"First Kiss"
A Bleach Fan Fiction
Written by Trekkiexb5
Hitsugaya/K. Kurosaki Romance: Rated T for language
SYNOPSIS: Sometimes there are reasons for clichés.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is somewhat in the future of my story "What Friends are for." Not really need to read it to enjoy this story, except the fact it is two years in the future from that story and from the Winter War, and Karin is 13 years old.
But I would LOVE you to read it.
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So there I was jabbering at her about my new job as a serious newsman - about anything at all - but all I could think was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful and yet again, wonderful.
–Steve Martin "L.A. Story."
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Karin eyed her companion as they walked from Urahara's place to her house. It was a fine winter day, and they had spent most of the morning working out in the candy shop's basement. Ok, Karin thought mischievously, they played shunpo soccer mostly. It was ok if she didn't get her shinigami training in for one day, even though the white haired captain was here only for a few precious weeks just to train her and the other humans. Well, because of that, she supposed, she didn't wanted to train, she just wanted to have fun with him.
The smile he was wearing now was leftover from the grin he wore in the basement. He spent the majority of the last two years after the Winter War asleep, injured or sick. Just recently he had returned to the active duty roster of captains. She knew that Toushirou was frustrated most of that time, and she also knew he felt useless. Outside his natural talent, he was never really confidant in himself and it was good to see him finally just enjoy life and have fun, instead of working.
Karin remembered how pale he was two years ago. And even when she returned home, every phone call and message on the soul pager they gave her frightened her. She kept thinking, 'they are telling me he's dead or dying.' And she really never understood how much he meant to her when she did get one call, about eight months ago. It was a horrible sick feeling. She couldn't do anything about it either, stuck in school and all. She remembered her relief when they put him on the phone and he told her that he was going to be ok.
She knew, then. A world without Toushirou Hitsugaya was a world worth not existing in'
She shuddered, causing the boy in question to look at her. She shook her head, indicating she was fine. 'He probably thinks I'm cold.' She thought. Even with the snow, temperatures hovered around freezing, making the snow soft and pliable. And there was lots of it, too. She wondered if that was his doing, though she doubted it. He rarely indulged himself, always thinking of others. But he did look happy, his gigai dressed in a black jacket and jeans. A fine white scarf wound around his neck, the ends fluttering in the cold breeze. In fact the only colour he had was a tinge of red on his cheeks and his startling turquoise blue eyes.
They both had grown, physically. Karin was now a few inches shorter than he was. He let her know it, too! The baby fat in both of their cheeks was finally melting away, slowly revealing their adult faces. 'He really looks good, and I'd bet in a few years he will be handsome!' She blushed, the thought coming unbidden to her brain. She wanted to blame her Zanpakuto, but it remained quiet for a change. She noticed that she was interested in his looks more than ever. His hair was longer, so was hers, due the bet she made last year with him. While the spikiness of his white hair never truly went away, they were softer. He now had to use a rubber band to tie it back.
Karin didn't quite understand why she suddenly thought of his hair; maybe it was tied to the fact she was really curious what it felt like in her hands. She had patted him on the head, in jest, but that wasn't the same. She was tempted, so tempted to find out today when they unceremoniously fell on each other, laughing. But she was also afraid of the change that could destroy everything they had achieved in two years.
Or maybe, it would make it better. She sighed audibly. Again, Toushirou looked at her, his smile fading. "I'm fine," she finally spoke. "Just thinking."
He arched his eyebrow and smirked. "Really? I thought Kurosakis couldn't think?"
She pouted dramatically. It was an old joke. "You!" she replied, punching him in the bicep. "Stupidity is a male linked Kurosaki genome."
"Oh." Toushirou drew the sound out with a roll of his eyes. "So that makes you a mutant, eh?" He grinned.
"OOoohh…Jerk!" Karin replied, mock offended. She gave him a hard push, causing him to stagger a few steps on the slick sidewalk and stumble into the plow-made drifts of compacted snow on the side of the road. She was never sure if he really felt her pushes and shoves. Most likely he just went along with it. Still, it was curious; he never did that with anyone else.
Karin held out her hand, which he took and righted himself back on his feet. They stood and giggled for a few moments. A wind came up and blew down the street. Toushirou's scarf, which came partially unwound in there quasi-scuffle, nearly blew away.
"Damn scarf," Toushirou murmured as he reached out and grabbed the misbehaving piece of cloth.
