"So you have to tell me," Shiba Kaien, the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division raised his saucer of sake to the newlyweds Ichimaru Gin and his wife, Ichimaru Rangiku. "How did you two finally realize you were hopelessly and madly in love with each other?"

Gin and his captain Shunsui Kyōraku looked at each other and shared a grin, while Rangiku blushed and coughed uncomfortably, "We just realized it, that's all."

"There was a bit more to it than that," Kyōraku pointed out as his mirthful grin widened.

"No. There wasn't," the strawberry-blonde insisted.

"Well, if ya wanna know," Gin said mischievously.

"No, they don't," Rangiku hinted heavily to her friends.

"I do," Kyōraku ignored the implied threat without qualm.

"I know part of it, but I'd like to hear the whole thing," Nanao opined with absolutely no motivation for payback for all the times her Third Seat had teased and embarrassed her. None at all.

"I'm sure the tale will be very sweet," Miyako agreed more genuinely.

"Stories of romance are so rare among the shinigami, so I would love to listen to it," Ukitake smiled encouragingly.

"Well, there ya have it, Rangiku," Gin gestured to the rapt attention of their audience. "Storytime."

"Don't you dare!" the blushing (or perhaps blazing) bride growled at her new husband.

He met her gaze without flinching, his smile displaying his amusement at her flustered demeanor.

Then, he turned to their guests, and dared.

"Finally!"

Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin looked up from his paperwork to see his best friend shaking her hand after its prolonged grip on the writing utensil.

"Done?" he asked sympathetically. While the Fifth Seat was often overdramatic in her aversion to paperwork, even he admitted they had a significantly larger than normal workload today.

"Yes!" Matsumoto Rangiku sighed in relief. "I thought it would never end!"

"Ya may have beaten 'em today, but they'll be back tomorrow," Gin smirked at her, and grinned even wider at the open look of despair on her face his words elicited. Such a reaction prompted him to add dramatically, "With reinforcements."

"Don't remind me," the lovely young woman moaned as she slumped onto her desk. "Please, just let me have this victory. However brief it may be."

"Yeah, yeah, good job," he chuckled at her "plight." The lieutenant decided Rangiku had the right idea and placed down his own pen. He was at a good stopping point, and the rest could wait until tomorrow.

"C'mon, Rangiku, time to head out," he beckoned her. "I know ya don't wanna sleep at yer desk."

"I know, but I don't want to move," she groaned back.

"That's okay, I'm fine with draggin' ya back to yer room and tossin' ya into bed," the vulpine shinigami smirked.

"You wouldn't dare," Rangiku managed to summon enough energy to tilt her head to glare at him.

He let his ever-present smile answer for him.

"All right, I'll get up," she relented with a growl as she pushed herself upright.

"Good fer ya," he cheered as she began to stand up.

Just as Rangiku got to her feet, she let out a sharp hiss of surprised pain and nearly toppled over again. Her re-introduction with the floor was only prevented by Gin's quick reflexes and a step by shunpo allowing him to reach his friend's side and support her weight.

"You okay?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah, my back's sore after sitting like this all day, and it caught me by surprise," Rangiku answered, and winced as she cautiously straightened up.

"No wonder it's achin' after how tense yer posture was," Gin noted. "If ya'd been more relaxed like I was, ya wouldn't be as stiff."

"But it's paperwork!" she wildly gestured to the offending tools of bureaucracy. "Relaxing with paperwork is like trying to relax in the First Division!"

"True," he chuckled, and walked her over to the nearby couch. "C'mon, stretch out here 'fore I take ya back to yer room."

"Thanks, Gin," Rangiku groaned gratefully as she lay face down on the cushions.

"No problem," he replied as he placed a comforting hand on her back. Then, more thoughtfully, he moved the hand lower, to where he guessed her muscles were sorest and asked for confirmation, "This where it hurts?"

"That's right," Rangiku confirmed with a quick hiss. A hiss that turned into a sigh of relief as he carefully applied more pressure and moved along her aching muscles.

"How's that feel?" Gin asked as he continued to massage her back.

"Better," she hummed softly as a content smile flitted on her lips.

Pleased at her reaction, the silver-haired officer went on treating her sore muscles.

But as minutes passed as he rubbed her back, Gin started to realize the oddity of the situation he found himself in. He was unaccustomed to prolonged physical contact with other people. The most he experienced were the catch-and-release hugs he received from Rangiku, though he occasionally patted Nanao on the head when she did good work. Or just to see her flustered response.

Now here he was, running his hands across Rangiku's back and setting a new record for most physical contact he had ever experienced with another person. It was… odd. A pleasing sort of odd, especially given the way she was clearly enjoying the treatment, but still odd.

"Okay, I think that's enough fer now," he decided more reluctantly than he expected as he withdrew his hands.

"Aww, just a little more?" his prostrate partner pleaded.

A plea that was far more tempting to acquiesce to than it had any right to be.

"We still need to get dinner," Gin reminded her.

"I suppose you're right," she pouted briefly as she sat up, but it quickly turned into a hum of contentment as she lifted her arms overhead to stretch. "Thank you, Gin; I really needed that."

