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A day off well spent for Rangiku Matsumoto is when she could go shopping and buy things to her heart’s content.
It’s actually not a specific thing she only does when she’s not working. Almost everyone in her squad knew how she loves to slack off in between work hours to go shopping in the nearest store she could find, whether it’s in Soul Society or even in the Human Realm. But it was definitely something she could enjoy more when she’s off-duty, where she didn’t have to dread being discovered by her Captain through her very-active social media presence, or have to pause the activity altogether because of her work suddenly needing immediate attention. There’s nothing more exciting than walking on narrow aisles in a store all day long, browsing through the many selection of cute items she would want to take home and going around the area while carrying lots of paper bags on both arms.
Her love for shopping didn’t stop as something she would only enjoy by herself, but also to be shared with her girlfriend, Meiri. As much as Rangiku loves lazing around and having a nap like a cat, she rarely wants to spend the whole weekend all curled up in the comfort of their home and doing nothing. She would have made the itinerary at least three days ahead of the date; choosing which mall or boutique to visit, what kind of things she would buy and the budget she would spend on each store. Even if they are too tired to walk around for the day — let alone going through Rangiku’s wishlist — they would at least go out to eat and visit a nearby convenience store. And it was because of another common knowledge that Rangiku hates waiting, especially when it’s waiting for a pre-ordered package that has no set date on when it is going to arrive and when it’s waiting for her lover to clean up after cooking for their dinner. Despite her absolute love for every kind of dish Meiri magically whipped up for her, she’d rather let others make the meal for them.
At this point, Meiri already knew what she would say too, if she ever did ask why. She could already picture Rangiku rolling her eyes in annoyance and groaning so loud their neighbors could hear her: “Why bother making yourself get even more tired, when someone could make it for you and you could spend the time waiting with me, Lovey? Also, we ran out of shampoo and moisturizer. We should buy it after having dinner.”
…and of course Meiri couldn’t help but agree to whatever she had said, especially when she used the endearment term they used for each other — it’s on the top rank of her weaknesses list.
It is probably a bad excuse for her to not spend most of her time waiting nor helping to clean up the kitchen, and also still be able to go out and spend her money on a smaller scale of shopping spree. But in Meiri’s wishful thinking, her possessiveness got the better of her and Rangiku wants Meiri near for the whole day. It’s not that she minds about what they would do on their date, Meiri would even gladly reach into her own pockets if her girlfriend starts to stray off from their budget. As long as they spend some time together, it is enough for her. But she would be lying if she didn't want to stay at home instead of going out, for once.
In any way, she knew her lovey like the back of her hand. She knew that another weekend would be spent doing the same thing they would always do, and Meiri still and would always love to indulge her lover to do everything she likes.
So it was pretty surprising for Meiri, when Rangiku said that she wanted to spend the whole day at home when she tried to wake her up. She even found herself to be too taken aback to be happy that they got to be at home all day and had to double check the calendar to make sure it doesn't happen to be April's Fool and Rangiku was just messing around just to see her reaction. Thankfully, it’s just another Saturday, and maybe Rangiku is being moody like always. There was no definite way to predict her moods, after all. Even for someone like Meiri who had spent most of her life with her.
“Are you sure you really don’t want to go out?” Meiri asked as she sat down on the tatami floor of their shared house, putting down two bowls of miso soup and two cups of tea, to complete the whole breakfast set she made on the table Rangiku used to prop her elbow. Her head heavily rests on her palm, her blonde hair messy and her eyes looking like she could fall back asleep at any given moment; facing their small garden that's covered in a thin layer of snow while staring at nothing in particular. It seems like her mind is still hazy from 10 hours of sleep the night before. Always an adorable sight to see but, still, not giving any single clue to Meiri’s curiosity of why on earth she cancelled her own plan at the last minute.
Meiri scooted closer to where Rangiku was seated — they both love to eat side by side instead of facing each other, it is more intimate that way–and softly ran her thumb on her girlfriend’s nape, in order to wake her up and eat before the food gets cold, “You just got your coat back from the dry-cleaner, I thought you said you wanted to use it today.”
