A/N: Some things, such as Dream (sequel to "Memory") and "Kurosaki, K." (the "main" storyline of this fic) will not be added to "the Young Taichou With A Warm Heart"C2, because they are simply more Karin-centric than Hitsugaya-centric and in the latter storyline I can't promise to always include Hitsu. On the other hand, anything Karin-centric I write will include him one way or another, sooner or later, so if you like my writing I suggest checking those out.

Characters: Hitsugaya, Karin, (OC bi-char), Matsumoto

Year: Soul Society Arc +82 ("Dearly Beloved Konso" +9)

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Pendulum Heart ~ You say I sway, but even that is made of what stays constant. – Secret Vespers 2008-06-18

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Kurosaki, K. (pt 2)

Accidentally in Love (Lust, Lost, Love)

Sometimes, when the roof of Tenth wasn't solitary enough, Hitsugaya went to the deserted warehouse to think. It was close enough to Seireitei to be reachable by shunpo, but far enough that anyone without it would consider it pointless to hike to. It was also out of the way, where few people would look for something like that. The shunpo step took him all the way up to the half-open door and he stepped through without hesitating, without even thinking. Nobody ever came here.

"Ah… I'm not made of glass, you know…"

Her voice was heavy and to his surprise Hitsugaya recognised it instantly. If he hadn't, the sight of their two unclothed bodies by one of the worktops would have tipped him off. He felt his jaw drop, his legs wouldn't move, his eyes unfocused.

"Come on… I'm flexible if you are." He even knew the grin that went with that tone of her voice. "Eiji, maybe I…" She lifted her head up to the man's shoulder to hold him close. Her dark eyes met Hitsugaya's sea-green ones and blinked twice in complete surprise. Then, she smiled.

"Karin…"

The stranger's voice mumbling her name echoed in his head as Hitsugaya pushed his shunpo to the limit, getting away from there. There had been rumours that she was fair game, if one dared risk incurring Kurosaki-taichou's wrath.

There had also been rumours that she refused to enter into any steady relationships, but those were only whispered at night and in very hushed voices. Kurosaki-taichou did not like people gossiping about his younger sister, even after she had made it perfectly clear that he had nothing to do with what she did or who she did it with. That particular conversation, of course, had been about another matter entirely. It had taken place by Karin's sick bed in the fourth division after she had challenged Zaraki Kenpachi to a mock fight. Even Unohana-taichou had trouble calming the enraged older sibling, then.

Apparently at least one of these rumours was true. Hitsugaya wasn't sure how he'd ever get the picture of her laughing eyes and slender curves out of his head. There were really only two things he could do, to try. And releasing Hyorinmaru, from whom waves of amusement were echoing throughout his head, didn't seem like the logical choice.

Thus, work was needed. More specifically, lots and lots of paperwork. Maybe he could ask Kurosaki if he wanted some help with… no. That was a bad idea.

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Several days later…

Hitsugaya was fairly pleased with his life. He had space in which to soar, he had subordinates who slowly improved themselves, he had a slothful but occasionally brilliant fukutaichou… and most of all; for a full week after that disturbing scene at the warehouse he had been having a wonderfully Kurosaki-free life. Not that he minded Kurosakis, but he was having enough trouble controlling the annoying hormones that had come with puberty without being led into obvious temptation.

He had come to the office only to find that his annoying fukutaichou had stolen his teacups again. That was the only dark cloud on the horizon. Hitsugaya liked those teacups, so he was a man on a mission when he strode through the corridor to knock on her door.

"Matsumoto!"

"Coming, taichou!" There was the light thumping of feet and then the door slid open.

"Matsumoto, have you… why are you walking around in a bathrobe?"

"Oh, we're just relaxing, taichou. Some candles, a little incense and a bit of good company, you know?"

"As if you need to relax more than you already do," he grumbled. "I just came to retrieve my teacups." She frowned a little at that, as if her brain was working too fast for her. She had been drinking a little saké, but not too much apparently.

"Well, that could be a problem…"

"What have you done to my teacups, Matsumoto?!" He liked them, dammit!

"Oh no, nothing bad. It's just that I borrowed them and there's tea in them right now, so it'd be really rude to just take them away." Then, as if struck by sudden intuition, the woman lit up. "Why don't you come inside and once we've all had a nice cup of tea the problem will have solved itself, wouldn't you say, taichou?"

