The Beautiful Letdown (Bleach, Ichimaru/Hitsugaya, #27 - Overflow)
Title: Prodigal Son
Chapter: The Beautiful Letdown
Author/Artist: azardarkstar
Pairing: Ichimaru Gin/Hitsugaya Toushirou
Fandom: Bleach
Theme: #27 (Overflow)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo. All characters are depicted as legal age.
Spoilers: Soul Society Arc and Beyond
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Their reunion leaves a little something to be desired. That isn't to say he's unhappy to see them or that the fact that the first thing they do in no way involves their swords shouldn't be a good sign. But really, is a little gladness too much to ask for?
Toushirou gets a hug. Gets his face shoved between two glorious mounds and arms squeezing him so tightly that he wheezes and turns blue. Sucking in air by the mouthful as she pulls back to stare at him with liquidy eyes before pressing a sloppy kiss to both cheeks. She sniffles then. Face soft and open and so very relieved. Lip trembling as she holds back the tears.
Gin gets this.
"Ow! My face!"
He stumbles back from the force of her blow. Despite the fact that he braced for it and saw it coming from a mile away. Nothing less than he deserves really. But that doesn't make it feel any better.
"Liar," she throws back, stalking forward like a lioness on the prowl. "It didn't hurt that much."
Her next strike is an open-handed palm to his chest. It is followed by another to his solar plexus and two to the front of his left shoulder.
"Not so hard, Ran!"
"You idiot!" she shouts, voice surprisingly shrill. "Leaving me behind with a stupid 'I'm sorry!' And then trying to play like nothing even happened!"
Gin can't help but cringe away like a chastised puppy. Can't help the flicker of guilt that becomes a raging torrent inside of him. Buffeting his soul back in forth with wave after wave of silent self-recriminations. He just hunches defensively at her words and lets them wash over him. Lets them seep into his insides where they belong.
Nevertheless, it's almost comical for a grown man - a former captain no less - cower in such way. But the fact that it's him kills any humor. Not to mention that he feels the blood dripping down his chin and to the floor. This is the second time within five minutes that he's been punched in the face. Admittedly, Izuru hit him much harder, but his nose was already red and smarting by the time Rangiku got to it.
It doesn't quite look like she's finished either when she strides forward again. And it's all Gin can do to brace himself. Not fighting the blow. Not that at all since he knows that he deserves anything she can dish out.
Still, what man likes being slapped around? Aside from Kyouraku Shunsui, that is.
She stalks up to him with an expression not unlike a ferocious tigress. Lips pulled back and teeth barred. Eyes narrow slits as she glares up at him with her chin firm and lifted. Her hand raises, is poised for another blow. Gin can only shut his eyes and wait for it to come. Just lets her take out her anger and frustration and heartbreak in the only way he knows how.
But it never comes. The strike doesn't arrive. He simply stands there with eyes closed for ever lengthening seconds before something warm nearly crashes into his stomach. As her arms are thrown around his middle and her face presses into his chest. As she cries like she hasn't since they were both still kids and starving in the streets. Quiet little sobs that are so much more terrible for their lack of volume. For the anguish in her voice as her words drift to his ears.
"You left. How could you leave?" she asks - demands -of him. "How could you do that? How could you do any of that shit?"
Her hands knot into his shirt, and her forehead presses even more firmly into his shoulder. Burrowing so far that Gin has to steady them both or end up on the floor. And his arms tighten of their own accord as her monologue continues.
"Why? Why'd you do it? Why, Gin?"
"I'm sorry," he repeats over and over back to her. "So sorry, Ran."
And it doesn't matter that his nose is still bleeding. Or that her tears have soaked through his shirt. Or that they have a growing audience in the doorway. All he can do is stare at Toushirou over her shoulder with anguish. All he can do is stand there and have Toushirou look at him helplessly. As powerless and useless as Gin himself feels.
He doesn't know how long they stay like that, Ran all but molded to him as she weeps and Toushirou hovering just out of reach. How long it takes for her to stop and eventually pull back. It feels like both an eternity and such a short time. Like a century in seconds and minutes that take a millennium. But finally, Rangiku just stands in front of him, eyes puffy and red. She's smiling now though with one hand on her hip. The other reaches up to flick him in the ear once before she turns on her heel and saunters deeper into the shop. Gin is left gaping after her.
And just like that, it's as if everything is magically all right. At least for her.
Izuru is a different story entirely. Standing off to the side where he'd gone to watch the showdown after his initial punch. His face is completely unreadable, but his body language isn't tense. More thoughtful. Perplexed perhaps. As if unsure if he should still be angry or follow after Rangiku.
He studies Gin for a long moment. Eyes tracing the trail of red from Gin's chin to his nose. Which is still bleeding even now. And then, Izuru moves forward. Slowly but with something a lot like determination in his step.