Karin giggled a little watching him frown at the scarf like it was a misbehaving squad member. Then she suddenly had an evil thought; a very evil thought. Which rapidly turned into an impulse.
Fast, almost inhumanly fast, Karin reached out and plucked the scarf from Toushirou's outstretched hands. She took three or four not quite shunpo steps but enough to put her at the end of the block.
"What the..?" His face reflected several emotions, one after another before settling on bemusement. "What are you doing Karin?" He asked, but his tone suggested he knew exactly what Karin was up to.
It was childish, 3rd grade childish, but Karin just couldn't resist. With One gloved hand holding the scarf tightly over her head, the other reached up to her reddened face to pull down her left lower eyelid. She stuck out her tongue and mischievously called out, "Na, NA, Na, Na, Boo, Boo! You can't catch me!" And not waiting on his reply, she took off running. She knew he could, if he wished, easily catch her, even in a gigai.
Just this once, for some reason, she desperately wished he would.
The streets flew by as she automatically heightened her senses for people and traffic. Karin had a destination in mind. She ran up the hill, occasionally skidding on the black ice that had formed on the street. But she never stopped until she got to 'The Spot' on the railing, overlooking the soccer field. Their spot.
Oh how very cliché, Her Zanpakuto yawned, stirring in the back of her mind. Oh shut up! She answered back. It's my cliché, not yours! Get lost!
The weapon muttered something and faded to the background, just in time to hear the thudding of Toushirou's boots on the asphalt, his breathless voice calling her name. She had only a few seconds to decide what to do; to continue the chase or end it. Grinning, she knew exactly what her choice was. Karin grabbed the railing and expertly vaulted over it and into the snow sculpted field. Except that she miscalculated how bad and how hard the drifted snow was against the metal. So instead of sinking, she skidded over the drift, sliding across the ice that had formed from repeated meltings and freezings.
With a startled yelp and arms flailing, she slipped. Karin was poised to fall, and she prepared herself for the enviable crash, when an arm grabbed her waist. Toushirou. Unfortunally, she already had too much momentum, and with Newton again being right, Karin instead took her would-be saviour with her as she fell down the slope towards the soccer field.
He instinctually pulled her close as they rolled, never once letting her go. They finally stopped after a few moments, sliding into the softer snow, with Karin resting on top of Toushirou. The scarf, that had worked its way out of her hands was nearby, caught on the dead remains of tall grass.
Saying yet again, cliché her Zanpakuto mocked.
Karin ignored the weapon mostly because she was too busy laughing with Toushirou. And, also, because she was suddenly preoccupied with Toushirou's face.
She leaned up, her hands on either side of his head. His eyes were shut, and as she chuckled along with his amusement of the absurdity of the situation, she watched as tiny errant snowflakes landed in his eyelashes. They never melted. She could feel his chest move with laughter where their bodies touched. After a few moments, his beautiful eyes opened and his laughter turned into a brilliant smile.
Karin was overcome with awe. I want to kiss him, she thought so suddenly that she could not control the blush that she knew was growing on her face.
He's perfect
.
And like this has never happened in any of those books of Yuzu's that you claim you don't read.
God damned weapon opened her mouth. Two years of Jinzen had given Karin the ability to school her expressions to a degree when speaking to her blade. Still, the female thundercloud that was her Zanpakuto spirit was very distracting, especially right now. Karin quickly pictured 1,000 Chappy bunnies jumping and giggling on the silver rainbow unicorn encrusted clouds of her Inner world.
The curse that was uttered from her weapon's disembodied vocal cords would make daemons blush.
But Karin, wasn't paying attention to the Zanpakuto. She was too busy blushing and staring at Toushirou. And she couldn't make herself stop. It was a silly girly thing to do, but she could not stop. And she was happy about that!
Tick, Tick, moment's gunna pass if you just sit there and drool all over his coat. The weapon was right. Toushirou's face went from brilliance to concern. She didn't want the concern. She wanted that smile again.
Think Karin, what to do? She thought, her mind splitting off on wild tangents of random thoughts.
Kiss him, Her Zanpakuto answered.
What if, I mean, isn't the boy supposed to kiss the girl? Karin replied.
Well, we are talking about mister I-have-no-clue-how-to-be-social here. Take the initiative and fast!
Karin panicked. She bent down towards his face, observing his eyes widened slightly. Then with a slight grin, she batted her nose against his a couple of times.
