HitsuKarin 1: Ice Knight

Karin ran down the dimly lit street, her heart thudding in her chest. She'd stood up to schoolyard bullies, stared down patronizing adults and fought Hollows since she was twelve years old, and had always faced any problem head on with a yell. But this was something new, something she wasn't prepared to deal with.

Karin was aware that she had become more attractive over the past four years, but it was only something she noted in passing. Karin was still very much a tomboy at heart, preferring a good game of soccer to mooning over boys like the other silly girls at her high school…except when she thought about that white haired shinigami boy. Karin couldn't imagine liking, no, crushing, on anyone else as badly as she did on him, even though she only saw him once or twice a year at best.

Karin's mind was dragged violently back to the present by a filthy hand pawing her shoulder. She gave a small sob of fright and kicked out viciously behind her and was rewarded by a curse of pain. Karin put on a burst of speed, but she was exhausted and stumbled. Her other pursuer dived and grabbed her around the waist. He lifted her limp form off the ground and pinned her against a nearby wall. The man she had kicked staggered up and slapped her across the face. Karin spat in his eye.

"Got some fight left do you, stuck up bitch?" Karin said nothing.

The other man chuckled darkly and started pawing her over. Karin closed her eyes and tried not to think of what was happening.

"Still too good for us? Wish you'd said yes the first time round?" Karin still said nothing. The man pinning her against the wall let go with one hand to undo her top with a grin. Karin took her chance, elbowing him in the nose, breaking it. She lashed out again, but her arm was grabbed by Broken-Nose's accomplice. No longer smiling, Broken-Nose pulled out a switchblade and held it in front of Karin's face.

"If you play this our way, you'll go home tonight, a little sore, but you'll be home. Pull a stunt like that again and you won't be home for a long time, and you'll be a helluva lot sorer."

Karin's heart faltered as she registered what they were saying. As she stammered for an answer, Broken-Nose moved the knife down and started cutting her shirt off, revealing a pair of pale breasts in a lacy red bra. The other man's eyes lit up with lust and he spoke to Broken-Nose.

"Want to see if she wears matching underwear?" Broken-Nose started smiling again.

As he reached for her shorts, Karin's mind stood still. She couldn't accept this was happening to her. She would not accept it. She let loose a scream.

"Toshiro!"

Both her attackers paused, looking at each other. Then they started grinning again.

"That your boyfriend, bitch? Think he can save you?" Broken-Nose laughed again. "He can't save you now, even if he was here." Saying that, he reached down, tearing her shorts off in one motion, showing a pair of black boxers. Both 'men' seemed disappointed.

"That's no good…guess we'll have to see what's underneath, ey?" Broken-Nose moved forward again.

Without warning the temperature plummeted. The attackers and Karin's breath started coming in steaming gasps. Karin heard a deathly quiet whisper.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens….HYOURINMARU!!" The last came with a rage filled roar, sounding of avalanches and glaciers.

Something white, something enormous crashed into the two men holding Karin down, throwing them to the ground, leaving them covered in ice. They struggled, and part of the ice shattered, but not enough to let them loose.

A white haired figure landed softly next to Karin, helping her up while keeping his eyes on her attackers.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

"I-I think so…" Karin stammered a reply. Her eyes seemed to come into focus and she turned on her attackers. With two quick strides she was on them, laying into them with a vengeance. Broken-Nose and his accomplice couldn't do anything but endure, and the ice seemed to shatter in places to make it easier for Karin to reach the more tender areas.

After a few minutes of this treatment, Karin's rescuer put a hand on her shoulder. She cringed away and he removed his hand.

"I think they've had enough now…and it's my turn anyway." The white-haired teen crouched down and started whispering to the two injured men, just loud enough for them to hear. They quickly grew pale, and when he started talking directly to Broken-Nose, he cried out. Finally he stood and looked at Karin. His masked slipped, and his eyes showed concern.

Toshiro

"Karin…are you ok?"

"Toshiro…" Karin started to answer, until she realized she was standing almost naked in the middle of the street in front of the only boy she had ever liked. She blushed crimson, quickly covering herself. Toshiro caught himself staring and offered her his haori, which she wrapped around herself. Toshiro went to put his arm around her, but Karin shrugged away, taking a step back.

