A/N: I'm procrastinating. I know (don't kill me) ; ; Chicken Princess is still in the works...as it has been for the last, what, 3 months? (eyes shift to side)
But on the other hand, new story! (yayyy) This one will probably shift back and forth from the aftermath to the very beginning of their relationship. So we can slowly figure out what the fuck went wrong and exactly how irreparable the damage is. Without further ado, I present to you Evanescent!
After - New York City
It had been a peaceful, tiring day.
Karin sat at her favorite window seat of the cafe, waiting for her sister to arrive. Blowing gently at her black coffee for fear of staining her dress, she closed her eyes and tried to block out the day's worries. It seemed as if everyday, something different goes wrong with the contract, whether it be lack of funding, workforce, food, or coffee in her system…
Gingerly, she ran a hand through her long ink black bob, head already throbbing at the reminder of her current issues. Her job wasn't simply to just manage the marketing affairs of her grandmother's company - in reality, she not only had to manage the corporation's marketing resources and activities, but also to act as the unofficial figurehead and director that her employees looked up to. Her image was her everything. She stood and slipped her feet fully into her black pumps, stalking to the counter in her red backless Emilio Pucci dress. Somehow, she managed to pull off the ruched, skin tight dress while staying true to her classy New York director's image.
Success always had these materialistic perks. But these days, she couldn't find much enjoyment in her extravagant wardrobe. In fact, there wasn't much she enjoyed doing these days at all. As she sat back down, she stared as her eyes caught something white and glistening outside the window.
The first snow.
Ironic, isn't it, that she couldn't even find the energy to admire what she would have given the world to see as a child, she mused quietly to herself.
"Can I join you?"
Her whole body froze at the sound of the familiar baritone of his voice. Slowly, she turned to look into the viridian eyes of none other than Hitsugaya Toshiro himself. He stood over her in a grey suit and a long overcoat, hair messily windswept, shoulders covered in small flakes of snow.
Karin's face immediately donned a smiling mask that was slightly too tight at the corners of her eyes. "And to what should I owe this pleasure, Mr. Hitsugaya?" She drawled as she gestured at the seat facing her with a little wave. She would play along as the clown, if that was the performance he wanted from her.
Toshiro took a long drag of his cigarette as he sat down. "The signing with Crowne Hotels- was it your idea?"
She smirked. "Oh? Has my work been not up to your standards, ?" Her casual tone held a menacing edge as she bit out his name. "Or is there another reason for this sudden visit after- how long has it been now? I can't even recall..." She stroked her chin as she pretended to think. "3 weeks, I believe?"
"You don't look so well." He took in her hollowed cheeks and slightly sharper than normal collarbones, sharp eyes lingering disapprovingly at the low scalloped neckline of her dress. "Hasn't Yuzu been feeding you?"
Karin crossed her legs, letting her skirt ride up higher along her thighs. She gave him another fake, bright smile. "Whatever do you mean, taicho?" His old nickname tasted bitter on her tongue now. "I'll tell Yuzu you asked. She'd be very flattered for your attention."
"Stop it, Karin. Just stop it." His eyes had taken on a hard edge as she voiced her lines like a puppet. The puppet he had turned her into.
"I don't know what you mean," Karin drawled smoothly.
Hitsugaya took another long drag of his cigarette. The chatter of the surrounding patrons filled up his silence. He took his time breathing out the smoke of his cigarette, then looked up to meet her eyes. "It's so funny, isn't it? Last year we also saw the first snow together, just like this." He gestured at the falling flakes outside the window. "Funny how things change."
"Hilarious."
"I'll be leaving soon. For Japan," he said quietly, watching as he caught the dark haired woman's attention for the first time in 3 weeks.
"Oh? A vacation?"
"I don't know how long I'll be gone." He pretended to look outside the window as he gauged Karin's reaction. "Could be 5 weeks, 5 months, or 10 years."
"When are you leaving?" Karin asked, face impassive.
"In a week. I've been appointed at the Tokyo branch." Karin's eyes lost the odd smiley look for the first time that evening. Toshiro's sharp gaze watched as she visibly swallowed.
"I'm sure you'll be amazing. You don't even need me to wish you luck."
"Is that what you think?" Toshiro eyes burned brighter, searing through her facade. Then he laughed softly, a bitter sound, as he finally understood. "Are you really so eager for me to disappear?"
Karin paused for a fraction of a second before she spoke. "I'm afraid I'm no longer in any place to desire or lament what you choose to do, Mr. Hitsugaya."
"Karin."
She bit her bottom lip as her name rolled off his tongue too smoothly, too familiarly. "One word, Karin. Just one word from you...and I'll stay." Toshiro stood up to leave, cerulean eyes boring into hers, trapping her, breaking her all over again. She quickly looked away, quietly listening to the chiming of the door bell as it opened and closed with a finality that tore down her walls.
Her hands clenched at her dress, now sweat soaked. Her head turned upward toward the faded red bricks of the rustic ceiling as she blinked rapidly to hold back her tears.
He wanted to break her heart all over again.
"Karin? Are you all right? I saw Toshiro on the way here-" Karin turned around, her teary eyes meeting the warm chocolate colored orbs of her sister. "Oh, Karin." Yuzu drew her into a hug just as Karin's mask finally cracked, face contorting unseen into Yuzu's black coat.
All she needed right now was Yuzu's embrace for the next five minutes.
A/N: I accidentally uploaded the wrong file...two times... Trust me to screw something like that up .
Anyways, this story will be top priority right now - if you like it, please leave a comment. If you hate it, please tell me. Any kind of criticism is welcome c: