September
September
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Part: 9 of 10
29th of September
She woke to the feeling of soft kisses being planted all over her face and body, "Hmm..."
"Good morn'n," whispered Gin, "Happy Birthday, Rangiku."
"Thanks," she whispered as she kissed him fully on the mouth, "Do I get my present now?"
"Sorta," said Gin as got out of the futon. Rangiku sat up.
"It's in two parts ya see," explained Gin as he handed her a Kimono box, "This is the first part."
Smiling brightly Rangiku opened the box, inside was a white kimono with a silver Shiromuku pattern. Rangiku blinked in disbelief, "I... I sold this..."
"Yeah, I bought 'em back fer ya," Gin informed her, "All the kimonos ya sold. Mind ya, Rangiku, ya were fleeced! That dealer didn't give ya one third 'eir value."
"I figured as much," said Rangiku, "But I was kind of desperate," smiling again, "So part one of my birthday present is me getting my kimonos back. So what's part two?"
"Well ya are gett'n all ya kimonos back but that ain't what I meant. Rangiku, what kinda kimono is that one?" Gin asked.
Rangiku blinked as comprehension started to dawn on her. Could it be... no... "It's a we... wedding... Gin!"
"I sent a message ta Izuru and Yachiru a few days ago," said Gin in a matter-of-fact fashion, "Izuru brought the kimono early this morn'n. He's outside now setting things up. Ya better start getting ready. The guests will be..." Gin was interrupted when the bedroom door was flung wide open by a grinning Yachiru.
"Yay! Ran-chan and Foxy are getting married! Yay!" she declared as she bounced in, followed by a harassed looking Nanao, "But Foxy has to go away now, so we can get Ran-chan ready!"
"I am go'n, I am go'n," said Gin as he made a haste exit from the room.
"The shinigami men's association is completely broken hearted," Nanao informed Rangiku, putting down several large bags containing various beauty products, "Hisagi and Iba haven't stopped crying since Kira informed them you and Captain Ichimaru were finally, finally getting married and that was three days ago!"
"We are getting married..." repeated Rangiku, the words not quite sinking in, "We are getting married! Nanao, he's marrying me!" she declared as tears welled up in her eyes.
Nanao sat down next to her and drew her into a tight hug, "Yes, you are getting married. It's a bit of rush job. We did only have three days to get everything ready."
"But Ken-chan let me borrow all our men to help Izurun and squad three bring and set up all the tables and chairs," declared Yachiru happily, "And Shun-shun gave us all the sake we needed. Bya-kun let me borrow all his servants to cook the feast and Re-chan made everybody in squad four help her with the flowers! All the captains will be here this afternoon. Gramps is going to perform the ceremony! It's going to be great!"
Suddenly Rangiku grabbed Yachiru and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said as she started to cry in earnest.
"Don't cry, Ran-chan!" said Yachiru, as she disentangled herself from Rangiku's almost painful hug, "Today is a happy day."
"Yes, yes it is," said Rangiku, smiling through her tears.
Given that it was Matsumoto Rangiku who was getting married, the proportion of crying men to crying women was definitely greater. Hisagi was still half determine to rush forward and declare his undying love for Rangiku, but even in his fantasies he ended up very skewered by Shinsou with Rangiku wondering how much he had, had to drink. The day was perfect, the wedding even more so. The flowers were fresh and delicately arranged, the feast was simple but delicious and everybody thought the occasion was well liquored. Everything was just perfect, indeed, the only thing Rangiku had ever needed for a perfect wedding was Ichimaru Gin. As long as it was him who was standing opposite her, Rangiku didn't care if she was getting married in a hollow infested hellhole. Of course, her guests might have objected to such a surrounding.
Yamamoto kept the ceremony simple but strictly adhering to shinto traditions. When it was finished Yachiru declared, "That was great! Exactly what I want for my wedding with Bya-kun!" The look on Captain Kuchiki's face was priceless and made everybody burst out laughing.
Long before the party was close to over, Gin pulled Rangiku away. After locking the doors and windows of their bedroom with multiple kidou spells, Gin pulled his new wife down on the futon. Rangiku giggled, "Eager are we?"
"Ya have no idea," whispered Gin before claiming her mouth in a ravishing kiss, a kiss that sucked the very air out of her lungs, a kiss designed to suck out her very soul. A kiss that was sucking out her very soul...
She shot-up, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "What's the matter, Rangiku?" wondered Gin, getting up also and laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Ya had another nightmare?"
"I... what day is it?" she wondered suddenly, painfully confused.