Rangiku sighed, the usual one she did whenever she started to gain her consciousness and finally wake up from her dream. The steam from both the foods and tea danced on the cold air of February, gently caressing Rangiku’s face and leaving a tinge of red on her skin from the warmth it emitted. Her head left the comfort of her palm as she stretched her upper body to get rid of any sleepiness she had left inside, before finally letting her head fall once again — this time Meiri’s shoulder became its target. Her tall figure slumped onto Meiri’s smaller one, while she linked their arms together.
She wouldn't know what kind of expression Rangiku would make. However, the way her lover tightened their already linked arms while letting out a soft gasp, and the excitement that drips from her words that follows were enough for Meiri to know that her blue eyes glimmered at the sight of the meals she wholeheartedly prepared. And as if the steam also seeped into every layer of Meiri’s being, that warmth filled up her chest as Rangiku nuzzled her nose onto the crook of her neck.
“Oh, my… what a feast, early in the morning at that!” Everything felt so warm, that Meiri couldn’t help but melt to the touch Rangiku initiated by resting her head on top of her blonde hair—completely forgetting that her questions are still left unanswered. Meanwhile the one being asked now already had her focus locked solely for the full set meal she prepared for both of them, “How did you even prepare all of this in such a short time— oh my god, don’t tell me that there’s actually a Kido spell for cooking that I don’t know?”
“What? No, Lovey. There’s no such thing,” Meiri chuckled at her remarks, while her free hand reached for the arm that was clinging onto her own, “I wouldn’t have to learn how to cook if there was one. Come on, let’s eat. The food is getting colder.”
Rangiku groaned, still reluctant to move even an inch from her. She had always been the clingy one in their relationship, but today it seems that she took it to another level. Instead of letting go of Meiri and starting to eat like she had told her to, she tightened the way she held her — now, with both arms. As if Meiri would disappear in a blink of an eye if she let her go.
“Gosh, you’re so clingy today,” Meiri laughed heartily, “do I need to personally feed you, too, Lovey?”
“What, you don’t like it when I’m being touchy like this?” she retorted back and tried to let go of her arms, moving far from where she was initially seated. Even if it was done halfheartedly, it seemed like Meiri struck the wrong button, just when they were having such a peaceful morning. Again, even being her girlfriend, and the one praised for having the most patience in dealing with her, doesn’t guarantee that she would be able to pinpoint what to do or say exactly to not anger Rangiku. But she guessed that it’s one of her adorable charms that made Meiri fall in love deeper as time went by. “Fine, then. I’ll just go back to sleep.”
But before Rangiku could move to avoid her, Meiri took her back to her embrace and brought her to rest her head back on her shoulder. While her lips latched onto her temple, mumbled every kind of “sorry” she could give to convince her not to go back to sleep. And, however explosive or unpredictable her reaction was, the small kisses Meiri gave her in between her apologies were enough to make her stop scowling at whatever she said or done.
“I wish there were chefs that could make foods that are as good as you made…” once she was over the small quarrel they just had, her hand made its way to hold Meiri’s tightly before bringing their linked fingers to her lips. Her face scrunched cutely when she caught a whiff of her lover’s fingers, “That way you didn’t have to let your beautifully manicured hands — done by yours truly, your lovely girlfriend — be cut by a knife… or smelled like, I don't know, scallions…”
“Is this why you’re so against me cooking for you? Because my hand smells like scallions after I’m done?”
Rangiku nodded without any hesitation, “And, of course, so you could be near me at all times. We can stay like this, while the chef cooks for us.”
“What do you mean?” Meiri couldn’t hold back her laughter, “Any chef in this world is probably a better cook than me, Lovey. I only could make a simple home cooked meals, anyway—”
“—they didn’t make it with the same love you poured into yours.”
Rangiku cut off her words before Meiri could even finish them. Her head no longer rested on her shoulder, instead she shifted on her seat so they could face each other, even if it was just a little bit. She looked right in her eye, giving her a warm yet playful gaze as she unclasped their linked hands and gently stroked the side of her face. Meiri found herself to be at loss for words, breath hitched as she felt her own cheeks warmed up. Even after years of being together, she’s still not used to being showered with love through words. She hurriedly averted her gaze from staring at Rangiku’s blue eyes; it felt like if she stared one second longer, she wouldn’t be able to regain her ability to talk.