The impish officer was about to acknowledge her gratitude, but suddenly found himself… distracted. Specifically, by the way Rangiku's chest jutted out and up as a side effect of her stretch. Before now, Gin had taken no more note of his longtime compatriot's most famous feature than any other part of her body. And yet, he found himself bizarrely compelled to admire the twin mounds on her upper torso.

"A-hem."

Gin blinked and chastised himself for his lack of attention to his surroundings. He lifted his eyes to see Rangiku grinning voraciously at him like the proverbial cat that had eaten the equally proverbial canary.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked rhetorically. "Looks like even you aren't immune to my girls' charms!"

She accentuated her remark by bringing her arms up and caused her magnetic chest to perform an almost hypnotizing movement, which drew Gin's gaze downward once more to appreciate the motion. With a great deal of willpower, he brought his eyes back up to her equally distracting face and with a vulpine smirk of his own, retorted, "Kinda hard to miss objects visible from the top of Sōkyoku Hill."

Gin swore he could hear the glass shattering in Rangiku's head at his remark. That was both a better and worse reaction than he anticipated.

With a triumphant grin showing his lack of remorse for his comment, the victor vacated the premises with a step of shunpo.

A second later, he could feel his pursuer commence the hunt with a battle cry of, "ICHIMARU GIN, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Kaien and Kyōraku burst out laughing, and even the more conservative members of the gathering couldn't help but chuckle.

"The story of how you two finally got together begins with him making a crack about her chest?" the guffawing lieutenant managed to eke out incredulously.

"And that's where it ends, too," Rangiku growled. She turned to her husband and said warningly, "Right, Gin?"

Playing oblivious to her dangerous tone, the fox cheerfully corrected, "Oh no, we're jus' gettin' started!"

A couple hours later found the buxom bombshell lying on the grass, her chest rising up and down in a rather entertaining manner.

Even though he was aware it was this subject that started this chase in the first place, Gin couldn't resist plopping down right next to Rangiku and bobbing his head up and down in sync with her panting breaths.

Exhausted as she was from the hunt after a long day in the office, the only thing the Fifth Seat could muster in retaliation was a half-hearted swat at his legs and a muttered, "Jerk."

"Sorry," the lieutenant smiled apologetically as he ceased his pantomime and settled into a more comfortable sitting position.

"So you should be," Rangiku panted. "Mocking my girls like that…"

"It really bothers ya?" Gin asked sincerely.

She inhaled and exhaled thoughtfully. "A little bit," she finally admitted. "I'm used to guys ogling my breasts, but I've learned to ignore the leers as long as they keep their hands to themselves. Even so, it's… weird to have you, of all people, looking at me like that."

"To be honest, today was the first time I ever noticed 'em."

"How tightly shut do you keep your eyes?!" multiple baffled voices demanded.

"You're joking," Rangiku recovered enough energy to sit up and stare at him in utter shock.

"I mean, yeah, I knew they were there an' all, but today was the first time I really looked at 'em."

"You must be the last man in the Gotei 13 to do so then," his old friend snickered, before more soberly asking, "You're not going to make up for lost time and stare at them around the clock, are you?"

"Can't say I'll never glance at 'em again, but I won't ogle ya," Gin promised earnestly as he scratched the back of his head.

"That's okay," Rangiku accepted with a nod. "I like my boobs and all, but I hate how most people seem to think I'm easy or dumb or both just because of my chest size."

"Well, they're idiots."

"Don't need to convince me of that."

"Don't worry; far as I'm concerned, the gals are just another part o' ya," Gin shrugged, and continued, "'Sides, they're not the best part o' ya."

"Oh, really?" Rangiku drawled skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "Then tell me, what is 'the best part' of me?"

He raised a hand and extended a finger to point directly at her chest, just a little left of her center.

"It's what's buried beneath those mountains," he answered.

Rangiku blinked as she processed his meaning, and then burst into giggles.

"Gin, that's so corny!" she chortled, but her blush was still evident.

"I mean it, though," he elucidated. "I may be faster, stronger, an' smarter than ya…"

Her amusement abruptly aborted, she sent a withering look at him for the blunt analysis, but couldn't say anything because she knew it was true.

"…but when it comes to connectin' to people, ya got me beat. Ya always know how to play nice with others, ya always seem to know what's right or wrong, an' it makes ya shine. The more I see ya do what ya do best, the more I admire it an' think maybe I should follow yer example. I might know how to survive an' have fun, but ya know how to live."

Rangiku stared at him for a moment, and uttered in quiet, flattered awe, "Gin…" She swallowed. "…that's… really sweet. Thank you."

He shrugged without breaking eye contact. "Jus' sayin' what I think."

"Well… it still means a lot to me," she flushed, now looking like she wanted to avert her gaze, but felt the same compulsion he did to not look away.

"Well… you mean a lot to me," he countered, which elicited a pleasant deeper blush from the girl.

"Thanks," she murmured bashfully, and finally glanced away as she echoed the sentiment, "You mean a lot to me, too."

Gin noticed a lock of hair stray on her face from the movement, and impulsively reached over to tuck it back into place.

As he did so, Rangiku snapped her gaze back to him. She seemed puzzled and surprised by his action, but bizarrely enough, there were also hints of both hope and fear in her expression. The sight was rather magnetic, and he could not look away even if he wanted to. There seemed to be an invisible cord connecting them which prevented either party from breaking off.

