MLK's birthday, polyphonic: 12
MLK day today, which is nice. also, also NHL's lockout is finally over and done with. w00t. so that means sharks are back to playing! XD haha sorry about that, hockey gushing has nothing really to do with the story, so here we go.
Title: Polyphonic: ch 12
Beta: 3_broken_hearts
Pairings: Renji/Ichigo (centric), Grimmjow/Ichigo (one-sided), Gin/Rangiku, and more
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.
Rating: PG-13 (mostly)
Warning: AU, shounen-ai, kissing (homo and hetero), mild violence, a little swearing
Word count: 2215
Summary: At the club again.
Grimmjow was in a bad mood, and had been all day. Gin had dragged them all to the club to cheer up one of their coworkers at Aizen Group after she'd been dumped by the president. Apparently, President Aizen had been fucking around with a hot black blind man and decided he didn't need his other lovers anymore. Grimmjow was only surprised that it had taken the woman so long to figure out she was only sex a la carte. Gin had decided that drinks and dancing were the best cure for her heartbreak, and so he had called up the Reapers to join in.
Normally, Grimmjow wouldn't have bothered, but he had been thinking of the orange haired hottie -- Ichigo, Grimmjow remembered -- and feeling frustrated. He'd lost the rest of the crew somewhere in the club (picking up messy anonymous sex was easier alone) and now he scanned the dance floor, looking for a good distraction.
Too fat. Too bony. Too sloppy. Too flat. Mm, now there was a good one. Muscular but lean, nicely proportioned, very hot. He seemed familiar somehow though. Grimmjow's eyes travelled up the body until he saw the face of... Ichigo? Grimmjow blinked a few times and pinched himself, but the image didn't waver. There was Ichigo talking with that little flat girl again. He was dressed in leather pants that hugged him in all the right places and a tight black mesh shirt that showed off his muscular frame.
Grimmjow licked his lips before setting the glass in his hand down. This time, he was definitely taking that boy home. Brushing off the clingy women trying to talk him up, he began working his way through the club.
All of a sudden he stopped dead. Abarai had just moved in next to Ichigo and the girl, handing them drinks. Grimmjow's blood boiled as he watched the ease at which Abarai made Ichigo laugh. Apparently they had gotten close since the last time, and that didn't sit well with Grimmjow's temper. Finally, he snapped when he saw Ichigo's hand slip willingly into Renji's to go out on the dance floor.
"Why that little --" Grimmjow muttered as he started to shoulder his way roughly through the crowd.
A hand grasped his arm, pulling him back. "Now, now." Grimmjow turned slightly, frowning at his manager. Gin had an inscrutable smile on his face, but the hard grip on Grimmjow's arm left no doubt as to his seriousness. "Don't start any fights tonight, or we might get kicked out of this club for good."
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed dangerously and a low growl escaped his lips. He tugged slightly at his trapped arm, a moment away from decking him.
"Just leave them alone tonight," Gin continued, as if Grimmjow hadn't done anything. "You've got plenty of other opportunities. Look," Grimmjow's gaze shifted unwillingly with Gin's. "There's Ilforte. He's been trying to find you."
Indeed, there was Ilforte, the flashing lights glinted and played on the long blond hair as he moved lithely through the club. Grimmjow's green eyes shifted back to meet Gin's violet. Seeing that Gin wouldn't let him go until he'd gotten his way, Grimmjow acquiesced with a curt nod. "Not tonight."
The smile grew wider by a fraction. "Good." And then as fast as quicksilver, the hand on his arm as well as the person attached vanished under the dancing lights.
"Hey, brother." Ilforte was panting a little, having finally reached Grimmjow. "Was that Gin? What did he want?"
Grimmjow growled slightly. "Damnit, I need another drink."
--
"How 'bout it, baby? Let me buy you another drink."
Rangiku shuddered a bit, as the drunk man moved a little closer to her, his eyes fixated lustily on her breasts. Why was it only gay men and Gin who could ever focus on her face? She put on her best charming smile, even though it was lost on him. "No thanks. I'm not interested." Turning quickly, she tried her best to escape.
She wasn't fast enough though, as a sweaty hand gripped hers. As she turned slightly, she saw the man's features contorting into an ugly frown. "What? I'm not good enough or something? Is that it? You fucking bitch. I bet you're a real slut. With those huge knockers how could you be anything else?"
Rangiku flinched. As untrue as those words were, and as often as they were thrown at her, they still hurt. She opened her mouth to say something but she was smoothly interrupted.
A hand came out of nowhere to grab the man's wrist and squeeze. "She's not a slut. In fact she's none of your business, sir, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take your hands off her," the hand squeezed even tighter around the wrist and Rangiku would swear she heard the bones shift, "now."
The man whimpered as he released her, and it was almost comical to see how quickly he ran off, but Rangiku's attention was drawn towards her savior.
"Gin, what are you doing here?"
The silver haired man quirked a grin at her. "It's nice to see you too, Ran." His hand slid down to her waist and she unconsciously let him lead her back to the bar. "She'll have a dirty martini."
"And a gin and tonic," Rangiku added automatically. She frowned slightly as she realized her actions. It was too easy being with Gin, because she had been all her life.
Gin laughed slightly. "I remember you told me I had to order that because it was named after me. You even bought me a bottle of gin with your first paycheck." His smile softened and his violet eyes opened to gaze tenderly at Rangiku. "I miss you, Ran."
That hurt almost more than the slur from the drunk, and Rangiku couldn't help but lash out, "You were the one that left." She regretted it immediately when she saw his eyes shutter slightly and the smiling mask begin to take hold. She felt her heart breaking all over again, and could only ask the question that was forever on her mind: "Why?"
Gin turned to look at the bottles of alcohol lining the back of the bar. "It was something I had to do."
With typical bad timing, the bartender showed up before Rangiku could clarify his comment. When he had deposited the drinks and left again, Rangiku could feel that Gin wasn't willing to speak on the subject again.
So she tried another tack. "Soul Candy's been beating Reapers in all the competitions. Are you worried?"
"Not as much as I am about Grimmjow falling in love with your Abarai's new boyfriend."
Rangiku took a sip of her martini. Gin was always the best at diverting conversations. "They're all such hotheads, but since Renji and Ichigo have started talking more, they both seem to have mellowed out." She peered over at Gin. "How is it with Grimm?"
Gin sighed imperceptibly and moved his shoulders restlessly, a sure sign that he was worried. "He's obsessed." His violet eyes flickered to meet Rangiku's before moving away again. "It's alright. He'll get over it."
"You're a terrible liar, Gin. You've always been."
There was the soft genuine smile again, before he murmured almost to himself, "You're the only one who seems to be able to tell."
Rangiku's heart felt tight and she felt her eyes begin to moisten.
"How's Haineko?"
The question threw her off a bit. "He's fine." She giggled a little, imagining the little ash-grey cat they adopted. "He's getting even fatter. He just eats and lies outside all day. The other day, he couldn't even jump up onto our bed." Rangiku bit her tongue at her slight slip, her lighter mood vanishing. "I mean, my bed." She stared into the depths of her martini glass and watched the colors from the lights reflect off the liquid surface. "Will you ever come back?"
There was a long silence, before the quiet response came: "Would you let me?"
Rangiku let her eyes drift to the ceiling, unable to look at the man she still loved. "Will you leave Aizen Group?"
"I can't, Ran." His voice sounded so pained that she had to look at him again. His violet eyes were earnest and urgent and she could see the pain and repressed longing reflected in them.
She was quiet a moment. "What if you lose?"
Confusion replaced some of the emotion swirling in his eyes. "What?"
She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "If Soul Candy wins the next competition, you'll quit."
"It's not that easy," Gin spat furiously.
"Maybe it is." Rangiku downed the rest of her drink, before looking directly into his eyes. "I won't wait for you forever, Gin."
She felt his gaze on her back as she walked away, tears slipping down her cheeks that she was too proud to brush away.
--
"You can come out now," Gin said to the crowd before he turned back to his drink.
Shawlong materialized beside him. "I didn't wish to interrupt, Ichimaru-san."
"It's alright." Gin tipped back his drink and swallowed. "I guess you heard then."
Shawlong's eyes were impassive as he looked at his manager. "I can forget it if you wish me to." While Grimmjow was the de facto leader of the Reapers, Shawlong had always had an insight into other's problems. Gin had a feeling Shawlong had always known Gin was less than happy with his situation in Aizen Group, even though everyone else seemed to think otherwise.
Gin let out a hard chuckle. "Could you really?"
"Will you truly quit?"
Gin's eyes snapped to meet Shawlong's steady gaze, before looking away again. He recalled his first meeting with Aizen, where Aizen had simply asked him, "What do you want?"
He had spent the last couple months trying desperately to find higher paying jobs and he had blurted out the first things he could think of. "Money. Security. Power to do what I need to. I want enough to make sure Ran can be happy always."
Aizen had just smiled. "Money, security, and power, huh? You'll fit right in."