Coward! The weapon was yelling at her. Gods and deities, you had the perfect moment, right out of a damned American movie that you say you never enjoy and you Eskimo kiss. I'm going back to sleep now, wake me when you decide not to be a scared little kid.
Her sword's words hurt. And it was right. And by the expression on Toushirou's face, he was confused and may be a little hurt. Maybe she wasn't ready to risk her friendship with him yet. The moment had passed and she lost her opportunity to have her romantic, yet clichéd, instance with the guy of her dreams. Karin didn't even know he was the guy of her dreams until now. Maybe, it was just a hormone thing. Maybe it was never meant to be maybe…
Amidst Karin's downward spiral of depression into old maidenhood, Toushirou, who obviously was oblivious to her inner thoughts, did something mundane…
Simple.
Most people do this when it's cold and the wind is blowing. They lick their lips. But this was Toushirou and she was mere inches from his face and she had been regarding those lips with a longing she never thought she would have in her life. That little cat-like gesture, both cute and well, Karin wasn't sure what the proper term for going to mush was but she was very sure she was heading in that direction.
Just do it, Karin she thought fiercely. Before she lost the chance again, and before her courage disappeared yet again, she bent down again, this time pressing her chapped lips against the moist, just licked, ones of Toushirou.
His eyes widened and his jaw slackened, just a little. The blush this time was stellar. Fire Engine red and to his ears.
He is soooo cute! Karin thought, realizing she really MEANT that he was cute. Emboldened and with her heart pumping wildly, she leaned in again, and pressed her lips against his, this time lingering for a few moments more.
Way to go, girl!Her Zanpakuto whooped from the back of her head.
But maybe she shouldn't have kissed him. Self-doubted set in as she leaned back to look at him; he was even more red, you could see the whites around his irises and he was openly gaping.
Damn, I totally misread him. I just ruined our friendship. Damn, damn, damn it to hell! She was seething inside. Karin sat up and moved off of him. She avoided looking at Toushirou, looking around the landscape. She spotted the scarf still caught on the grass, fluttering like a flag. She stared at it for a few moments, despising it for tempting her to be so mischievous, so bold. How was she going to fix her relationship with Toushirou now?
She sighed. It was her own fault. Why did she ruin a good thing? "Hey Toshirou, your scarrrraaAGH!"
Because she wasn't paying attention to Toushirou, she didn't see him sit up and stare at her. Nor did she see the complex emotions that played across his face.
But she did notice when he tackled her mid-sentence, causing her to imprint herself deeply on the snow.
Her worldview became a mix of ice blue sky, puffy white clouds and equally puffy white hair. And those blue eyes…
The eyes in question were staring at her. His face was unreadable, outside a leftover tinge of his earlier blush. He straddled her, his palms in the snow on either side on either side of her head. His knees propping his body off of her, ever so slightly, just enough to know he was there, without the weight.
Sounds had become muted, distant for Karin. She could hear her rapid shallow breathing and the crunch of the snow. There was nothing else.
Toushirou blinked and frowned. He dropped to his left elbow and leaned his weight on it. Karin followed his face with rapt attention. She felt boneless and frightened; not sure what he was going to do but unable to stop it, good or bad.
Toushirou stared at his right hand, his frown deepened. Using his mouth, he pulled the black knit glove off, spitting it out. It landed on Karin's oversized hand-me-down brown coat.
He stared at his hand for a moment, and then looked at Karin. She blushed at the intensity of the stare. It was like every movement was heightened, and it felt like time had slowed down.
Toushirou reached down with his now bare right hand and traced the shell of her left ear, his fingers lightly following the whorls and indents. His eyes followed his fingers with a fierce intense gaze.
Karin swallowed. The tension she felt in her body was racked up by his touch. Then instinctively, Karin licked her lips. His eyes immediately darted to her mouth, his hand stopping its movement.
To Karin, it felt like the Earth stopped rotating and the only people in existence were Toushirou and herself.
Cliché.
Oh, yeah, and that damned weapon. But before she could get angry with it, she felt Toushirou's hand move from her ear to cup her cheek. He looked at her, emotionless. It seemed like forever. Then he cocked his head to the side, his eyes slits as he bent down.
By all the holy Kami in all the worlds, he's gunna kiss you!
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Yes, yes, so cruel of me. Please put all hate mail in the form of reviews. Thank you.