Hitsugaya desperately wanted to help her, but he didn't know where to begin. Finally, he spoke. "Karin…I've got to get you home. Do you live near here?"

She nodded and started walking a bit aimlessly. "I live a few blocks over…." She stumbled and leant against the wall.

Hitsugaya strode over to her and bodily picked her up, ignoring her protests. Overriding her objections, he asked brusquely "Which way?" Wordlessly, Karin pointed.

Minutes later, Hitsugaya deposited Karin at her door. She rented an apartment away from her family now, living on her own. She walked into her apartment and headed straight for the shower. Hitsugaya listened until he heard running water, and then sat down on her couch with a sigh. What was he supposed to do now?

Karin

Walking into the shower, Karin neatly folded Toshiro's haori neatly, then stripped what remained of her clothes and turned on the hot water. She sat under the running water, trying to get her head around what had happened to her. When she had screamed Toshiro's name, she had had no idea that he was actually nearby. Hearing him speak the words he did, releasing his zanpuktoh just for her, had brought out feelings in her she didn't know how to describe. But after he had touched her, she couldn't bring herself to look at him, not after having him see her at her most vulnerable. Karin wanted nothing more than to cling to him, but found that she couldn't. Slowly, she dried herself off and redressed, moving back to the living room.

Toshiro & Karin

Karin sat down on the couch next to Toshiro and forced herself to face him.

"I just wanted to thank you, Toshiro..." He looked at her in puzzlement. "For helping me." Karin added.

Toshiro shook his head. "You'll never have to thank me…no matter how many times I have to save you." He winced. "Gods that sounded cheesy."

Karin gave a small laugh, making Toshiro feel better almost immediately. Toshiro started to laugh too, and soon they were rolling around uncontrollably on the couch. When the laughter finally subsided, they were sitting much closer to each other than before.

"Can I ask you something Toshiro?"

"Sure…as long as you answer one of my questions too."

Karin sat up with an outraged look on her face. "That's not fair!"

"How so?"

"Well…I'm not sure, but…humph!" Karin folded her arms and sat back on the couch. Toshiro couldn't help but notice how cute she was with that expression on her face. "Fine, ask your question…"

Toshiro shook his head. "No, no, ladies first." Karin gave him the evil eyes.

"What did you tell those two…men?"

Hitsugaya became serious. "I told them that the ice holding them down would melt eventually, but not before their hands and feet were frostbitten beyond repair. And the one with the broken nose, I added an extra treat for him."

"What did you do?" Karin couldn't help her but ask, morbidly curious.

"Let's just say that his hands and feet aren't the only extremity he'll be without once the ice has melted…"

Karin's jaw dropped as she made sense of his words. Then she nodded, an evil gleam in her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds about right for a punishment."

"I'm glad you approve…now my turn for questions."

Karin groaned. "Can't it wait until morning?" Toshiro just raised an eyebrow. "Fine, go ahead…"

Allowing himself a quick grin, Toshiro asked, "What was it you screamed out just before I got there?"

Karin blushed and mumbled something. Toshiro leaned in closer and asked again, openly grinning this time. Karin blushed even harder and said out loud "I yelled out 'Toshiro', ok?" She looked up to see his faces only inches away from hers.

When Hitsugaya heard Karin's answer, he was genuinely shocked. He hadn't been expecting that. When Karin looked up and he found her beautiful face so close to his own, it took all his willpower to stop himself from reaching out and pulling her towards him. As it was, he needn't have worried. Karin herself was moving closer, parting her lips in anticipation. Hitsugaya moved in, excitement coursing through him…but then he stopped himself. He was a Captain of the Gotei 13, she was a human. Gently he put a finger to her lips.

"Karin, you're in shock. You don't know what you're doing." Gently he pushed her away. "We'll talk about this in the morning."

Hitsugaya saw several emotions cross Karin's face, including hurt and rejection. She stood abruptly and walked to her bedroom door. She turned and spoke coldly.

"You can sleep on the couch. That is, if you feel that the offer isn't the shock talking." Karin turned again and closed the door loudly.

Hitsugaya slumped down onto the couch. "I'm going to hate myself in the morning…"

On the other side of her door, Karin allowed herself a small smile before slipping into her bed.