The second time he had met with Aizen was the day after he'd left Ran. He'd been wandering all night to all the places he'd been together with her and wondering what he'd done to lose it all. In his pocket was a small jewelry box with the perfect engagement ring he had spent months scouring for with his first paycheck, but all that had gone to waste when he saw the horror in her eyes at what he'd become. Aizen had pulled up in a limo, a drunk woman plastered over his chest. He had coolly rolled down the window and spoken to Gin, even as his hand inched up her skirt by slow degrees.
"Problems with the girlfriend, Gin?" The woman had been whimpering slightly as Aizen's hand twitched, presumably having reached their goal beneath her clothing. "This one's ready, if you want her." The girl whined slightly in distress before whimpering as Aizen moved his hand again.
"No thank you, President Aizen," Gin had said, resolutely keeping his eyes away from the writhing woman in front of him.
"Well," Aizen had said with a perfectly angelic smile, alternatively giving Gin the feeling of his heart being doused in cold water. "See you at work tomorrow then, Ichimaru Gin."
For the next few years, Gin had done impeccable work as the manager of the most successful venture of Aizen group, but the longer he spent working there, the more he discovered the criminal dealings going on behind the scenes. Ran had been right about everything to do with Aizen Group, but Gin was too far involved to leave as clean as he'd come in. He couldn't face Ran, so all he could do was watch over her from afar and make sure nothing ever happened to her.
Gin pulled himself back to the present, the glass in his hand and Shawlong at his elbow. "I'm not sure I can just leave."
"You'll lose her." Shawlong's words were blunt but they pierced accurately into the misgivings in Gin's heart.
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Gin hissed, slamming his glass down on the bar. He toned himself down after noticing a few bar patrons glance in his direction. "But she's good, and pure. I don't have the right to be with her anymore."
"Would you do anything for her?"
Shawlong's questions were getting annoying, and Gin was getting frustrated. "Anything, everything. I will do anything she asks of me."
"Doesn't that answer your question then?"
Gin's temper evaporated as he stared at Shawlong, eyes wide.
"You are a good manager, Ichimaru-san. We are truly grateful." Shawlong sketched a quick bow and Gin saw the ghost of a fleeting smile on his face before he too disappeared into the crowd again.
"What's with everyone leaving me today?" Gin muttered to himself. But there was a true smile on his face as he felt the decision he made settle into place. He would quit Aizen Group one way or another and beg Ran to take him back, but he'd still make damn sure the Reapers put up a good fight.
begin at 01. back to 11. on to 13.
Title: Polyphonic: ch 12
Beta: 3_broken_hearts
Pairings: Renji/Ichigo (centric), Grimmjow/Ichigo (one-sided), Gin/Rangiku, and more
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.
Rating: PG-13 (mostly)
Warning: AU, shounen-ai, kissing (homo and hetero), mild violence, a little swearing
Word count: 2215
Summary: At the club again.
Grimmjow was in a bad mood, and had been all day. Gin had dragged them all to the club to cheer up one of their coworkers at Aizen Group after she'd been dumped by the president. Apparently, President Aizen had been fucking around with a hot black blind man and decided he didn't need his other lovers anymore. Grimmjow was only surprised that it had taken the woman so long to figure out she was only sex a la carte. Gin had decided that drinks and dancing were the best cure for her heartbreak, and so he had called up the Reapers to join in.
Normally, Grimmjow wouldn't have bothered, but he had been thinking of the orange haired hottie -- Ichigo, Grimmjow remembered -- and feeling frustrated. He'd lost the rest of the crew somewhere in the club (picking up messy anonymous sex was easier alone) and now he scanned the dance floor, looking for a good distraction.
Too fat. Too bony. Too sloppy. Too flat. Mm, now there was a good one. Muscular but lean, nicely proportioned, very hot. He seemed familiar somehow though. Grimmjow's eyes travelled up the body until he saw the face of... Ichigo? Grimmjow blinked a few times and pinched himself, but the image didn't waver. There was Ichigo talking with that little flat girl again. He was dressed in leather pants that hugged him in all the right places and a tight black mesh shirt that showed off his muscular frame.
Grimmjow licked his lips before setting the glass in his hand down. This time, he was definitely taking that boy home. Brushing off the clingy women trying to talk him up, he began working his way through the club.
All of a sudden he stopped dead. Abarai had just moved in next to Ichigo and the girl, handing them drinks. Grimmjow's blood boiled as he watched the ease at which Abarai made Ichigo laugh. Apparently they had gotten close since the last time, and that didn't sit well with Grimmjow's temper. Finally, he snapped when he saw Ichigo's hand slip willingly into Renji's to go out on the dance floor.
