After All This Time

Alright, so in this story a basic outline of the plot is that Karin and Toshiro haven't seen each other for two years, Karin is around 17 and Toshiro appears to be about 18-19ish. When a recent surge in hollow activity brings Toshiro (as well as other soul reapers) back to Karakura town, how will Karin react? Will she be angry with Toshiro? Will Toshiro avoid Karin? What will she do to get his attention? Who will be interfering to get these two together/ tear them apart? Warning! Future lemons and bad language. Also I plan to make this longish, so all you people out there who like an ongoing read, you've come to the right place!

I do not own any characters so far, other than Shinn (I feel so lame saying this, do I have to say it about all the trivial characters I just throw in? I'm pretty sure you guys know who I made up and who I didn't)

LET'S GET STARTED!

Karin;

Karin Kurosaki watched the sun set from the hill, thinking of how her life had gotten so messed up. Her brother Ichigo was spending more and more time in the soul society, and with her increasing spiritual power more and more hollows had been attacking lately. Despite the fact that she was getting lessons from Urahara and Yoruichi on how to defend herself, Karin still didn't want to risk putting Yuzu and her friends in danger.

This meant that recently Karin had begun isolating herself in hopes of protecting the people she cared about. She would usually walk around until she ended up in the same spot on the hill that she had seen Toshiro Hitsugaya so many times.

Staring off into the distance, she wondered if she'd ever see Toshiro ever again.

At this thought a dusting of pink flooded her cheeks. 'I shouldn't waste my time thinking about him!' she thought to herself rapidly, 'He hasn't even visited me in ages, I wouldn't be surprised if I never see him again.' But Karin knew that she would never let that happen, if it really came down to it she would travel to the soul society, even if it meant just seeing him from a distance.

Running a hand through her hair Karin sighed, she'd been so lost in thought earlier when she left for her walk she hadn't realized what kind of a state she was in. She was still wearing her tight-fitted school uniform and her usually long, silky black mane looked like a tangled mess of unruly waves. She wished she could cut it, but she'd lost a bet a few years ago and as result, had had to grow it out.

*~~~~Flashback~~~~*

As the crowd readied itself to watch the last soccer game of the season, Karin, captain of Karakura high's junior soccer team tried to distil some hope into her teammates.

"C'mon guys have a little faith! We've won before; this time won't be any different."

One of her sullen friends piped up, "Yeah but Karin, without his help there's no way we can beat these guys! We need Tosh-"

Karin, who was about to have a brain aneurism she was so mad, yelled, "SHUT UP! We can win just fine on our own, we don't need his help."

Just then they heard a voice shout from across the field, it was Shinn, captain of the opposing team.

"Hey Karin! I hope you know there's no way your team can win today, even if your ankle wasn't sprained, my team would still wipe the floor with yours." The cocky, big-mouthed soccer player yelled at Karin from across the field just moments before their game took place.

"Oh yeah! Why don't you come over here and say that to my face, you assh-" Karin spat back, her anger getting the better of her (as usual). Luckily her team was able to cover her mouth before she could finish her insult and barely escaped getting a penalty. Her friends murmured behind her, expressing their mutual worry and fear about their chances of winning, but Karin heard none of it.

As the time for the match began, Karin stalked carefully forward, there was no way she was letting the enemy see her limp, it was too demeaning.

The other school's ref, who was already eyeing Karin scornfully, partially due to her earlier outburst but more so because she was a female captain of an all-male soccer team, gave Karin a hard look.

"I don't want you causing any trouble here, okay princess?' He said in a sickly sweet voice to Karin.

Karin didn't say anything, this match was too important to her and to her school to be ruined by her foul mouth. Instead she gave him a fake smile and nodded, while thinking , 'If any one's going to be causing trouble, it'll be you, you sexist bastard!'

Karin glanced over at Yuzu, who was on the cheerleading team, they were already warmed up and ready to begin. Yuzu gave her a nod, and suddenly Karin felt a surge of confidence.

"Okay guys, listen up! We are going to win this and rub it in those guys' fu-… I mean bug ugly faces, you got that!" Karin yelled to her team. They nodded half-heartedly and made their agreements; they knew Karin would kick their asses if they didn't give this game their all.

The whistle blew, and the game began.