"Well..." said the grinning Gin, "It's ya birthday. Just hit midnight, good time ta wake up from a bad dream. I can give ya yer present!" Reaching into his discarded cloths he pulled out a small jewelery box and handed it to Rangiku, "Happy Birthday, Rangiku!"
"Tha... thanks," whispered Rangiku as she opened the box. It contained a silver chain necklace of somewhat odd design. It had no clasp but on one end was a large circle through which the chain was obviously meant to be threaded through.
"Yachiru gave me the catalog from the living world where ya saw this," Gin explained, "She said ya really wanted this."
Rangiku smiled as she put the necklace on, "I did. As soon as I saw it I wanted it," she whispered, perhaps something of her disappointment and sadness showed on her face because the smile left Gin's face and he too looked terribly sad.
"Ya know that Kimono I gave ya," he began after a moment of silence, "The wedding Kimono of the Kuchiki-hime?"
"Oh..." Rangiku looked away, "I had to sell that..."
"I bought 'em back for ya," Gin interjected dismissively, "But ya know why I gave it ta ya?"
"No," admitted Rangiku, "But I did always wonder. It has such a story behind it and you can still sense the faint reitsu of a hollow on it. I mean, I don't know if the stories are true. I have never been tempted to wear it and go to sleep. Indeed.... I have never been tempted to wear it at all."
"Yet, ya wanna marry me," whispered Gin.
"I don't understand."
"I am sure ya do, Rangiku. I am sure ya always knew what I was try'n ta tell ya when I gave ya that kimono. I can't marry ya Rangiku," declared Gin, "I ain't a nice man and I am too selfish ta let ya go. But I ain't so selfish that I wanna devour ya. If I marry ya, I'll end up devouring ya just like that hime was."
"But... but you said you wanted to have kids with me!"
"Hav'n kids and getting married ain't the same thing, Rangiku. If that baby lived, it wouldn't tie ya ta me any more than ya are already tied. Ya have friends who would help ya raise a kid whether I am dead or alive. Us being not married would probably mean the kid and ya could walk away if ya really needed ta. If I married ya...." Gin looked away, "I know ya, Rangiku. If i married ya, ya would always wait fer me. Ya would never, ever try ta walk away from me no matter what I do. I can't do that ta ya."
"You are not making any sense Gin," Rangiku declared, feeling confused and a little bit angry, "If you haven't noticed me trying to walk away from you didn't work out too well. I ended up in a dark room littered with sake bottles, a total wreck. What could you possible do that would make it easier for me to walk away even if we have a child but if we are not married."
"Especially if we have a kid," whispered Gin.
"What?" asked Rangiku, getting increasingly confused.
"Rangiku, trust me when I say that there are things that I can do," that I have done, he added to himself, "That would make ya hate me. That would make ya do everything in yer power to keep any kids we might have away from me. Ya take vows seriously Rangiku, more seriously than most people and certainly more seriously than me. I can't... I can't make ya say wedding vows with me."
Rangiku turned away as she felt tears sting her eyes, "We really don't have a future together do we?"
"It's over-rated," whispered Gin as he pulled her into his arm, "The future that is, I never thought we would still be together when I first met ya. I thought ya would leave me as soon as yer strength returned. Ya didn't. Ya stayed with me. Waited patiently for me ta return, even when I left without tell'n you where I was go'n and when I would be back. Ya followed me where ya could. Ya followed me to Seireitei! But it wasn't planned, it just happened. Let's... let's... not mess with that. Cause I don't wanna make promises ta ya that I couldn't keep and I don't wanna make plans fer the future when I have so li'l control over it."
"And if I say I don't care if you devour me?" wondered Rangiku.
"But I don' wanna devour ya," whispered Gin, "Yer too good ta be a part of me, Rangiku."
Rangiku closed her eyes. Resignation spreading through her mind and body. There was no point fighting this. They were what they were, "Thank you for the necklace, Gin," she said at last, "I love it. I think I'll wear it all the time from now on."
"I am glad you like it, Rangiku," said Gin, his ever present grin returning.
Author's note: I was actually kind of stuck as how to finish this. I am thinking this chapter will probably annoy a few people and disappoint others. But I did find that having gone through all that journey I was kind of stuck as to what to do. I did think of ending the story on a high by them actually getting married (in secret) instead of Rangiku just dreaming about it. But that seemed so not Gin and Rangiku. Plus I figured, what's the point of introducing the Kuchiki-hime wedding kimono if I wasn't going to use it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Part: 9 of 10
29th of September
She woke to the feeling of soft kisses being planted all over her face and body, "Hmm..."