It also appeared to be shrinking.

He was not sure who was responsible for closing the gap, nor did he have a clue what was going on, but given how right the action felt, he decided to investigate those questions later and go with the flow for now.

A loud, obnoxious gurgle cut the cord, and allowed the officers to look down at the source of the sound: Rangiku's stomach. The heavy silence that had surrounded them before disappeared, and it was replaced it with a different sort of quiet.

"We still need to get dinner, don't we?" Gin asked rhetorically.

"Yeah," Rangiku acknowledged quietly, now refusing to meet his gaze as she looked away.

"All right, let's go get the cooks to whip somethin' up fer us," he sighed as he got to his feet. True, their merry little chase had certainly taken them past the official dinner time, but rank hath privileges and all that.

"Yeah," his old ally murmured as she followed his lead.

Their hike to the mess hall was surprisingly uncomfortable, a fact even Gin could pick up on. He knew Rangiku's stomach had interrupted something, but he had no clue what. It was like how he felt when giving her that massage: odd but pleasant. It was rather perturbing.

He needed more information about this matter, and given Rangiku's embarrassed demeanor about the whole affair, Gin did not think it prudent to ask her about this just yet. Plus, an outsider's perspective might prove insightful.

Gin decided to go visit Kyōraku when he had the chance; despite the man's lazy and carefree attitude, the lieutenant knew his superior could be relied upon to offer serious advice when the situation called for it.

But that was a tomorrow problem; now, he wanted dinner.

"So, Rangiku-kun, what was your perspective on all this?" Kaien asked curiously.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out," she replied smugly.

"I believe I can fill you in," Nanao volunteered.

"Traitor!"

Rangiku had been distracted all morning by the… troubling events of the previous evening. The whole experience had been nice. Too nice for Rangiku's comfort zone, almost as if they had crossed some invisible boundary between friendship and… something else she dared not identify. She felt torn in two by the stubborn insistence that Gin was nothing more than a cherished companion, and the blatant reality that what happened was not really something a boy and girl who were merely friends did. Especially the act she was fairly sure had almost happened…

Was it getting warm in here?

"Thinking about Ichimaru-fukutaichō?" Nanao broke into her thoughts knowingly.

"What?" Rangiku shook herself out of her daze, and after the younger officer's question caught up to her, she immediately denied, "Of course not! Why would you even think that?"

"Because he's the only person I know who can make you blush."

"Don't start that again! He's my best friend, that's all!" Rangiku snapped, and attempted to deflect the issue away from her reddened cheeks. "And why are you so pushy about this? You're the one that has a crush on him!"

"Had," the bookworm corrected calmly. "My feelings for Ichimaru-fukutaichō were nothing more than a puerile infatuation, and they have now matured into platonic friendship. And you're avoiding the subject."

"There's no subject to discuss," the older woman insisted.

"Rangiku-san," Nanao said in a soft, serious tone that made her pause. "Be honest with me, and more importantly, yourself: do you truly think of Ichimaru-fukutaichō as nothing more than a friend?"

She opened her mouth to settle the question once and for all now that the bookworm was actually going to believe her, but nothing came out.

Okay, something was wrong; why wasn't she saying, "Yes! Finally, you're listening to what I've been saying the past thirty years!"

Instead, she was just sitting there gaping like an idiot while Nanao waited patiently for an answer.

Rangiku closed her mouth and swallowed. She could do this. It would be no different than any other time she had denied having romantic intentions towards Gin. The Fifth Seat tried to spit out the words that would slam the door shut on the matter concerning her nonexistent feelings.

"I…" There, first word out, now for the rest of the sentence. "…don't…" That's two, now keep going. "…know."

What was wrong with her?! So much for a firm declaration of platonic intentions towards her dearest friend.

"Why are you so resistant to the idea of loving Ichimaru-fukutaichō?" Nanao asked gently.

"Because he's my best friend!" Rangiku said. "I can't like him like that!"

"Why not? Such a friendship is a good basis for entering a romantic relationship." She lowered her glasses to add emphasis to this statement.

"This is real life, not one of your love stories," the Fifth Seat scolded, and took no small pleasure at the embarrassed bookworm's blush. But it disappeared as she added, "Besides, I don't think he's into stuff like romance. I mean in all the years I've known him, he's never once shown an interest in girls, not once!"

Nanao stared at her with a dull expression that bluntly stated, "You're an idiot."

"Don't look me in that tone of voice!" the older woman growled. "I dare you, name one girl he's ever been interested in."

"Matsumoto Rangiku."

"What?" the owner of the title blinked at the use of her full name.

"You asked me to name one girl Ichimaru-fukutaichō has ever been interested in," Nanao elucidated calmly. "And her name is Matsumoto Rangiku. But don't worry, there's no need to be jealous of her; she's too deep in denial to be a rival for your affections."

"First of all, since when are you so sassy?" Rangiku narrowed her eyes at the normally respectful and serious officer. "Second, Gin has… never…"

She trailed off as she remembered the events of the day before, and gave a light shiver at the memory of how it felt to be admired by his hidden eyes.

Rangiku was quite accustomed to having both appreciative and envious gazes directed at her. She took them all in stride, from the bashful youths who innocently couldn't keep their eyes off her to the creepy leers which made her want to take a bath to cleanse herself. Her beauty was something she took pride in, and she accepted the awed gazes as proper tribute to her pulchritude.

