"That damned Matsumoto, running off and abandoning her responsibilities," muttered a very annoyed Hitsugaya. Deciding that he'd finished enough paper work for today he stood and made his way around his desk, setting out to find Matsumoto and give her an earful, not to mention stretching his legs.
The Tenth Squad Captain spent an hour searching for his subordinate with no luck. Displeased with his inability to track down the strawberry blonde and annoyed at the time wasted, the white-haired Shinigami made his way back to his office, as he was about to round the final corner he sensed two familiar reistsus in front of his office.
He began to draw a plan in his little devious child-genius brain, 'Yes when Matsumoto and her buddy realize I won't be coming any time soon they'll go in my office and I'll finally find out whether and where Matsumoto has been hiding her sake.'
But to his surprise the 2 of them began gossiping on the spot.
"Hey Matsumoto, have I told you about her getting a boyfriend?"
'Oh that's Rukia she's talking too. I thought she was still living with Ichigo.'
"Really?-I never expected a girl like her to get a boyfriend. Except for maybe taicho."
Hitsugaya's eyes widened, 'Who in the world would Matsumoto be pairing me up with? And who is this girl they're talking about? Could it be Hinamori, has Kira finally manned up? Wait, this is coming from Rukia so it must be someone she knows from Ichigo's town. But who there would Matsumoto be interested in: Orihime perhaps?'
"Yeah, Ichigo isn't very happy about it though." "That's understandable Rukia, after all he is her big brother and aren't they always being overprotective."
Hitsugaya eyes were close to popping out of their sockets. 'Ichigo, overprotective brother…That means either Yuzu or…Karin...' He marveled at how, even in his mind her name would sound so perfect, so beautiful…
"Still, seeing how well she handles her reistsu and herself, not to mention her temper. I can't really see Karin with a boy? Tell me, have they kissed yet?" "I really don't know, but from what I see from every time he picks her up they may be getting close to, don't tell anyone, but they might be getting to second base."
That was the last straw for Captain Hitsugaya, he was aware of his feelings for the hot-tempered, raven-haired Kurosaki girl and he had spent every moment he could with her. But after sub-consciously imagining another boy laying his hands on Karin, HIS Karin…it was all Hitsugaya could do to prevent himself from taking out his anger at the wall he was leaning on.
Hyourinmaru spoke up, "Young master, your heart is in turmoil. I suggest you end this immediately by confessing you feelings to the Kurosaki girl." "Her name is Karin, and I will heed your advice."
With that the young captain turned heel and ran off, doing his best to get to his beloved as soon as possible.
In front of his office, the two ladies burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Toshiro was rushing to the Kurosaki clinic.
The moment he reached the roof he saw HER there, eyes closed, hands behind her head, leaning against the roof tiles, completely at peace.
She seemed to sense his reistsu and sat up, smiling as she caught sight of him. "Oh hey Toshiro, what's up?"
He marched towards her and kneeled down, grabbing her shoulders with his hands and looked her straight in the eye. She blinked in surprise but she didn't blush, she wasn't the type to redden like a tomato.
"Toshiro what's this about? Are you not feeling well?" Her left hand felt his forehead and he leaned against it.
"Karin, I love you."
At first she didn't seem to register his words, her eyebrows furrowed and she looked unsure. Then it turned into shock, then a breath-taking smile crept on to her face. Loving her reaction, Hitsugaya continued.
"I love how we read each other so well, how we always know what the other is thinking. I love how I don't have to bother putting up a front when I'm with you. I love how you are the only one who can rile me up and cool me down to your will. And I hate myself for not telling you earlier so now I have to go and beat the daylights out of this stupid boyfriend of yours. And I hope that you won't hate me when you see him next time and his bruised face and-."
Now you may be wondering, what on Earth could possibly be enough to shut up Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of the Tenth Squad? Well Karin's lips of course!
They broke away, gasping for air. She looked him straight in the eye, "Toshiro? Were Rangiku and Rukia-san the ones who ones who told you about my boyfriend?"
The white-haired captain bowed his head in shame and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah."
"And you believed them?" "Yes." "Then you don't know me at all."
And with that she stood up, turning herself away from him defiantly and crossing her arms. For a moment Hitsugaya just stared,, unsure how to react.
Finally he got up smiling and wrapped his arms around Karin who was also smiling and leaning against him.
She turned around and planted a soft but lingering kiss on his lips, and whispered, "Remind me to thank Matsumoto. It was all her idea."
Realization hit Hitsuagaya like a meteor, and he smacked his head. "Oh how did not see that this was another one of Matsumoto's plans?"
But to his surprise Karin giggled, "Not her plan silly, it was mine. I just asked her to help me out with it. You can be so predictable sometimes Toshiro."
"Just this once I'm going to let you off. Because I am loving your plot's results," and with that he kissed her again.
In Toshiro's head Hyourinmaru was grinning like an idiot saying, and his wielder knew the ice dragon had heard of the plan from his subordinates zanpauktos but again, just this once he'll let them off.