"Good morn'n," whispered Gin, "Happy Birthday, Rangiku."
"Thanks," she whispered as she kissed him fully on the mouth, "Do I get my present now?"
"Sorta," said Gin as got out of the futon. Rangiku sat up.
"It's in two parts ya see," explained Gin as he handed her a Kimono box, "This is the first part."
Smiling brightly Rangiku opened the box, inside was a white kimono with a silver Shiromuku pattern. Rangiku blinked in disbelief, "I... I sold this..."
"Yeah, I bought 'em back fer ya," Gin informed her, "All the kimonos ya sold. Mind ya, Rangiku, ya were fleeced! That dealer didn't give ya one third 'eir value."
"I figured as much," said Rangiku, "But I was kind of desperate," smiling again, "So part one of my birthday present is me getting my kimonos back. So what's part two?"
"Well ya are gett'n all ya kimonos back but that ain't what I meant. Rangiku, what kinda kimono is that one?" Gin asked.
Rangiku blinked as comprehension started to dawn on her. Could it be... no... "It's a we... wedding... Gin!"
"I sent a message ta Izuru and Yachiru a few days ago," said Gin in a matter-of-fact fashion, "Izuru brought the kimono early this morn'n. He's outside now setting things up. Ya better start getting ready. The guests will be..." Gin was interrupted when the bedroom door was flung wide open by a grinning Yachiru.
"Yay! Ran-chan and Foxy are getting married! Yay!" she declared as she bounced in, followed by a harassed looking Nanao, "But Foxy has to go away now, so we can get Ran-chan ready!"
"I am go'n, I am go'n," said Gin as he made a haste exit from the room.
"The shinigami men's association is completely broken hearted," Nanao informed Rangiku, putting down several large bags containing various beauty products, "Hisagi and Iba haven't stopped crying since Kira informed them you and Captain Ichimaru were finally, finally getting married and that was three days ago!"
"We are getting married..." repeated Rangiku, the words not quite sinking in, "We are getting married! Nanao, he's marrying me!" she declared as tears welled up in her eyes.
Nanao sat down next to her and drew her into a tight hug, "Yes, you are getting married. It's a bit of rush job. We did only have three days to get everything ready."
"But Ken-chan let me borrow all our men to help Izurun and squad three bring and set up all the tables and chairs," declared Yachiru happily, "And Shun-shun gave us all the sake we needed. Bya-kun let me borrow all his servants to cook the feast and Re-chan made everybody in squad four help her with the flowers! All the captains will be here this afternoon. Gramps is going to perform the ceremony! It's going to be great!"
Suddenly Rangiku grabbed Yachiru and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said as she started to cry in earnest.
"Don't cry, Ran-chan!" said Yachiru, as she disentangled herself from Rangiku's almost painful hug, "Today is a happy day."
"Yes, yes it is," said Rangiku, smiling through her tears.
Given that it was Matsumoto Rangiku who was getting married, the proportion of crying men to crying women was definitely greater. Hisagi was still half determine to rush forward and declare his undying love for Rangiku, but even in his fantasies he ended up very skewered by Shinsou with Rangiku wondering how much he had, had to drink. The day was perfect, the wedding even more so. The flowers were fresh and delicately arranged, the feast was simple but delicious and everybody thought the occasion was well liquored. Everything was just perfect, indeed, the only thing Rangiku had ever needed for a perfect wedding was Ichimaru Gin. As long as it was him who was standing opposite her, Rangiku didn't care if she was getting married in a hollow infested hellhole. Of course, her guests might have objected to such a surrounding.
Yamamoto kept the ceremony simple but strictly adhering to shinto traditions. When it was finished Yachiru declared, "That was great! Exactly what I want for my wedding with Bya-kun!" The look on Captain Kuchiki's face was priceless and made everybody burst out laughing.
Long before the party was close to over, Gin pulled Rangiku away. After locking the doors and windows of their bedroom with multiple kidou spells, Gin pulled his new wife down on the futon. Rangiku giggled, "Eager are we?"
"Ya have no idea," whispered Gin before claiming her mouth in a ravishing kiss, a kiss that sucked the very air out of her lungs, a kiss designed to suck out her very soul. A kiss that was sucking out her very soul...
She shot-up, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "What's the matter, Rangiku?" wondered Gin, getting up also and laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Ya had another nightmare?"
"I... what day is it?" she wondered suddenly, painfully confused.
