuttered, watching his back with a mix of awe and frustration.

"Mm?" His answer was simple and calm, as though nothing that had just occurred bothered him. He simply went on cleaning up dinner.

Rangiku pressed her lips together, almost angry. It all must have been her imagination. "Nothing." Pulling her legs up, she wrapped her arms around them and watched him in silence. "Hey, Gin?" she called after a moment.

"Yes?"

"We'll always be together, right?" He'd turned around at her question and, realizing how childish she had sounded, Rangiku flushed. "Owh, forget it, it's not-"

"Yeah."

She blinked. "What?"

"Yeah," he repeated. "We'll always be together." He flashed her a grin before returning his attention to the dishes.

His words and his grin, however short they were, filled her with warmth, and with a smile of content Rangiku dropped back onto the floor.

Closing Song: "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" - David Bowie

I know you guys have been asking for a more a romantic scene, and, well, I kind of wanted to write fluff, too, BUT I FAIL. Despite my being a fan of romance, I'm so incredibly awkward when it comes to actually writing it (probably because, in real life, I'm an incredibly romantically retarded individual). So, when I set out to write out something romantic, it ends up just fluffy and humorous and... not very romantic. Ah ha ha. Sorrrryyy.

Ich liebe dich,
Renoh