A/N: Ever wonder what younger alky Rangiku saw in Gin??

The Black Mamba (dendroaspis polyepis) : the fastest moving snake in the world, also among the most venomous of all the world's snakes.

Everyone knows that Ichimaru Gin is a mystery.

One might say that out of everyone in the sereitei, Matsumoto Rangiku knows him the best. This is true in part; Matsumoto Rangiku knew him first. She knows a side of him most have not seen, a Gin whose smile was more true, a Gin who was more innocent.

But there is another Gin. It's the face she hears about only in whispers, ghost stories, of a small, pale boy with translucent skin cutting down bodies in the night, covered in blood and grinning.

As the years pass, so do the hisses in the night, until Aizen-taichou's child prodigy is a child no longer, he has grown into a man. The boy who was once on everyone's mind now roams freely through the night, slipping through the cracks, never at the forefront, but always there, hovering, insidiously.

Rangiku grows too, and as Gin slides into the shadows, Rangiku steps out of herself. Loud, fun, Rangiku, always the life of the party. Rangiku, who was once like a delicate fawn standing for the first time, unsure, reaching out into the world, and finding Gin.

.

I.

They bumped into each other awkwardly, both grabbing a late lunch at the practically empty mess hall. Rangiku scooped leftovers from lunch into her plate as Gin cast a quick glance around. The only other person in the room was Hanatarou, who scurried out the second Gin's gaze falls on him. Only then did he acknowledge her.

"Rangiku," he said, with that ever present smile and a slight nod.

"Ichimaru-fukutaichou," she replied, playfully pushing past him as she moved toward the tables.

"Ara," he said, raising his eyebrows, pretending to be offended, "So tha's how it is?"

She broke as he slid into the seat across from her. She knew subconsciously that their time together was too precious to be wasted on games.

"Gin, it's been a while," she said, an air of seriousness pervading her words.

Gin smiled vaguely, "Too busy partyin' ta' visit yer old friend, eh? S'ok, I'll live."

The two old friends laughed, at the real joke, they both knew Gin was the busy one.

They ate their lunches, catching up on trivialities. Rangiku told him about the new drinking game Captain Kyouraku invented, Gin smiled and commented on the weather. He never mentioned Aizen, which was just as well.

A shinigami from the 5th division ran up to their table, panting, out of breath.

"I-Ichimaru fukutaichou!" he choked out, "Aizen-taichou left to the other world on business, no one is on duty… There's a hollow attack by the wall! He said if anything should happen we should get you right away!"

Gin stood up, combining speed and languidity in a way that only he could do. Rangiku followed suit, her hand drifting towards the hilt of haineko, ready to follow him to the end of the world.

He shook his head, amused, "Finish yer lunch, Matsumoto-san," he said, with that lyrical tilt to his voice that made Rangiku want to kill him and kiss him in the same instant. It was half an order, issued from vice captain to a subordinate, meant to be followed. It was half a warning, issued from a friend to a friend, if Gin was ever that to anyone. And underneath it all, he was pleading with her to let it all go and follow him. As it always was with Gin, she could only guess at what he really wanted.

He was gone in a split-second, shyunpo stepping away, but he made no attempt to hide his spirit energy. Naturally, Rangiku decided to follow.

.

II.

"Ikkorose, shinsou."

There was no setup, no warning, for what she saw. There was a creature, whether it was human or hollow, she couldn't tell, it was some kind of sick chimera. One blink and it was gone. As it collapsed, the creature let out a shrieking wail, infused with a kind of desperation and panic Rangiku had never heard from any hollow.

Another blink and all she saw was a white wraith approaching her, sheathing his sword. All she heard was the echo of a scream. All she could smell was blood in the air.

"What did you see?" the wraith grinned.

Her heart thudding in her ears, Rangiku replied, her voice steady, "Nothing."

.

III.

The next time she saw him, they were at a bar, in the middle of a raucous party. She had just finished her last bottle of sake for the night, before the bartender cut her off, with a well meaning "Go home, Rangiku."

She smiled at the bartender, wanting to say something about how she drinks to fill the emotionless void, she drinks to feel the rush. It came out as a slurred "Thanks", and she stumbled out towards the exit.

Rangiku walked right into something as hard as a wall, and she looked up. Seeing it was Gin, she swallowed the "Sorry" at the tip of her tongue, and opted for a drunken smile.

He walked her out, supporting all of her weight as she leaned on him, one arm slung over his shoulders. She only managed to stagger a steps away from the exit, not making it very far before she pushed him against the wall of the back alley and looked up at him, her world spinning.

She pressed her lips against his, smelling like sake. At first rigid, he slowly melted into her, but just as he deepened the kiss, she broke off, a wave of nausea overcoming her, as she staggered away.

They stood in the back alley of the bar, surrounded by dirt mixed with pure white snow. Gin had one arm wrapped protectively around her stomach, holding her up as she wretches, but nothing comes up. The nausea passed, and she leaned against the wall, looking at him.

For a second, the Gin there with her was the same young boy she knew as a child, and that Gin brushed the hair out of her eyes, kissing her. She pulled back.

"They say it's like drinking poison," she said, laughing hollowly, "Is it like tasting a snake?"

"Ran-chan," he asked, looking a little amused, "Why would ya do somethin' ya know is bad for ya?"

Rangiku pulled him in by the collar, capturing his lips in another deep kiss.

"It's fun."