“Well, if you put it like that…”
So she opted to hold the hand that rests on her cheek, tilting her head slightly to land kisses on her palm. All to hide the red that starts to spread across her face, to hide how she kept melting at every bit of attention Rangiku gave for her, while slightly hoping that her lover would tone down on the flirting. Unfortunately, her attempt wasn’t enough to make her stop. It only made Rangiku get giddier than before, both her hands end up cupping Meiri’s face to bring her even closer to her own.
“Should I ask the 12th Division to make a few clones of you?” Her nose nuzzled with Meiri’s own, full of excitement in her every move — like Meiri is an adorable creature she can’t help but squish until she eventually popped later, “that way, one, or a few of them, could cook, one could work, and one could be with me at all times.”
She did pop, in the way she couldn’t help but let herself fall into her arms, hiding in her chest while Rangiku squealed as she squished her in a tight hug. She mumbled her disapproval towards the suggestion given to her, “I’d never let them get near us with their freaky stuff…”
“I know, I was just messing with you, Lovey.”
Meiri didn’t respond, but the words Rangiku said reminded her of the question that was ignored, left unanswered for a while. So, she looked up from her chest and went back to stare at her eyes in between the suffocating hug. Was the cancelled plan caused by her wanting to spend the weekend together just the two of them, or was it only a way to mess with her?
“You haven't answered my question…”
“Hm? Which one?”
Meiri wasn't really surprised Rangiku didn't catch what she was asking, she was still half-asleep after all. The sigh that followed as a response did not come from annoyance, but a contentment from the hug that slowly turned soft and comfortable — Meiri swore she could stay like that for the whole day, “Why did you cancel our shopping date?”
“No reason,” her dainty finger reached her face once again, now booping Meiri's small nose, “just feel like it.”
But of course Meiri didn’t entirely believe what she had just said, she knew Rangiku like the back of her hand, there is no single one of her behavior — as insignificant as it was — done without any meaningful reason. Once again she didn’t let any words out of her lips as a reaction, instead she tilted her head to the side and gave her lover a stare, the one she hoped could melt her heart enough so she would let Meiri know a piece of her mind.
Rangiku sighed, a different one from what Meiri had let out, it was a sign that she gave up from hiding her own reason. Her gaze turned even softer than before and her hand slowly made its way between her brown hair, running her fingers through the strands. She guessed her puppy eyes worked wonders, she probably had to use it more often from now on, judging by how easy it actually was to make her surrender.
“I just feel like… we never really had some time alone for the whole day, just the two of us…” she paid no mind even when Meiri yelped pretty loud as she moved her to sit on her lap, completely forgetting her playful nature, only to let her know what had been bugging her to the extent of cancelling their plan, “but with the job we had, having the whole weekend to spend with you at home is not something we could have all the time. Not to mention how dangerous it is, we’re risking our lives every other day — who knows what will happen to us in the future?”
Her arms circled around her waist, which prompted Meiri to put hers around her neck. She leaned in close towards her, brushing their lips together as she continued her words with a hushed tone, as if she wanted Meiri to be the only one to hear her thoughts, “Of course, I didn’t wish it to be bad. I guess I just don’t want to regret it.”
“Plus,” she ended her words with a loud smooch on her forehead and a bright grin on her lips, “I feel just a little bit jealous if I see anyone enjoying the sight of you. I want you all for myself. We could do our shopping date anytime.”
“Hehe,” Meiri was usually an articulate person. But as if whatever Rangiku had done took away that part of her that a giggle is the only thing she could form as a quick response, “I can't believe you got jealous too…”
“Hm? Of course I do. I wouldn't want anyone to take you away from me. Now, forget about all that, let's eat. Wouldn't want your hard work to go to waste.”
If Rangiku’s presence was the sun and Meiri was a snow, it would already be past her melting point by then. Yet, Meiri found herself to melt impossibly further. All because of mere kisses and heartfelt words whispered in between — she was rendered speechless, with her head dizzy and with no single thought except how she was, once again, falling in love with the woman who currently held her close on her lap. Maybe, if Rangiku kept giving her another thing to feel warm about, she would start to evaporate, just like the steam from the meal she made for both of them.
Once again laughter echoed in their shared house, warming both their small living room and their heart in the cold air of February.