But when her best friend had looked at her like that… it was different. Even when she considered the novelty of Gin noticing the opposite sex in such a manner, Rangiku felt herself… flattered by the attention he gave her. When other people looked at her, she inflated with pride, but with Gin… she felt humbled. The fact that he showed no interest in any woman except her similarly did not swell her ego as she expected; instead, she felt honored by his attention.

What made Gin so different?

Well, besides it being Gin, but surely it wasn't just because of that?

Then, with choked horror, Rangiku realized it was exactly because of that. Not on account of him being an eccentric trickster, but because…

She didn't dare even think it.

"I think you're finally starting to accept it," Nanao noted, far too observant for her own good.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the elder girl stubbornly denied.

"No, I think you finally do." Her counter was gentle and supportive instead of the expected smugness, which softened Rangiku's stance slightly. "The question now is, what are you going to do about it?"

Do? How could she even think about doing anything when the mere idea of being attracted to a certain someone still sent her reeling?

"How should I know?" Rangiku blurted out helplessly.

"Come now, surely you know what to do when you like a man," Nanao said.

The flirtatious beauty maintained an uncomfortable silence.

"Or perhaps you don't," her tormentor realized thoughtfully. "Have you done anything more with a man than flirt and tease?"

"There haven't been any men I've been that interested in!" Rangiku replied defensively.

"Except one."

"Shut up."

"Well, at least you know how to start," Nanao offered. "Flirt with Ichimaru-fukutaichō, and see how things proceed from there."

"Flirt? With Gin?" Rangiku gulped at the prospect.

"Why not? You're interested in him, and if he's not interested in you, I'll burn my books."

Right. She was Matsumoto Rangiku, the sexiest woman in the Gotei 13! She could have any man she wanted, and she wanted Ichimaru Gin! She would use her wiles on the unflappable trickster until he was putty in her hands!

…Yeah, she was doomed.

"And this is where I come in," Kyōraku chimed.

"Hey, Kyōraku-taichō?"

"Mm, what is it, Gin?" the captain looked up at his lieutenant.

"Mind if I talk 'bout somethin' private with ya?"

"Of course, be my guest," Kyōraku rose from his resting position and regarded his subordinate with an open ear. Unlike his usual confident, smirking self, Gin seemed confused, unsure, and contemplative. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno, that's why I'm askin' ya," Gin shrugged with furrowed eyebrows. "But it's got to do with Rangiku."

A few different possibilities of where this conversation was headed entered the flamboyant veteran's mind, but he wisely waited to hear the young man continue before jumping to any conclusions.

"What about her?"

"Well, have ya noticed anythin'… dif'rent 'bout her recently?" Gin questioned.

"I don't think so," Kyōraku answered after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Did she change her hair or something?"

"No, nothin' like that," the lieutenant shook his head. "It ain't anythin' solid, but all of a sudden, when I look at her, I'm…" he paused as if trying to grasp the correct way of phrasing his problem. "…havin' trouble not lookin' at her."

A knowing smile crossed the old flirt's lips.

"When you look at her, you're thinking something along the lines of her being the most beautiful sight you've ever laid eyes on?" he asked, doing his best to keep mischief and amusement out of his voice.

Gin's eyebrows rose, and he nodded almost bashfully. Almost.

"She's in your thoughts all the time?"

"Seems like it," the lieutenant confirmed.

"You feel like you don't know what you'd do without her?"

"Yep."

"Being around her puts you off your guard in a way nothing else does?"

"Pretty much."

"She's the most important person in your life?"

"'Course."

Kyōraku smiled at the affirmatives, and stated, "Ichimaru Gin, I do believe you're starting to look at Rangiku now not as a friend, but as a woman."

"I don't leer at her like she's a piece of meat," he frowned.

"And you shouldn't," Kyōraku agreed seriously. "You should regard her like a work of art."

The boy's frown disappeared, appeased by the captain's reply.

"It's about time you viewed her that way," the dandy commented nonchalantly. "I've noticed her womanly assets for quite a while now."

"Yeah, I'm sure ya have," his lieutenant returned dryly.

"Now, now, don't go giving me a hard time when you've been appreciating the same masterpiece I have," the legendary lothario smirked as he sipped his sake.

And promptly choked on it when he saw Gin… blush.

"Wait a second," Rangiku protested. "When I caught you checking me out, you were unfazed and quipped a joke, but when Kyōraku-taichō called you out on checking me out, you blushed?!"

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm more comfortable with ya," Gin shrugged.

Rangiku pouted for a moment, but a smirk adorned her features and she purred, "Well, that's okay, because I have other ways to make you blush."

"I did NOT need to hear that!" Nanao protested with red-stained cheeks.

"I could stand to hear a little more," Kyōraku opined hopefully.

"Captain, you should not pry into your subordinates' private affairs!" the young officer chastised.

"That's right," Kaien nodded solemnly. "You should wait until you're invited into your subordinates' private affairs, like Ukitake-taichō does."

Ukitake's stuttering protests were drowned out by his comrades' laughter, save for poor little Nanao whose cheeks were blazing so hard her glasses were fogging up.

"Kaien!" Miyako chastised, her hand raised to conceal a grin.