"Why that little --" Grimmjow muttered as he started to shoulder his way roughly through the crowd.
A hand grasped his arm, pulling him back. "Now, now." Grimmjow turned slightly, frowning at his manager. Gin had an inscrutable smile on his face, but the hard grip on Grimmjow's arm left no doubt as to his seriousness. "Don't start any fights tonight, or we might get kicked out of this club for good."
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed dangerously and a low growl escaped his lips. He tugged slightly at his trapped arm, a moment away from decking him.
"Just leave them alone tonight," Gin continued, as if Grimmjow hadn't done anything. "You've got plenty of other opportunities. Look," Grimmjow's gaze shifted unwillingly with Gin's. "There's Ilforte. He's been trying to find you."
Indeed, there was Ilforte, the flashing lights glinted and played on the long blond hair as he moved lithely through the club. Grimmjow's green eyes shifted back to meet Gin's violet. Seeing that Gin wouldn't let him go until he'd gotten his way, Grimmjow acquiesced with a curt nod. "Not tonight."
The smile grew wider by a fraction. "Good." And then as fast as quicksilver, the hand on his arm as well as the person attached vanished under the dancing lights.
"Hey, brother." Ilforte was panting a little, having finally reached Grimmjow. "Was that Gin? What did he want?"
Grimmjow growled slightly. "Damnit, I need another drink."
--
"How 'bout it, baby? Let me buy you another drink."
Rangiku shuddered a bit, as the drunk man moved a little closer to her, his eyes fixated lustily on her breasts. Why was it only gay men and Gin who could ever focus on her face? She put on her best charming smile, even though it was lost on him. "No thanks. I'm not interested." Turning quickly, she tried her best to escape.
She wasn't fast enough though, as a sweaty hand gripped hers. As she turned slightly, she saw the man's features contorting into an ugly frown. "What? I'm not good enough or something? Is that it? You fucking bitch. I bet you're a real slut. With those huge knockers how could you be anything else?"
Rangiku flinched. As untrue as those words were, and as often as they were thrown at her, they still hurt. She opened her mouth to say something but she was smoothly interrupted.
A hand came out of nowhere to grab the man's wrist and squeeze. "She's not a slut. In fact she's none of your business, sir, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take your hands off her," the hand squeezed even tighter around the wrist and Rangiku would swear she heard the bones shift, "now."
The man whimpered as he released her, and it was almost comical to see how quickly he ran off, but Rangiku's attention was drawn towards her savior.
"Gin, what are you doing here?"
The silver haired man quirked a grin at her. "It's nice to see you too, Ran." His hand slid down to her waist and she unconsciously let him lead her back to the bar. "She'll have a dirty martini."
"And a gin and tonic," Rangiku added automatically. She frowned slightly as she realized her actions. It was too easy being with Gin, because she had been all her life.
Gin laughed slightly. "I remember you told me I had to order that because it was named after me. You even bought me a bottle of gin with your first paycheck." His smile softened and his violet eyes opened to gaze tenderly at Rangiku. "I miss you, Ran."
That hurt almost more than the slur from the drunk, and Rangiku couldn't help but lash out, "You were the one that left." She regretted it immediately when she saw his eyes shutter slightly and the smiling mask begin to take hold. She felt her heart breaking all over again, and could only ask the question that was forever on her mind: "Why?"
Gin turned to look at the bottles of alcohol lining the back of the bar. "It was something I had to do."
With typical bad timing, the bartender showed up before Rangiku could clarify his comment. When he had deposited the drinks and left again, Rangiku could feel that Gin wasn't willing to speak on the subject again.
So she tried another tack. "Soul Candy's been beating Reapers in all the competitions. Are you worried?"
"Not as much as I am about Grimmjow falling in love with your Abarai's new boyfriend."
Rangiku took a sip of her martini. Gin was always the best at diverting conversations. "They're all such hotheads, but since Renji and Ichigo have started talking more, they both seem to have mellowed out." She peered over at Gin. "How is it with Grimm?"
Gin sighed imperceptibly and moved his shoulders restlessly, a sure sign that he was worried. "He's obsessed." His violet eyes flickered to meet Rangiku's before moving away again. "It's alright. He'll get over it."
"You're a terrible liar, Gin. You've always been."
There was the soft genuine smile again, before he murmured almost to himself, "You're the only one who seems to be able to tell."
Rangiku's heart felt tight and she felt her eyes begin to moisten.
"How's Haineko?"