Less than halfway through the game, Shinn pulled an illegal move that had Karin face down in the dirt, her wounded ankle throbbing painfully. The ref saw this, but despite the crowd's outraged roar ignored it as he felt that a girl had no place on a boy's team and hoped that with a little manhandling she'd back down and go cheerlead.

Karin tried to stand but she quickly learned that it was impossible. Her teammates surrounded her and helped her limp off of the field.

Yuzu ran over, her face full of worry. "Karin! Are you alright!"

Karin couldn't answer her, as tears of anger and humiliation were threatening to spill. Just then Karin heard a familiar voice.

"Need a little help Kurosaki?"

Karin blanched, her head snapping towards the mystery figure.

"W-what are you doing here!" Karin yelled, "I thought you were in the soul society!"

"I was, but then I got sent over here on a mission and here I am." Toshiro's response retained its usual blasé tone, though he could see Karin was injured.

"Did one of those guys do that to you?" he said, his voice darkening a little bit.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean it was already bad before but the playing just made it worse…" her response was more than a little embarrassed.

"That mean guy right over there tripped Karin and the old ref didn't even do anything about it" Yuzu chirped passionately from Karin's right while pointing towards Shinn.

Toshiro regarded the figure of the boy in the distance, his impassive face masking his feelings of anger. "Is that so?" he breathed, "Well Karin I'll make you a deal. If you promise not to cut your hair for the next few years, I'll win this game for you…"

Karin looked at Toshiro incredulously, "What the hell does my hair have to do with anything?" she half yelled at him.

At her outburst Karin's teammates, who had been prematurely mourning the loss of their young lives, looked over. "TOSHIROOOOO! PLEASE HELP US WE NEED YOU! IF WE LOSE THIS GAME KARIN WILL MURDER US ALLLLLL!" Her friends wailed in hopeless harmony.

"How about it Kurosaki?" Toshiro's question was smug and she could see the confidence glinting in his turquoise eyes.

Karin gulped, hesitating only for a moment, "Fine." she answered.

*~~~~End of Flashback~~~~*

Once again, Toshiro saved their asses back there, and as result Karin was growing out her hair. At first she didn't mind, it served as a reminder of her childhood friend, but as she got older and the distance between them grew with Toshiro's absence, the memory of him only hurt Karin's feelings.

Many times both Yuzu and Orihime had offered to style Karin's hair, as it was now almost to her waist, but every time Karin had thanked them and declined. She preferred to keep it tied back in a ponytail most of the time, so that it wouldn't get in her face.

Karin sighed, finally breaking out of her funk, she needed to get home or her family would come looking for her. 'I'll be back tomorrow' she silently told the hillside.

Toshiro;

Toshiro Hitsugaya finished watching the sunset from his perch on the rooftop. He used to enjoy them as they reminded him of his time in Rukongai with Hinamori when they were younger. Nowadays they reminded him of someone else… Someone with black hair and eyes the colour of-

"Captain! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Rengiku's cheerful voice interrupted his daydream, snapping his thoughts away from Karin Kurosaki.

Angry with himself for thinking of her, he snapped at Rengiku, "Yes what is it?"

Rengiku pouted, "I just received an order from a hell butterfly, there's been a recent surge of hollow activity in Karakura town, and we're needed there."

Toshiro sighed inwardly, he wasn't sure how he felt about this information.

Rengiku watched as a crease formed between her captain's eyebrows. "Ohhhh captain, I thought you'd be happy! Now you get to see your beloved girlfriend again, how long has it been anyway!"

Toshiro's eye twitched, he was so angry. "She. Is. Not. My. Girlfriend!" he bit out, "And it's been two years since I've been to Karakura town."

"Splendid! I'll bring my best sake! Karin'll be old enough to drink now, don't you think?" ignoring what he had just said, Rengiku was over the moon, her captain was going to see Karin Kurosaki and they were going to fall in love and get married! (whether they liked it or not).

Toshiro could see that his words had slid right off of his subordinate, and this time he made an audible sigh and turned to leave. So he was going to Karakura town… He wondered if Karin had stayed true to their deal? Probably not he mused, I mean it has been two years…

First Chapter Done! I really hope you liked it :s I can't believe how hard it was to write, sorry if I'm slow to get started but this is after all my first fanfic! Please please please review! Helpful criticism is welcome! Also I promise that in the next chapter there will be some HitsuKarin action, and I promise to get the angsty-romance on soon ! :) And if there's anything about my style you think i could improve, please tell me, thanks!