The Proposal

A/N: Wow, cue tumbleweed.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. Like, at all. Bleach and The Proposal belong to their rightful owners. Everything from the setting, plot, and characters do too.

xx

"Rangiku?" Toushiro yelled, paying no heed to the screeching waves. "Rangiku!"

Waiting for the boat to reach a full stop, he squinted his eyes and frantically began searching for any signs of life within the rough water. His eyesight swiveled back and forth around the buoy where he last saw her and until then did he see a wisp of blonde hair just going with the flow of the current.

"Rangiku!"

"Shir… Toushiro!" Rangiku gasped out desperately, flinging her arms wildly against the water. "I… I can't swim!"

Toushiro yelled her name one last time before U-turning the boat back to the buoy to rescue the woman. "The buoy!"

"What?" Choked out Rangiku. She could feel the water dragging her down and her arms getting tired just by staying afloat.

"To the buoy!" Shouted Toushiro, battling against the roar of the motor and the waves.

That being said, Rangiku frantically trashed her arms around willing them to bring her to the buoy bobbing up and down the sea.

She breathed in deeply before another session of mindless pedaling but instead took in a huge gulp of water. That was when the silent attack happened. Her eyes and ears burned, her throat threatened to constrict and her lungs pressured for oxygen. Her head was throbbing painfully and she couldn't concentrate in the least. She could feel her arms getting heavier and heavier. Letting go seems that much more easier, and that light at the bottom simply looks so inviting. Rangiku was in the middle of contemplating whether to let go and just let the water take her when…

"Rangiku! Your hand! Give me your hand!"

She peered blearily at the seemingly angel in front of her and frowned. Why is the angel waving his hand in front of her? And why is the angel yelling? That was definitely not stereotypical, no?

"Give me your hand!"

This time, the words carried more meaning and her system was able to comprehend what they meant. Hands. Her hands. They were needed.

"Hey! Give me your hand! Rangiku! Give me..."

Rangiku shook away all thoughts, mustered up all the strength left inside of her and with one hand clutched tightly against the boat's tail, she linked fingers with Toushiro's stretched hand.

"Come on, come on. I got you. I got you."

With the last of the power inside of her, she pulled herself up along with Toushiro's pull. She let herself be carried to safety by him and clung helplessly to him as if he was her lifeline. And she supposed in a way, he was.

With her teeth chattering terribly, she curled in a corner of the boat and shivered. Toushiro hastily flung of his quilt jacket and wrapped it tightly around Rangiku.

"God, what the hell were you thinking?! Could've gotten yourself killed!" Toushiro demanded with anger and worry crossing his features.

"Y-you were the one w-who turned the boat and made me f-fall in."

"You let go of the steering wheel!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Rangiku's tear ducts as though just realizing what she had just been through began leaking down silent tears. With each sob raking her body, she mumbled another apology.

"All right, come here. You've got to get warm. Come on." Toushiro scooted and put his arms around her firmly, keeping her close, and not letting go anytime soon.

"Come on. It's OK. That's OK. It's over now…"

Back in Toushiro's house

With Rangiku slightly limping and constantly clutching Toushiro's arm for support, leading the pair to finally make it back to the safe warmth of home in an unusually intimate way. They were, though, immediately greeted by bad news from Yumi.

"Shiro!" Yumi called, evidently distressed. "A Kellinger guy was just on the phone with me. He demanded to talk to the both of you. Said he wanted to check up on both of you? He also told me that you guys were lying to us and also that he's got proof and he'd drop by tomorrow to send you to prison." Yumi launched, sniffling.

Toushiro tightened his grip on a worn out Rangiku and clenched his jaw. "What else did he say, Okaa-san?"

Yumi balled the piece of tissue in her fist and continued, "He offered me a deal. He said you're to make a statement admitting that the marriage is a sham or you're going to prison."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him not to be ridiculous. What's going on, Shiro? Who is this Kellinger man? Are you in trouble, honey?" Yumi asked. She didn't even bother masking her sadness now.

"Don't worry, Okaa-san. He's just an asshole who doesn't want to see this marriage happen. Next time he calls when I'm away, give him his statement for me. Matsumoto Rangiku has worked for me for the past two years. Six months ago we started dating, we fell in love. I asked her to marry me, and she said 'yes'. Tell him I'll see him at the wedding."

And on that note, Toushiro lead Rangiku away to rest.

That night

"Rangiku, you're going to need to come with me." Gammy informed as she poked her head through the slightly ajar bedroom door. "Now, tomorrow is your wedding day…"

To which Rangiku just tilted her head and hummed to.

"And that means you guys aren't sleeping in the same room tonight. Don't ask, tradition." Smiled Gammy, tugging along Rangiku to lead her to the guest room perhaps.

"And Shiro? You have to give the Baby Maker a rest tonight. Again, tradition." Gammy nodded wisely and proceeded to fold the Baby Maker in half, putting it away in a nearby cabinet. "Give your bride a kiss good night, now."

Soon after the sentence left Gammy's mouth, he indignantly retorted. "We're not gonna use the Baby Maker anyways. And Rangi-"

But the man didn't even get to finish his speech when Gammy cut him off crossly. "I don't want to hear any more of it. You've got your whole lives to be together. I'm taking her just this one night."

Toushiro sighed and mumbled out his disagreement.

"Now, come on. Come on."

Rangiku offered him a light smile and said, "If I don't go with her, she's just gonna..."

"Come right back. Yeah, I know." Finished the man sourly. He most definitely didn't want to leave Rangiku alone. Especially after what happened just this afternoon. Well, at least that was what he told himself anyways. What other sane reason was there, after all.

"Yeah, so…"

"See you in the morning?"

"Yeah." Rangiku concluded before leaving Toushiro alone with his thoughts with a click of the door.

Bedrooms corridor

"Hey, Gammy?" Thanks. For everything, you know."

Gammy looked at Rangiku and her features softened. "Here's your room, get some sleep. It's going to be a big day tomorrow."

Needless to say, the couple most definitely did not get any sleep that night.

To be Continued..

A/N: So. We'd be reaching the end of this story real soon, maybe one or two more chapters left. Funny thing, I actually never wanted to continue this story anymore but then I saw TP few days back and I was like, damn don't I have a ff I left hanging, ok gotta go finish it now. So there you have it c: