valmora | [Bleach] Reality Rather than Principle (53)

Title: Reality Rather than Principle
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Aizen Sousuke/Ichimaru Gin
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. This possible scenario is one that is not stolen from or created by Kubo Tite, or if it will be written into Bleach, I don't know it at the time I'm writing this (August 2006). I earn no money from writing this and no offense was intended.
Notes: Inspired by a passage from a stunning multi-chaptered Ichigo/Uryuu fic entitled "Dreaming of Skies Elsewhere" by

sublimeparadigm. You'll know the passage when you read it. If the internal logic of this piece seems contradictory, feel free to ask me to explain it.
Words: Not enough.
Summary: Gin feels regret. Or rather, he doesn't.

He doesn't take it back and never will. He doesn't regret anything except maybe leaving Rangiku, the first time around - second time 'round, he got over it, thinks it was for the best in the end, gave her a chance to find someone who wasn't him - and. He doesn't regret it.

Doesn'tcan'twon't. Following Sousuke was brilliant and precious, something he doesn't wish he hadn't done, because the Arrancar were a joy to behold, their forms and fights a delight, their power so strong and well-formed. And even when some of them went bad, it was all right, because killing them was a mercy to end their pain, their failures a lesson to the rest. And there were no evenings in Hueco Mundo, but if there had been, then those evenings and the nights that would have followed were filled with the rich echo of Sousuke's voice, close to Gin's skin and smile dangerously benign.

And whatever illusion Sousuke wove before Gin's senses worked, because Aizen-sama could have torn Ichimaru's heart from his chest and held it, bleeding, in his hand, and Gin would have known no difference -

He doesn't take back what he said, what he did. Won't take back the strike that distracted, the action that let that cleaver that Kurosaki Ichigo wielded hit the entirely wrong target - won't say it ended everything because he's still alive, isn't he. For a little while.

Wraps his hands into cloth that is still dry, though it won't be for much longer - his hands are red, stained the color of fox-fur; funny time to make all the myth true, to make true Sousuke's jest about being a kitsune who'd forgotten how to change back - and hears the sound of Kurosaki Ichigo standing, drawing himself up, and Gin looks back at him, picking Shinsou up from the ground and smiling again, for real, teeth showing, saying, "Don't think just 'cause I helped you kill the crazy bastard that I'm goin' down without a fight," and Kurosaki seems to be gratified by it, the strike to his chest bleeding too heavily to make Gin doubt his pain, but the knowledge of the body at Gin's back too deep in his chest to ignore the boy's skill.

He knows how it'll end. But he won't take back the path that took him here, because he can't, because time won't flow backwards, and if you live enough lives falling as far as he doubtless has, he knows that wherever Sousuke has gone he'll follow, yoked to him forever and finding him eventually.