"Well..." said the grinning Gin, "It's ya birthday. Just hit midnight, good time ta wake up from a bad dream. I can give ya yer present!" Reaching into his discarded cloths he pulled out a small jewelery box and handed it to Rangiku, "Happy Birthday, Rangiku!"
"Tha... thanks," whispered Rangiku as she opened the box. It contained a silver chain necklace of somewhat odd design. It had no clasp but on one end was a large circle through which the chain was obviously meant to be threaded through.
"Yachiru gave me the catalog from the living world where ya saw this," Gin explained, "She said ya really wanted this."
Rangiku smiled as she put the necklace on, "I did. As soon as I saw it I wanted it," she whispered, perhaps something of her disappointment and sadness showed on her face because the smile left Gin's face and he too looked terribly sad.
"Ya know that Kimono I gave ya," he began after a moment of silence, "The wedding Kimono of the Kuchiki-hime?"
"Oh..." Rangiku looked away, "I had to sell that..."
"I bought 'em back for ya," Gin interjected dismissively, "But ya know why I gave it ta ya?"
"No," admitted Rangiku, "But I did always wonder. It has such a story behind it and you can still sense the faint reitsu of a hollow on it. I mean, I don't know if the stories are true. I have never been tempted to wear it and go to sleep. Indeed.... I have never been tempted to wear it at all."
"Yet, ya wanna marry me," whispered Gin.
"I don't understand."
"I am sure ya do, Rangiku. I am sure ya always knew what I was try'n ta tell ya when I gave ya that kimono. I can't marry ya Rangiku," declared Gin, "I ain't a nice man and I am too selfish ta let ya go. But I ain't so selfish that I wanna devour ya. If I marry ya, I'll end up devouring ya just like that hime was."
"But... but you said you wanted to have kids with me!"
"Hav'n kids and getting married ain't the same thing, Rangiku. If that baby lived, it wouldn't tie ya ta me any more than ya are already tied. Ya have friends who would help ya raise a kid whether I am dead or alive. Us being not married would probably mean the kid and ya could walk away if ya really needed ta. If I married ya...." Gin looked away, "I know ya, Rangiku. If i married ya, ya would always wait fer me. Ya would never, ever try ta walk away from me no matter what I do. I can't do that ta ya."
"You are not making any sense Gin," Rangiku declared, feeling confused and a little bit angry, "If you haven't noticed me trying to walk away from you didn't work out too well. I ended up in a dark room littered with sake bottles, a total wreck. What could you possible do that would make it easier for me to walk away even if we have a child but if we are not married."
"Especially if we have a kid," whispered Gin.
"What?" asked Rangiku, getting increasingly confused.
"Rangiku, trust me when I say that there are things that I can do," that I have done, he added to himself, "That would make ya hate me. That would make ya do everything in yer power to keep any kids we might have away from me. Ya take vows seriously Rangiku, more seriously than most people and certainly more seriously than me. I can't... I can't make ya say wedding vows with me."
Rangiku turned away as she felt tears sting her eyes, "We really don't have a future together do we?"
"It's over-rated," whispered Gin as he pulled her into his arm, "The future that is, I never thought we would still be together when I first met ya. I thought ya would leave me as soon as yer strength returned. Ya didn't. Ya stayed with me. Waited patiently for me ta return, even when I left without tell'n you where I was go'n and when I would be back. Ya followed me where ya could. Ya followed me to Seireitei! But it wasn't planned, it just happened. Let's... let's... not mess with that. Cause I don't wanna make promises ta ya that I couldn't keep and I don't wanna make plans fer the future when I have so li'l control over it."
"And if I say I don't care if you devour me?" wondered Rangiku.
"But I don' wanna devour ya," whispered Gin, "Yer too good ta be a part of me, Rangiku."
Rangiku closed her eyes. Resignation spreading through her mind and body. There was no point fighting this. They were what they were, "Thank you for the necklace, Gin," she said at last, "I love it. I think I'll wear it all the time from now on."
"I am glad you like it, Rangiku," said Gin, his ever present grin returning.
Author's note: I was actually kind of stuck as how to finish this. I am thinking this chapter will probably annoy a few people and disappoint others. But I did find that having gone through all that journey I was kind of stuck as to what to do. I did think of ending the story on a high by them actually getting married (in secret) instead of Rangiku just dreaming about it. But that seemed so not Gin and Rangiku. Plus I figured, what's the point of introducing the Kuchiki-hime wedding kimono if I wasn't going to use it.