He sighed. She got like this sometimes and she would be miserable if he ran off now.

"I suppose I can spare a few moments."

That elicited a chirping noise of pure happiness as she hugged him. Really! The good thing about his growth spurt was that he was no longer being suffocated by her cleavage whenever she got delighted. That and the fact that people actually started treating him like a taichou and not an unruly kid with too much power. To see his closest friend truly happy like this, a stupid tea party couldn't be much to ask.

He only realised how wrong that thought was as he was gently pushed into the room and the door shut behind him. There was only one other person in there. The dark hair she'd let grow cascaded down the bathrobe's back where she stood by the window, looking away from him.

"On the other hand, I left some paperwork in the office. Maybe it would be best to finish that and let you talk in peace, I can always come get the teacups in the morning…" Hitsugaya Toushiro had rarely wished himself elsewhere with such intensity.

"But taichou…"

"That's cold of you, Toushiro." Karin turned to face him, looking unsympathetic. "Rangiku-san wouldn't have invited you if she didn't want you here, right?"

"I suppose," he had to agree.

Her cold manners melted into a friendly smile and she walked up to him. There was something special about the way she walked. He had seen noble women practically float down bejewelled corridors. He had even seen some more skilled seductresses slither forward, as if boneless, when he'd gone to fetch particularly troublesome members of his division.

She didn't glide or tiptoe, she didn't even walk softly. Her every step connected with the ground as if it came home. Steady and unwavering.

"I'll admit we weren't exactly discussing the proper way to fold origami before you came," Karin said with a snigger, "but I'm sure we can all meet on mutually interesting ground."

"Sit down, you two, and I'll get the cups," Matsumoto twittered happily.

Damn the woman. Both of them. His fukutaichou had to be well aware that Karin was making him uncomfortable and she had just made it perfectly clear that she wouldn't do anything to stop it. Rather, she'd effectively stuck them alone in here until she returned.

Karin walked by as if she'd just lost interest in anything about him. He turned and settled in an armchair as she fell back onto the couch, draping herself over it.

She wasn't even that feminine in her manners, why should she occupy any part of his thoughts? Apart from a couple of jokes, both on him, she had never shown any interest in him either, and now she was back to her lazy tomboy-attitude.

"So, had a good week?"

She didn't seem to mean anything out of the ordinary, even though that question could obviously have been another joke.

"Who knows?" He sighed. Best not to let himself be baited.

"Don't worry about it, I never told him. And I don't plan on telling anyone else. Sorry if I invaded your spot."

The serious tone in her voice, so different from her earlier brazen manners, stunned him for a moment. Then, just as he was about to answer, Matsumoto came bouncing back into the room.

"Karin, taichou, you're both so serious. Maybe I should break out the saké…"

"No." Hitsugaya said, being echoed by Karin's: "no, really, I'm good."

"Hm." Rangiku didn't sound entirely convinced, but at least she settled on the couch, one of Karin's legs behind her back and the other folded so that the foot lodged by Rangiku's thigh. That made Hitsugaya blink, but he chose not to comment.

"Hey, Rangiku-san, aren't you guys free this weekend? How about we go out then?"

"Aw! I'd love to, but taichou made me promise to do a surprise inspection of the entire division." She sounded so heartbroken Hitsugaya couldn't help but huff irritably.

"If I must, then I'll survive without you Saturday evening."

The way Rangiku lit up was incredible to see. He had come to depend on her, but during their years together some of the games had been replaced with just plain honesty. It wasn't as fun, or in his mind annoying, but it did make their lives easier.

"You're such a good person, taichou!"

"Matsumoto, how much have you been drinking?"

"Not too much…" It was a bit dodgy and she smiled innocently. He just raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"I need to go. Just remember that I don't want you stumbling into the office at midday Sunday and falling asleep on the couch because you've been out all night."

"Of course not, taichou!"

They both knew she would. He had known that from the moment he said she could go. That wasn't the point. He gathered up the empty teacups. She had put the remaining few in a neat pile at the end of the table for him.

"Goodnight."

Maybe it would be a good night and maybe it wouldn't. He would most certainly have disconcerting dreams; that much he could say without feeling very prophetic at all. 'I didn't tell him', Karin had said. It didn't take any great leaps of imagination to understand that she had meant his unwitting, and by one party blessedly unnoticed, interruption the other week. That, at least, was a relief. Getting a reputation as Peeping Tom was not on his to-do list.