"Hey, am I wrong?" the Thirteenth's lieutenant demanded rhetorically. "A show of hands, who has fantasized being with Ukitake-taichō at least once?"

Rangiku's hand shot up eagerly and shamelessly along with Kaien's. Gin followed suit, with one finger extended to denote that it had, in fact, only been once. In a similar vein, Kyōraku put up a hand with two fingers raised, only to extend a third finger after a moment's thought. Miyako shook her head with a grin, but raised her hand as well.

Nanao was the only one without a hand up, due to her face being buried in both palms. Rangiku helped her be an honest girl by grabbing one of her wrists and lifting it proudly on high. For some reason, Nanao seemed like she did not appreciate this assistance in being forthright.

"Now that we've embarrassed our resident lady-killer with the fact that he's the sexiest captain of the Thirteen Divisions and Nanao-chan for noticing this fact, let's get back to embarrassing our resident newlyweds about how they finally got together," Kyōraku steered the conversation back on topic.

"So, are hormones to blame fer this?" Gin asked as Kyōraku finished coughing up the rest of the sake that had gone down the wrong pipe.

Kyōraku cleared his throat and answered, "If it were just hormones, then why aren't you distracted by every pretty girl you pass by? There are plenty of them in the Gotei 13, you know."

"I guess so, but Rangiku's the prettiest," the young fox countered. "She's the only who gets my attention like that."

"And that's where we get to the real answer to your original question: you are in love with your friend Rangiku," the amorous authority diagnosed.

The silver-haired youth had his head cocked to one side thoughtfully.

"Huh," he eventually grunted out loud.

"Only you, Gin," Kaien shook his head grinning. "Only you would react to the revelation you were in love with your childhood friend with nothing more than 'huh.'"

"Didn't think I had it in me," Gin commented.

"Really? Why not?" Kyōraku arched an eyebrow.

"Dunno. Just didn't," the lieutenant shrugged.

"Well, now that you do know, what are you going to do about it?"

Gin smiled contemplatively and answered, "I guess I go and tell Rangiku."

"Just like that?" Kyōraku cocked an eyebrow again at his confidence.

"Ain't that what a guy's supposed to do when he likes a girl?" the argent kit returned.

"True, but you seem certain she'll reciprocate."

"I'm sure she will."

"This from the kid who had to be told that he had feelings for said girl?"

Gin had the grace to smile sheepishly before he responded, "That's kinda how I figured Rangiku liked me back."

"And if you're mistaken?" Kyōraku asked. He hated to question the young man's resolve like this after watching the romantic tension between him and Rangiku for so long, but he wanted to be sure Gin understood a few things about relationships first.

"Am I?" the cunning officer replied challengingly, his confidence in his conclusion clear.

"For the record, I agree with you," Kyōraku understated his opinion. "But never take a woman's feelings for granted. Rangiku will not appreciate it if you assume she'll jump into a relationship with you, even if you're correct about how she reciprocates your feelings. Trust me, this is one of the times when it's much harder to ask forgiveness than permission."

Gin pursed his lips thoughtfully, and a small crease briefly formed between his brows as his captain's words sank in.

"So, waddaya suggest?" he asked.

"Before you outright confess, I advise you to test the waters," Kyōraku recommended. "Flirt with her, compliment her, see how she reacts. Gauge how she responds to your interest."

"Seems like beatin' round the bush," Gin replied. "What's wrong with jus' tellin' her?"

"For one, most women like to be romanced," he answered. "Think of it as trial period to find out how the two of you will act once you've crossed that boundary from just friends to something more."

The shinigami prodigy shrugged and said, "M'kay, I'll give it a shot."

Gin took the time to study his closest friend's appearance, now that he was aware of his true feelings towards her.

Rangiku was beautiful, of that there was no debate. But before now, he had focused not on the physical side of her beauty, but of the qualities that made her Rangiku. Her joyful outlook on life, her kindness towards others, and that mischievous streak that helped bring more restrained people out of their shells, all of it showed the real beauty inside her.

But now, he decided to appreciate Rangiku's exterior allure as well.

Gin wondered if it was narcissistic of him to find Rangiku's eyes to be so lovely. Whether it was or not, he decided he loved them anyway. Beautiful, bright blue eyes so full of exuberance and vibrancy, and though occasionally clouded by anger or sadness, they were never marred by tears. He aimed to keep it that way.

Like himself, Rangiku was rarely without a smile, though hers inspired more positive emotions in others than his did, and the mole beneath the right corner of her mouth accented her gorgeous grin perfectly.

His eyes drifted further down to the view of the sizeable valley Rangiku generously provided. As he allowed himself to admire her prodigious assets, he began to understand why virtually every person interested in the female form was drawn to this sight. That thought reminded Gin of his promise to her the other day, and he zipped his gaze back upwards.

Rangiku never allowed her hair to grow beyond her shoulders for practical reasons, and currently it only reached the bottom of her jaw. Her locks were a lovely shade of strawberry-blonde, straddling the color line between red and gold.

He decided that was where he would start complimenting her.

"Hey, Rangiku," Gin spoke up.

"Yes, Gin?" she replied.

"Ya got real pretty hair."

The silver-haired teen could not help but smirk in amusement at how Rangiku choked at his words and developed a lovely blush across her cheeks.

"W-what brought that on?" she asked nervously.

"I was just admirin' ya now, and I realized I don't ever recall tellin' ya how much I like yer hair," he replied. "So, I decided to let ya know now."

"Oh. Well, um, thank you," Rangiku's cheeks reddened further as she ducked her head down and subconsciously brushed her bangs with her finger.

"My pleasure."

If Gin knew how cute Rangiku was when flustered, he would have started flirting with her years ago.

"Okay, if you want the whole story told, then I'll oblige," Rangiku interjected with a mischievous, vengeful grin.

"Fair 'nough," Gin resigned himself for the turnabout, and gestured for her to commence her narration.

Rangiku decided that if Gin wanted to flirt with her, she would flirt right back! She was Matsumoto Rangiku, the sexiest woman in the Seireitei, and was not going devolve into a blushing, stammering mess just because someone offered her a compliment!

Even if that someone was Gin. Who was treating her with respect. And gave her sincere compliments. And made her heart flutter when she knew he was gazing at her in admiration and how good his hands had felt roaming her back and she needed to focus not daydream!

Thoughts returning to strategy, Rangiku knew that glimpses of skin and quick physical contact would not work on Gin like they did on most men. No, if she wanted to actually get the better of him, she needed to go all out in her seduction. A prospect that was utterly terrifying to her.

Still, she swore to herself that next time she saw Gin, he would be the one struck speechless by her advances.

"Yer beautiful."

A sentiment she had heard proclaimed countless times before from other sources without batting an eye, but when he uttered them, her heart leapt in her chest.

"E-excuse me?" Rangiku asked, unable to stop her flustered response once again.

"Just thought it needed sayin', that's all," Gin shrugged, his smile telling her he was deriving no small amusement at her embarrassment.

The strawberry-blonde swallowed as her heart raced from the fact that Gin found her beautiful. She was close to defeat once again, but this time she remembered her vow for payback.

"Well, I'm glad you're finally noticing," Rangiku managed to get her voice into a more seductive tone as she stood up.

Gin furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion and suspicion at the sudden change in her demeanor.

"I mean, really," Rangiku's confidence grew with each step she took towards her silver-haired target. "After all these years we've known each other, and you've waited this long on complimenting my appearance?"

"I'm mentionin' it now," his voice was still even and clear, though lacking its normal casual tone.

"True," she nodded as she stopped in front of Gin far beyond the bounds of platonic friendship. Such a position was a clear invitation for him to glance down at her cleavage, but despite his eyelids being mere slits, Rangiku could feel his gaze meeting hers. Thrilled by the eye contact, she reached out a hand and gently caressed up his arm and allowed, "I suppose it's better late than never."

His lips parted as if to reply, but no sound came out, and Rangiku was struck by the sudden urge to reach up and ensure his silence with a kiss.

Although she resisted the impulse to do something she didn't feel she was quite ready for just yet, a similar thought struck her.

"Despite your tardiness, handsome," Rangiku purred the last word meaningfully. "Your compliments are very appreciated."

Before she could chicken out, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Gin's cheek, lingering there for a moment.

Rangiku slowly pulled back enough to examine his reaction, and it took all her willpower to not burst out laughing.

Ichimaru Gin looked positively stunned. It was an expression so delicious she wanted to give him another kiss just to see if he'd outright shut down. Rangiku allowed a smirk to cross her lips that she hoped came across as more seductive than amused, and then turned around to leave.

"See you later, Gin," she sang as she lifted a hand to wave good-bye behind her, making sure to put a little extra sway into her hips as she sashayed out of the room.

Despite being elated by her victory, Rangiku managed to walk calmly through the halls of the Eighth with a smug grin on her lips, and once she reached her quarters, she gently shut the door behind her.

"YES!" Rangiku squealed triumphantly.

It was maddening how Gin would almost always be the one to get the last word in. She had managed to get a couple points in before, but today marked her grandest and most exciting victory over him yet.

If Rangiku knew how cute Gin was when flustered, she would have started flirting with him years ago.

"Well done, Rangiku-chan," Kyōraku raised his saucer of sake to the woman's victory.

"Thank you!" the triumphant temptress preened.

"So, the score became three thousand five hundred seventy-six to five?" Kaien remarked with a smirk.

"Shut up!"

"Now, now," Ukitake defended the Eighth Division's Third Seat. "At least her score is greater than the number of people who actually can get the better of Ichimaru-fukutaichō."

Rangiku's eye twitched at the remark that was somehow simultaneously a genuine, sincere compliment and back-handed, faint praise. That was the captain of the Thirteenth Division for you.

Now that Rangiku knew it was possible for her to get one over on Gin in such a way, she couldn't wait to do it again.

"Gin, I really enjoyed that massage you gave me the other evening," she cooed through half-lidded eyes. "Would it be too much to ask you for another round?"

Unfortunately, it seemed he had learned from their last encounter, and was prepared for her assault.

"If yer so eager to have my hands on you again, then I guess I'll oblige," the vice-captain agreed impishly.

Rangiku flushed at the thought, and nearly skedaddled as the prospects of such an encounter almost overwhelmed her, but she held her ground.

