A/N: Hey there! This li'l plot bunny was jumping around all day yesterday. For anyone who is not a Brooklyn-er, it was raining a little. Hey, who are we kidding? We had flash flood warnings! My laptop got a bit wet through the case, so it was touch and go for awhile. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
- Ari
Karin angrily kicked the soccer ball at the wall and caught it as it bounced back at her. It was starting to drizzle, which meant that the soccer game was canceled. That completely ruined her mood. Now she would be stuck finishing up homework, since she'd beat the boss in all her video games.
She stormed into the house, ignoring Yuzu's wince. "Karin, it's just rain. You'll be able to play soccer tomorrow after school," her twin sister said softly.
"Yeah, and what do I do while I'm at home? Ichigo's out doing some sort of Shinigami work, you're sewing your dolls, what should I do?" Karin collapsed on the couch with a groan. "I'm bored."
"I am not making dolls!" Reaching over, Yuzu gently whacked her twin with a knitting needle. "Reset one of your games and start again."
"I-" There was a giant crash! and the girls ran to check it out.
Yuzu nervously pressed her face to the window beside the door. It had started pouring, hard, practically flooding. "I can't see anything, Karin. What should we do?"
"I'll go out." Karin pushed off her sister's hand and went outside. For all her bravado she was kind of nervous. Who knew what was out there? It could be anything. It could be a hollow, one of those creepy guys with masks that Ichigo hung out with, even –
"Toshiro?"
The white-haired Shinigami looked up at her and sneezed. "Kurosaki."
"What are you – Never mind. Get inside, you're probably freezing." She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Thankfully he was in those temporary bodies Urahara had told her about, so Yuzu could see him. "Yuzu, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Toshiro, my twin sister, Yuzu Kurosaki."
Toshiro gave the girl a quick once-over. "You seem – " He sneezed twice and rubbed his nose. "- more normal than your brother."
"Thanks, I think." Yuzu nervously ran her fingers through her hair. She'd seen him before, she thought. But she just couldn't place him. "You know my brother?"
"Yes, I'm a Shinigami, a soul reaper like him. I'm wearing a gigai, so you can see me." He rubbed his nose again. "Is Kurosaki here?"
"Ichigo? No, he's out on your business. Don't you have that cell phone that tells you that?" Karin replied.
"Yes, but I can't find him right now. The weather is interfering with the reitsu, the spirit energy, here." Toshiro coughed once and found that he couldn't stop coughing.
Yuzu patted his back gently. "I'll go get you tea. Karin, get him some of Ichigo's old clothes, or yours. They should be small enough. Then show him where the shower is."
"I'm fine. You don't have to-" He started coughing again and this time Karin was the one who hit him on the back, hard. "Kurosaki!"
"You're going to have to start calling us by our first names. You can't just call us all 'Kurosaki'. Come on." Karin began to haul him down the hall to the bathroom, forcing him to follow. "Kurosaki, I really am fine. You don't have to worry." Toshiro wiped his nose on his sleeve, not even noticing that he was doing it.
"Yeah, I do. You have a cold, I think, and probably more." Karin stopped in her room and began to search her closet for old clothes. "Here. Sweatshirt and jeans. I think these should fit."
"These are your old clothes?"
"Sorry. You're too small to fit into Ichigo's stuff and I don't know where his really old stuff is. Don't worry, nothing is too girly. It's not like I'm giving you Yuzu's clothes."
Toshiro had a quick vision of himself in the blonde twin's clothes and winced. The SWA would be very happy to get a picture of that.
"Here's some other stuff. Take as long as you want in the shower." Karin pushed him into the room and grinned. "I can guarantee that Yuzu is cooking up a storm for you."
"Thank you."
Karin shrugged. "You're sick. Get dry and come meet us downstairs."
Twenty minutes later, Toshiro was squished on the couch between the Kurosaki twins with a cup of tea, watching a movie. He wasn't completely sure how he'd gotten there, but there was no way he was getting out of there. All he'd come for was to deliver a message to Ichigo from the soutaicho when he'd gotten caught in the rain. Thank Kami Unohana wasn't here. She'd have him wrapped in more blankets than Yuzu did.
"This is my favorite movie," Yuzu commented softly. Toshiro turned his intention to the screen and felt his jaw drop.
"Why does she not have a shirt?" he asked, appalled.
"She's a mermaid, you idiot. All she's got is a tail and bikini top." Karin shifted, trying to get comfortable. "Pass me a slice of pizza."
"What?"
"The triangles. You've never had?"
Toshiro shook his head. "I'd prefer not to. I don't think I would be able to taste it."
"True. Maybe some other time, then." The dark haired twin reached forward and took the slice herself. "Do you want anything else? Yuzu can make practically everything."
"I'm fine. Thank you." He settled back into the couch and they continued watching the movie.
As soon as the movie was over, Yuzu sat up and stretched. "See why it's – Oh." She smiled softly at the sight of the white-haired child and her sister asleep together. Pulling the blanket over them, she shut the light and left the room.
Omake:
Two hours later Ichigo entered the house, exhausted. He was pretty sure Goat-chin was still in the clinic, so it should have been safe to go watch a movie. Grabbing a snack, he walked into the living room and went to sit on the couch. The sight that met his eyes shocked him.
"Toshiro!"
Anyone figure out what movie I was talking about? And the pizza story may get written and posted, especially if my professor continues on with her tangent.