Toushirou almost goes to intercept him, but he stills at the last second. Stills as he catches a glimpse of Izuru's face. Simply watches. Like Gin himself watches as the lieutenant marches right up to him and sticks a hand in his face. As that hand glows with reiatsu and the tingle of healing kidoh.
It just takes a few seconds; Izuru has always been good at this. Good enough to make even the blood vanish as if it was never even there. The only trace left is the red droplets on the floor beneath him. The only proof he was ever injured at all.
"You really should be more careful, taichou," Izuru chastises then, and his touch is gentle as he pulls back. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to you now that we've found you again."
He sounds so familiar. Just as he used to for all the years he was Gin's second. Infinitely polite but making his opinion known behind closed doors. Keeping Gin on track with a word here, a suggestion there. A slight nudge to the left instead of the right. There whenever Gin needed him but still allowing him to make decisions on his own. The perfect lieutenant. And an even better friend.
Guilt stirs in Gin's belly at that. Not that it hadn't before. But it's stronger now. A sharp jab to the gut and then the spine. Just a friendly reminder of what an awful bastard he really is and that he doesn't deserve any of them. Not Ran, who doesn't give near as many blows as she's earned. Not Izuru, who was crushed but forgives so easily. Certainly not Toushirou. Standing at his side even now. Ready to jump in and defend him.
"It's good to have you back," Izuru continues after a second. He takes a step back and gives a short bow to Toushirou. "Hitsugaya-taichou."
And then, he walks off. Just like that. Just like Ran. As if all is well in the world. As if they show up at Urahara-san's shouten and reconcile with a backstabbing comrade all the time. As if it's no big deal that he betrayed them in the first place.
Crazy. Absolutely insane. He should be screaming at Gin. Should at the very least knock him around some more. Make him pay for what he did. Not fix his nose and then go on his merry way.
And Gin strides after him. After them both. Stalks after their trail of reiatsu. Determined to make them see reason. To make them hate him like they should. To do something more to punish him.
But he stops short in the doorway. The scene is so domestic that he practically sways at the impact of it. Ran and Izuru and all the shouten's normal myriad of residents and guests. All smiles and laughter and warmth. Not anger or censure or hostility at his entrance.
Gin doesn't even feel Toushirou come up behind him or lead him over to the far wall to sit down. He just knows that he ends up on the floor with Toushirou next to him, blue-green eyes watching him for a long moment. Studying him. Staring at him. Making Gin turn at the weight and force of his gaze and not notice anything else in the room. Finally leaning upwards when he knows that Gin both won't and can't look away.
Toushirou's lips are smooth on his, and his breath is wintergreen. They are turned away from most of the room, but Gin still knows that everyone can tell what they're doing. And it makes something flutter in his chest at that. At the fact that Toushirou is so bold about this. That he's not hiding it at all and doesn't care that their two newest additions can see.
And whatever guilt Gin feels. Whatever strange sensation and creature has taken up residence inside of him dies a swift and icy death. Is swept away with a whisper of frost and crisp coolness.
"Better?" Toushirou asks as he pulls back, breath a puff against his mouth.
Gin unconsciously licks his lips. "Yeah."
"Good."
Toushirou kisses him again. Soft and almost chaste. And afterwards, their fingers slide together as they shift to sit side by side once more. Toushirou lets out an exhale that is both everything and nothing. Content. Almost happy if he'd allow himself such a thing. Even without the burden of captaincy, Toushirou is still far too serious a person. Not weighted down just a muted stoicism that belies his physical appearance. That makes him fight a smile even when he's this relaxed. Even as he studies Ran and Izuru out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm glad that they're here," Toushirou admits then.
It isn't a whisper, but his voice is soft as he watches Rangiku glomping onto Hime-chan. Izuru in the meantime is sitting down to tea with Urahara-san and Ichigo. He smiles at little cute Ururu-chan as she brings him a cup. Neither of them even glances in his direction. In their direction.
But Gin isn't fooled for a minute. He knows that they both saw. That they couldn't have missed it. Missed Toushirou leaning up or him leaning down. Missed the way their reiatsu weaves together even now into an invisible tapestry of affection and something much deeper. But just as he knows that, Gin knows that this is a way of silent acceptance. That they say nothing because there is nothing to say. That this is approval without the words.
Something a lot like elation bubbles inside him then. Gin can only sigh with utter and complete relief. He's no longer their captain or boss. And maybe one day, he can go back to being their friend. Can forgive himself when everyone else already has. Perhaps that day is even today.
Toushirou, for his part, just squeezes his hand and settles closer. Moving so that their knees press firmly together. So that they're sitting as close as they can possibly be without actually occupying the same space or doing something wildly inappropriate.
No one comments on that either.
"I'm glad they're here," Toushirou repeats after a minute.
Gin smiles beside him. "Me, too."