"I look forward to it," she purred in genuine anticipation. And more than a little bit of nervousness. But mostly anticipation. "How about this evening after dinner? My quarters?"

"I think I can fit it into my schedule," he agreed coyly.

"And to make it fair, I could return the favor after you're done," Rangiku offered impulsively.

An impulse that was rewarded by the slight pause Gin made before his eyes opened enough for her to clearly view his bright blue irises, and he answered, "I think I'd like that."

She felt a shiver at the rare sight he gifted her with, and leaned closer to him as she returned coquettishly, "I'm sure you would."

"Of course; I have ev'ry confidence in yer touch, Rangiku," he uttered as he moved to do his part in closing the gap between them.

The Fifth Seat swallowed as she realized their bodies were now flush against each other, and she instinctively brought her arms up until they were around his neck, one hand resting on the back of his head.

In response, she felt his arms envelop her in a light embrace as they settled on her lower back.

Neither of them was backing down. Neither of them had any intention of doing so now.

The gap between their lips was becoming frighteningly and excitingly small. They hesitated only millimeters away from each other, not quite sure to take the final step yet.

Several pairs of ears were paying rapt attention to their storyteller as Gin paused and took a sip from his saucer of sake.

They waited for him to continue his tale.

And waited.

"Uh, aren't you going to finish?" Nanao spoke up bashfully.

"Why, Nanao-chan, you shouldn't pry into the private affairs of your comrades," Kyōraku chastised playfully.

"I'm just asking the question we're all thinking!" the petite bibliophile protested defensively.

"She's not wrong," Ukitake supported the youth's statement.

"Y'all already know the rest, 'cept fer the parts that ain't yer business," Gin shrugged.

"Thank you, Gin, at least you have some restraint," Rangiku drawled half-sarcastically. She obviously was embarrassed by having the tale told, but seeing the looks of frustration on her friends' faces did balance it out. Somewhat.

"Wait, so you're stopping right before you and Rangiku-kun's first kiss?" Kaien demanded in half-frustration and half-amusement.

"Yep."

"You truly are a sadist."

"Yep."

"You sure you can't finish for us?" Kyōraku wheedled. "You're not just teasing us?"

"Do ya think I'm kiddin'?" Gin asked.

"Yes?" the floral captain replied hopefully.

"I'm not," the trickster smirked.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it, Rangiku-kun?" Miyako consoled her fellow Third Seat.

"Of course it was!" the new bride wailed melodramatically. "I'm supposed to be the infallible goddess of sexiness and beauty! And all through this, I acted like such a dork I needed romantic advice from Nanao-chan!"

"I am so sorry you were cast from the heavens and forced to walk among us mere mortals," the girl in question deadpanned.

"Don't worry, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, we won't share the story with anyone else," Ukitake reassured Rangiku.

"Aw, and I wanted to send it in to Sereitei Communications," Kaien snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

"All right, if you like stories about how couples got together so much, let's hear how you and Miyako-kun hooked up!" the Eighth's Third Seat demanded.

"It was no big deal; it was an arranged marriage I really lucked out on," Kaien shrugged.

"That's not quite the whole story," Miyako raised an amused eyebrow.

"Of course it is! Our families matched us and we got married!"

"Don't you remember the trial period they allowed us to become acquainted and confirm if we were a good match?"

"Oh, so you want to share that?" Kaien grinned.

"It's only fair after we heard their story," Miyako pointed out.

"True." He turned to their audience and said, "Okay, before we start, I want everyone's vow of silence concerning this story."

"Only if you do the same for us," Rangiku countered.

"Deal," the elder lieutenant nodded.

"Kaien, surely you don't have to worry about it anymore," Ukitake said. "I'm sure Yamamoto-sōtaichō has let the entire affair go by now…"

"Better safe than sorry. I'd rather he never links us to what happened."

"You've really got my attention now," Gin's smile switched to its Interested setting.

"I'm suddenly unsure if I want to know now," Nanao commented nervously.

"Well, it started normal enough…" Kaien began his narration.

"Seems my plan to mortify the Shiba about their love life backfired spectacularly," Rangiku pouted as they walked back to their quarters.

"True, but we got quite the tale out of it, anyway," Gin pointed out.

"I suppose so," she agreed. "I just never would have thought Miyako-kun would have done something like that…"

"Well, she was younger, and in love."

"And that excuses everything," Rangiku chuckled.

"Yep."

They reached their room, and after they had slid the door shut behind them, Rangiku gave a meaningful look to her husband as she said, "Remember right after our first kiss?"

"I remember ya bein' all flushed and outta breath."

"You weren't exactly a picture of cool composure yourself, pal," she riposted with a finger jabbing his chest. "Now think carefully before you answer again: do you remember after our first kiss?"

At the sight of Gin's smirk, Rangiku dreaded another wisecrack, but relaxed when the curve of his lips softened into a more affectionate smile.

"Yep."

They finally parted, and Rangiku bashfully ducked her head to lean into Gin's chest.

"That good, huh?"

Glad her position prevented him from seeing her dopey smile, she playfully swatted the back of his head. The motion did nothing but earn a quick chuckle.

Despite his snark, the heavy breaths and the loud beating of his heart against his ribcage proved to Rangiku that Gin was hardly unaffected by their first kiss.

After a few more moments of them doing nothing more than holding each other, Gin broke the silence again.

