Hey, guys! I'm back with a one-shot just for you Hitsukarin lovers out there!

Hope you enjoy!

This fanfic was inspired by the song "Is Anybody Out There?" by K'NAAN ft. Nelly Furtado. Sometimes we all need a helping hand. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach


Is Anybody Out There?

Karin stood alone on the front door step of her house. She looked up at the house towering behind her, her bedroom window in particular. The light was left on, and pacing back and forth past the window, you could see a dark silhouette of a teenage girl. Yuzu was talking over the phone to her new boyfriend. What's his name? That kid in the shop that had fiery red hair? Oh, right, Jinta.

Even from outside, Karin could hear her sister giggle at him over the phone line. It drove her absolutely mad every night. And Isshin Kurosaki, Karin's father, unfortunately had to work late. Not that it would have been any better for Karin if the Goat Chin had been home. Then, there'd just be two people at home driving her nuts.

Karin sighed and looked up the night sky. The moon was at the very center of the blackness surrounded but bucket of stars.

Midnight, at best, Karin thought to herself before taking steps down her porch and starting down the moonlit street.

As she strolled down the street, she thought of someone she hadn't seen in a while. Ichigo Kurosaki. Soul reaper, now a captain in the Soul Society that Karin herself never saw anymore. She imagined him training in his own personal dojo. She imagined him laughing with his buddies as he walked along in a "better place". She imagined him behind a desk, doing paperwork.

She chuckled. That was definitely a sight she would pay to see.

As the cold wind blew past her, her bare arms shivered from the contact. She silently cursed herself for not bringing a jacket. All she'd been thinking about was getting away from her giggling twin.

Now, don't get her wrong, she didn't hate her twin. She loved Yuzu, with all her heart. She'd risk her life for the bubbly blonde without a second of hesitation. Hell, she already had.

But, come to think of it, she hadn't needed a reason to risk her life for a while. Hollows seemed to be scarce nowadays. Not that Karin was complaining. Now, she had more time for her life before all this Soul Reapers and Hollow mess began. Of course, she wasn't supposed to argue or complain. She was supposed to be grateful to be a part of the force saving souls everywhere.

Yeah, right. Karin thought bitterly as she rubbed her arms to keep them warm.

She never wanted to be a superhero. She never wanted to lie to her friends so she could fight Hollows and save their ungrateful hides. She never wanted to skip classes and then have extra homework by the time she got back. She loved saving lives, but she hated the consequences that came with it.

There were times, amongst all the action and ass-kicking, that she actually wished she was Yuzu. The moments where she just wished for normalcy. A life filled with nothing supernatural. A life where the biggest worries were only the next tests, and if girls were being bitches behind her back, instead of if she'd make it out of a life-or-death battle.

Maybe that's why she couldn't stand her sister chatting on the phone with her worriless life. She just talked to her boyfriend about her little problems, which she actually had the time to do, unlike Karin.

And as Karin's feet found their way into soccer field, Karin found that there was something else she was also jealous of.

As all the reluctance and jealousy and angst built up behind closed doors, she knew she'd never have anyone who would ever hear her, no one who would ever listen.

She walked into the middle of the field. The wind blew by her, and caused another shiver to go down her spine. She rubbed her arms and held herself for a moment as she looked down at frosted grass, letting the loneliness set in the silence surrounding her.

Suddenly, a navy blue jacket draped over her shoulders. Karin immediately looked up to see sea-green eyes looking indifferently down at her.

"Toushirou?" She asked, confused.

"Hey, Kurosaki," He replied. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" She questioned as she put her arms into the sleeves of the jacket given to her.

"I mean out here, in the middle of the night, and apparently freezing." He listed off. His eyes never left her ashy gray ones as he towered over her by several inches.

"Just taking a walk, that's all." She replied as she decided to sit down in the grass beneath her. She hugged the jacket tighter. "Thanks, by the way. Sure you're not cold?"

"I control ice for a living. I'm not chilled by a little breeze," He shrugged off before kneeling down and sitting next to her in the grass. "I've been assigned here for a few days. Working with Urahara and all."

Karin nodded. "That makes sense considering I haven't seen a hollow for days now,"

"You sound unhappy about that," he noted.

"Oh, quite the contrary," Karin replied, raising her knees up to her chest and letting her chin rest on the caps. She solemnly looked out across the field.

"Is everything okay?" asked the 10th division captain.

Karin looked over at him, and she could see the slightest hint of concern in his eyes.

"You actually care?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow at the reaper.

"Despite popular thought, yes." He answered sincerely as he looked down at her through loose locks of white hair. Karin looked at his determined face staring back at hers. And slowly, a small smile crept its way onto her lips.

Maybe… maybe she wasn't as alone as she earlier thought.


This short little fanfic was for you guys feeling lonely out there. Trust me when I say this. Someone's always ready to listen as long as you're willing to let yourself be heard. :)

And with that I say, goodbye and goodnight! Please review!

Yours truly,

Animewarrior519