Bleach Drabbles

Gin

 GIN

I never knew the brighter world. I never knew kindness, healing, love, or care until I met him. 

It was a normal day: I’d just got beaten up by the neighborhood kiddy gang. My eye was black and my knuckles bloody. I was hungry out of my mind but had no money for food. Here in the Rukongai it was every-man-for-himself, no matter your age or health. People would steal bread from the elderly, from children, just to feed themselves. It was an awful reality.

I was walking down the dirt path out of the “metropolitan” area of District 73 of West Rukon and towards my “grandmother’s” house. She wasn’t my real grandma, only a substitute for what I had lost as a human.

I stepped on something squishy, feeling the cool surface on the bottom of my bare foot. I looked down to examine my foot when I found that I had stepped on food. Dried persimmons. I peeled the slice off my foot and was about to dispose of it when I noticed there were tons of dried persimmon slices coating the road. And a boy with silver-purple hair and slits for eyes.

I walked up to him, stealthily avoiding the food, and met his eye. “Hi,” I said, “is all this yours?”

He nodded and grinned. “Yep. I swiped ‘em from this old geezer who was trying to sell ‘em for 4000 yen to this poor lady. Figure I need it more than her.”

I laughed. “Nice. Probably saved more than just yourself there.” I stuck my hand out. “I’m Nana. Nana Usagi.”

He took my hand and grinned wider. “Gin Ichimaru.”

I looked around the two of us at the mess. “You need some help picking all these up, Gin?”

His smile turned sheepish. “It’d be appreciated.” So we picked up the persimmons together and were done in no time, instead of Gin being here for possibly hours picking up each one alone.

“Thanks a lot, Nana,” he said some time later as we were walking down the dirt road. In return for helping him pick up his food, he’d helped me bandage up my wounds and bruises.

“Sure,” I said, grinning and throwing an arm around him. “What’re friends for?” 

We reached my grandmother’s house and stopped at the door. 

“So do you wanna come in?” I asked politely. It seemed like he didn’t have his own family, so as a friend it was my job to offer him shelter. 

“Nah,” he said, looking to the sky. His gaze drifted back to me and he shoved the bag of persimmons in my arms. “Take these.”

“No!” I said, trying to hand them back. “It’s your food, you eat it!”

He laughed. “Are you kidding me? I heard your stomach this whole way! You’ve got some strong spirit energy, Nana. That’s why you’re so hungry. You need this way more than me.” He looked around for a second before giving me a signature grin. “Imma go now. Thanks for the company.”

“But,” I said worriedly, “where will you go?”

“Wherever the wind takes me,” he said calmly. “I can’t stand not to be in motion; I’m too much of a drifter.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Goodbye, Nana.” Before I could react he sprinted off.

I touched my cheek lightly, brushing the wet skin. Gin Ichimaru.

My first love.