Characters: Rangiku, Gin
Summary: She could tell when that smile of his was no smile at all.
Pairings: GinRan
Warnings/Spoilers: vague spoiler for Soul Society arc in the first paragraph.
Timeline: pre-manga
Author's Note: Those can't all be real smiles. Am I right? I said, Am I right?
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
For anyone else it would have taken a highly skilled observer to notice the difference or that there's even any difference, and even for Rangiku it's a little difficult at times. However, she knows Gin, and she knows the ins and outs of his nature (or at least she thought she did) and she can always tell.
For all that most seem to think that Gin is always smiling, Rangiku can see clearly that exactly fifty percent of the time, Gin's smile isn't really a smile, not at all.
He's never smiling after coming back from a mission, not even from a successful one and certainly not from a failure. It would take someone of Kenpachi's caliber to grin after cutting down Hollow after Hollow, and though Gin's a lunatic he's not a lunatic on Kenpachi's level. He's always loved a good fight, but with other Shinigami, not Hollows. There's no satisfaction for him, not in killing something like that. Mostly, when he comes back from missions, Gin's just tired, not happy.
He isn't smiling after meeting with Aizen-taicho, either. Rangiku's never sure why that is. The split grin's affixed to his face but there's no life in it, none at all. It's almost a smile, but not quite. No matter how Rangiku tries to ask him what on Earth is wrong ("What could he have been talking to you about to get that sort of reaction?"), Gin won't say a word.
Like he doesn't trust her, Rangiku realizes, hurt and angry.
Gin's never smiling when Rukongai is brought up in conversation, either. This, at least, Rangiku can understand. Their shared experiences in Rukongai were never of the pleasant sort, especially not for Gin. There were things he'd experienced before meeting her (or, at least, Rangiku thought this was why he wouldn't talk about it), things he would never talk about no matter how much Rangiku wheedled. Eventually, in this matter at least Rangiku came to grips with the fact that she'll just have to respect his privacy.
Fifty percent of the time, that smile is a mask, a farce, a lie. Gin deals in lies the way others deal in carpentry or business, so it makes sense that some of his smiles should be lies too.
But as for the other fifty percent of the time, Rangiku can tell when Gin really is smiling, when he doesn't have to lie to seem cheerful and upbeat.
Disturbingly, Gin seems to be really smiling when he's revealing his manipulative streak and is busy keeping the cogs of chaos running in Seireitei. Rangiku isn't sure of what to think about the fact that he seems to enjoy making Kira crazy, or that aggravating Byakuya and Soi Fong is one of his favorite hobbies. It's the craziness talking, she's sure of it. Ah, well. Everybody's flawed; Rangiku's long since learned how to put up with Gin's.
Also, Rangiku comes back to the same scene again and again of Gin smiling when he fights other Shinigami. Personally, Rangiku isn't sure what it is about Shinigami that makes them all want to fight each other (The men, anyway). They're supposed to be fighting Hollows. Hollows. But, anyway, Gin is invariably exhilarated after having it out with a fellow Shinigami, no matter what the outcome but especially if he happens to be the one who won. There was one time when Rangiku was sure he was about to break out in song.
Despite the fact that Gin's singing voice is something close to horrific.
There is one other situation in which Gin is guaranteed to be found smiling. A real smile, mind you, not the fake ones brought up to frighten the enemy.
It also happens to be Rangiku's favorite.
When they are in each other's arms, whether for passion or just to lean into each other, tired and weary and utterly exhausted, Gin's always smiling.
So is Rangiku.