"I guess this means we're together now," he noted.

"After a kiss like that, I certainly hope so," Rangiku quipped in both trepidation and elation. More seriously, she asked, "So… how are we supposed do this?"

"I figure we jus' act like we always have with each other, 'cept with more huggin' an' kissin'."

"Sounds like a plan," she smiled as she snuggled closer to him.

They basked in each other's presence for several more minutes before Gin spoke up again.

"Rangiku."

She looked back up at his earnest tone. "Yes?"

"I wanna make a promise," Gin stated. "A promise to always be by yer side, to take care of you, an' to be with ya no matter what. Wanna hold me to it?"

Rangiku smiled, and replied, "Only on the condition you hold me to the same promise. Deal?"

His smile softened into something kind as he accepted with a simple, "Deal."

The woman he loved gave a coy smirk as she suggested, "Shall we seal the deal with a kiss?"

"Only one?" he grinned back.

She decided the only proper response was to pull him down to her lips.

"Love ya, Rangiku."

"Love you, too, Gin."

Author's Note: So, did you miss me?

First off, I want to reassure all my readers that I have not given up on continuing to write "A Grudge Not Held" into the "Thousand Year Blood War" arc. It's still a (slow) work in progress, as for a while, my plan was to wait until "Bleach" was completed to start seriously working on it. However, for quite some time, it seemed like "Bleach" was not going to finish anytime soon, so I didn't prioritize it beyond updating outlines and notes for the arc as new developments came up. And then "Bleach" ended so fast I got plot whiplash, and I suddenly realized how little I had seriously written on the last arc.

That brings me to a related issue: during its initial publication, I had elected to keep "A Grudge Not Held," as an alternative to canon, nothing more than a simple "What If." This meant I stuck close to the plot unless I found evidence the new timeline made an actual change (for better or worse, as a couple reviewers noticed). But from now on, due to the numerous issues I have with the final arc, I will aim to make things Better Than Canon. Of course, since I'll be going in a different direction than in canon, that means it will take time for me to find out what this direction will be.

In short: the "Thousand Year Blood War" arc is in progress, and will take a while for me to complete. But rest assured, I will follow the same schedule as the first part: complete the whole thing, and then release chapters weekly. So, while you're going to have to wait some time, at least you won't be left hanging.

I also will be skipping the Fullbringer arc, as there was very little I could actually see being changed in this timeline. The only exception being Gin being the one to fight Yukio instead of Hitsugaya, and I didn't think it worth writing a whole chapter just to show our favorite trickster tormenting the uppity Fullbringer. Maybe an omake, though…

About this chapter: I don't know if any of you all picked up on it, but this is the first time in "A Grudge Not Held" which actually mentions Rangiku's huge… tracts of land. It was a deliberate choice, as I notice too many authors will pay too much attention to them. The only reason they come up in this chapter is because it was from the perspective of Gin as he's realizing his attraction to Rangiku, and the fact of the matter is, being the shinigami equivalent of a teenage boy, her breasts are going to be one of the things he pays more attention to.

I would also like to take time to make a correction about something I spoke of in the previous author's note. I said that people with Anti-Social Personality Disorder could be treated if the symptoms are discovered by adolescence. This was a mistake; the brain chemistry that determines ASPD is permanent and life-long even if caught at an early age.

Thanks to all who have reviewed since I last updated: Love Psycho, Nnix Ame, Darksknight, La Rosa del Desierto, Higekimaru, Aperson, calex, FatedFrost4, karin37, FireLark, LoveGlutton, ChunkyFunkyMunky, Vanna, SirDuranix, Ryan Moon, YamiHikari001, mingxingxing, Black Wolf 101, Ghost Fire 6, knightessjg, wanderingmusician, Talos the Saiyan, Callian31, SlowMercury, loving gin, Souseiki, M. , silverqord, 123 anime, OTrizy, and all anonymous guests.

And of course, many thanks to my beta Tomas the Betrayer.

Posted: August 21, 2017

Omake: Shinigami Illustrated Guide

The Winter War was over. The traitor Aizen was in prison. Soul Society was at peace. Yet as Yamamoto stood on the balcony of his office and gazed upon the Seireitei under his protection, he felt like he was forgetting something vitally important.

All his shinigami were healed up. Rules for annual cleaning had been written and delivered to his captains. All paperwork had been completed for the day. There were no more meetings scheduled until tomorrow. And most importantly, Sasakibe would arrive shortly with tea.

What was this irritating but unknown quantity nagging at his mind, alerting him of its presence but refusing to provide its identity?

Then the answer arrived in front of him in three different forms.

A line of buildings between the Third and Thirteenth Divisions began to collapse.

An explosion erupted near the Sixth Division, and it appeared to be suspiciously pink and flowery.

A mushroom cloud of smoke arose from the immediate vicinity of the Second Division.

After witnessing these acts of mass destruction with a throbbing vein in his forehead, it suddenly came to him: he needed to rescind the special wartime orders permitting captains to release their zanpakutō within the walls of the Seireitei, the one he had issued back when Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends had first invaded the Gotei 13. Without that restriction in place, Soul Society wouldn't last a month intact.

Then again, given the amount of property damage that had just occurred in spite of his specific instructions, he wondered if it would make any difference.