The question threw her off a bit. "He's fine." She giggled a little, imagining the little ash-grey cat they adopted. "He's getting even fatter. He just eats and lies outside all day. The other day, he couldn't even jump up onto our bed." Rangiku bit her tongue at her slight slip, her lighter mood vanishing. "I mean, my bed." She stared into the depths of her martini glass and watched the colors from the lights reflect off the liquid surface. "Will you ever come back?"
There was a long silence, before the quiet response came: "Would you let me?"
Rangiku let her eyes drift to the ceiling, unable to look at the man she still loved. "Will you leave Aizen Group?"
"I can't, Ran." His voice sounded so pained that she had to look at him again. His violet eyes were earnest and urgent and she could see the pain and repressed longing reflected in them.
She was quiet a moment. "What if you lose?"
Confusion replaced some of the emotion swirling in his eyes. "What?"
She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "If Soul Candy wins the next competition, you'll quit."
"It's not that easy," Gin spat furiously.
"Maybe it is." Rangiku downed the rest of her drink, before looking directly into his eyes. "I won't wait for you forever, Gin."
She felt his gaze on her back as she walked away, tears slipping down her cheeks that she was too proud to brush away.
--
"You can come out now," Gin said to the crowd before he turned back to his drink.
Shawlong materialized beside him. "I didn't wish to interrupt, Ichimaru-san."
"It's alright." Gin tipped back his drink and swallowed. "I guess you heard then."
Shawlong's eyes were impassive as he looked at his manager. "I can forget it if you wish me to." While Grimmjow was the de facto leader of the Reapers, Shawlong had always had an insight into other's problems. Gin had a feeling Shawlong had always known Gin was less than happy with his situation in Aizen Group, even though everyone else seemed to think otherwise.
Gin let out a hard chuckle. "Could you really?"
"Will you truly quit?"
Gin's eyes snapped to meet Shawlong's steady gaze, before looking away again. He recalled his first meeting with Aizen, where Aizen had simply asked him, "What do you want?"
He had spent the last couple months trying desperately to find higher paying jobs and he had blurted out the first things he could think of. "Money. Security. Power to do what I need to. I want enough to make sure Ran can be happy always."
Aizen had just smiled. "Money, security, and power, huh? You'll fit right in."
The second time he had met with Aizen was the day after he'd left Ran. He'd been wandering all night to all the places he'd been together with her and wondering what he'd done to lose it all. In his pocket was a small jewelry box with the perfect engagement ring he had spent months scouring for with his first paycheck, but all that had gone to waste when he saw the horror in her eyes at what he'd become. Aizen had pulled up in a limo, a drunk woman plastered over his chest. He had coolly rolled down the window and spoken to Gin, even as his hand inched up her skirt by slow degrees.
"Problems with the girlfriend, Gin?" The woman had been whimpering slightly as Aizen's hand twitched, presumably having reached their goal beneath her clothing. "This one's ready, if you want her." The girl whined slightly in distress before whimpering as Aizen moved his hand again.
"No thank you, President Aizen," Gin had said, resolutely keeping his eyes away from the writhing woman in front of him.
"Well," Aizen had said with a perfectly angelic smile, alternatively giving Gin the feeling of his heart being doused in cold water. "See you at work tomorrow then, Ichimaru Gin."
For the next few years, Gin had done impeccable work as the manager of the most successful venture of Aizen group, but the longer he spent working there, the more he discovered the criminal dealings going on behind the scenes. Ran had been right about everything to do with Aizen Group, but Gin was too far involved to leave as clean as he'd come in. He couldn't face Ran, so all he could do was watch over her from afar and make sure nothing ever happened to her.
Gin pulled himself back to the present, the glass in his hand and Shawlong at his elbow. "I'm not sure I can just leave."
"You'll lose her." Shawlong's words were blunt but they pierced accurately into the misgivings in Gin's heart.
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Gin hissed, slamming his glass down on the bar. He toned himself down after noticing a few bar patrons glance in his direction. "But she's good, and pure. I don't have the right to be with her anymore."
"Would you do anything for her?"
Shawlong's questions were getting annoying, and Gin was getting frustrated. "Anything, everything. I will do anything she asks of me."
"Doesn't that answer your question then?"
Gin's temper evaporated as he stared at Shawlong, eyes wide.
"You are a good manager, Ichimaru-san. We are truly grateful." Shawlong sketched a quick bow and Gin saw the ghost of a fleeting smile on his face before he too disappeared into the crowd again.
"What's with everyone leaving me today?" Gin muttered to himself. But there was a true smile on his face as he felt the decision he made settle into place. He would quit Aizen Group one way or another and beg Ran to take him back, but he'd still make damn sure the Reapers put up a good fight.
begin at 01. back to 11. on to 13.