Author's Note:

What I should be doing is studying and writing papers and being a good student, but instead I'm writing, listening to Glee, and eating cereal. College is great.

Kaleidoscope
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Theme #88
thanks

Opening Song: "Locked out of Heaven" — Glee Cast

Rangiku looks awfully on edge today, Gin thinks. They're doing the usual: watching one of his ("stupid," she'd say) indie films, sitting on his couch in the basement, eating popcorn and sour gummy worms. Usually Rangiku makes comments about how terrible the camera work is and how he needs to invest in healthier snacks, but today she's sitting in silence and her eyes are everywhere but the TV screen.

He doesn't say anything until the popcorn's gone and the movie is half over. "Cat got your tongue?"

"No," she snaps.

Gin raises an eyebrow. "A vicious cat at that."

Rangiku turns to him sharply with narrowed eyes that would terrify someone who didn't know her for seventeen years. "It's nothing. Your… kettle corn sucks is all." She nods, unconvincingly, and pretends to engross herself in the movie.

After putting another bag into the microwave, Gin sits back down on the couch, a little closer to the strawberry blonde. "You love kettle corn," he says, but all she does is press her lips into a thin line. He has to do a little more prying if he wants to get an answer, but Gin's always been a fan of puzzles so he doesn't mind. "Ah, you're mad 'cause I got gummy worms instead o' gummy bears like I promised. Or is the movie? I know you hate this actor but I swear this guy's a genius."

"Both of those statements are so wrong." She reaches into the bag and pulls out a red-and-blue gummy worm, which she promptly drops into her mouth. "Also, this movie sucks so bad that it doesn't even need me to say anything."

His grin twitches in amusement. "That's never been reason enough to get ya to stay quiet before."

"Are you saying you want me to shut up?" she asks in a clipped tone.

Gin feigns a hurt look. "O' course not! The opposite — that your lovely quips are dearly missed."

She doesn't look impressed, though there's a hint of a smile on her face now. "Shut up." Rangiku leans back and sinks into the couch cushions, legitimately trying to get into the movie, but she's still distracted. "Okay," she finally says with exasperation, after he leaves a long silence between them. "It's really stupid, but it's bugging me and obviously you're not gonna leave me alone about it."

"I just wanted to watch the movie." He puts on his best innocent grin when she glowers at him to shut up.

"Anyway, like I said, it's dumb and I know you're not into this stuff at all but Shuuhei's already been asked and the other girls are constantly on my case." She pauses, as though waiting for him to intervene, but he says nothing. She clears her throat before continuing. "So the winter formal is coming up and, well, it's girls ask guys and…" Again, he says nothing. "… and…"

"Mm?"

Rangiku groans dramatically as she buries her face into her hand, absolutely embarrassed. "Ugh, this is why it's better when guys ask. I can say yes, but doing this is totally degrading…" If Gin has any idea what she's talking about (and there's a ninety percent chance that he does and he just loves watching other people suffer), he doesn't show it. "Okay, forget it."

"No, no," he cuts in, "what were you going to say?"

"I said forget it. It doesn't matter."

"Surely it must if it's been buggin' ya like you've said."

"It's stupid."

"I beg to differ."

"I was just going to ask if you wanted to come with me," she says, sounding indifferent but looking like she could die from embarrassment.

His eyebrows move upwards in surprise. "As your date?" he asks.

She nods, stiff-necked.

Gin's cheshire smile shifts into a toothy grin that takes her back. "Gee, that's what's been botherin' ya? O' course I'll accompany ya. Thanks for askin'!"

Rangiku shakes her head as she lowers it to her raised knees. "Stupid, you're not supposed to thank me." Even if her hair is covering her face and her cheeks are blazing red, she looks happy.

Closing Song: "Home" — Phillip Phillips

I need happy to counterbalance my angst.

xx, der kapitan