Right! This story is under the Author 'MeteorLeopard' but keep in mind that there's TWO of us sharing this account (Our own reasons, never mind)

So this story is written by SugarFox, part of the duo that owns the MeteorLeopard Profile. This is SugarFox's first one-shot on the site so enjoy

Title: The View

Author: MeteorLeopard (SugarFox)

Karin was sitting in her favourite place where nobody, well almost no one could find her. Nobody knew how much she loved to hide on the roof except him. The short white-haired shinigami captain was the only one who knew about her favourite place to hide and think things through, and strangely he had the same way of thinking as her and also loved hiding on the roofs on high unreachable buildings. She thought of him with a small smile. She hadn't seen him in months but of course they had just won a war beating that Aizen bastard and restoring peace to Karakura town. She hoped that she might be able to see him soon but he was busy and she was busy making the chances very slim.

They had parted as close friends when she was still that young clueless girl and not the older more mature almost young woman she was now. He had played soccer with her and helped her out of a bind with those stupid middle scholars. She hadn't noticed but it had really crept up on her and before she noticed his icy personality had melted her heart and she fell in love with him - ironic really. She was worried that when, or if, she saw him again whether he would match up to the guy she had fallen in love with during his absence.

Obviously, he didn't know that she loved him, and she wasn't going to tell him and ruin a perfectly good friendship like a lot of other girls in her class did. She missed him and it was at times like these that she wished he were with her. It was beautiful, the stars the moon and the dark silhouette of the mysterious town melting together creating and unreal painting in shades of black silver and white, glowing with an almost magical feel. She knew Toushirou loved sunsets the most but even he wouldn't fail to see the immense beauty and relaxing nature of this secret spot and she wished once more he was here with her. "Stop wishing things that can't and won't happen!" She scolded herself aloud.

It was perfect and the only thing that was ruining this was the stupid, uncomfortable, but stunning turquoise mini dress that Yuzu had wrestled her into before dragging her out the house with an iron grip. She had already discarded those painful black monstrosity heels that Yuzu had lent her but she couldn't really strip down to her underwear in public. She could hear the steady beat of the music in the school hall and she heaved a sigh of relief that Jinta had distracted Yuzu long enough for Karin to make her escape from the sweaty crowded hall filled with streamers, balloons and her boring classmates. None of whom she had any desire to spend time with at a corny school dance.

Yuzu had been quite upset when Karin had told her she wasn't attending the Spring dance because it was lame and she had better things to do with her time. Yuzu had been so upset and wouldn't stop crying which prodded Ichigo to take Karin aside and threaten her with his hollow transformation if she didn't fix it. After a whole guilt trip from her older sibling she had agreed to go in a defeated tone and that is how she ended up going to a corny dance without a date only to end up hiding on the roof. It's sad really, she thought and heaved a peaceful sigh hoping that this dance would be over soon so that she could go home and climb into her warm bed with dreams of Toushirou for company.

She ran through the last few months in her mind and her fingers caressed the small substitute shinigami badge that was attached to her wrist where it could be accesses easily if need be. She had actually inherited Kon from Ichigo but she would rather parade around in a Chappy bunny suit, singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' in the middle of Soul Society than leave her body to the perverted hands of Kon the plushy. She had become a substitute shinigami under Urahara-san's careful training and taken over looking after the town now that Ichigo was staying in Soul Society. Ichigo was now a semi-permanent fixture in Soul Society and was currently acting as the stand in captain of the 5th squad until Momo had achieved Bankai and could run it efficiently herself. The Captains had decided that after Aizen's betrayal it was the least she deserved to replace him and take charge of her squad. Then Ichigo would become the Captain of the 13th Squad so Ukitake could retire in peace and know his squad was to be left in good hands. Rukia had quite coincidentally replaced his two vice captains that had been killed during the war. Apparently, they had been arguing about who was the 13th captain's favourite and in their distraction they were savagely attacked by a minor hollow who managed to catch them at this disadvantage, and it wasn't pretty. It really was a sad way to die, Karin thought to herself, and decided that she should probably rejoin the party or Yuzu would have her head on one of those silver baking platters she loved to serve canapés on. What is a canapé anyway?

She stood up and fixed the dress trying to make it cover more, just feeling more revealing with each tug, before pausing for a second. Suddenly the badge on her wrist went wild and Karin welcomed the excuse to abandon the party. A minor hollow, it seemed, and she grabbed Yuzu' shoes, jumped off the ceiling doing a flash step in midair quickly making her way to the hollow's location. She reached the park in less than a minute and used her badge to abandon her body by a tree before fighting the hollow. She turned to face it head on and drew her zanpaktou slicing through it in one quick swipe before it had even registered her presence. She was basking in her quick and easy victory when she heard the town clock chime 11pm and she shrieked, she had promised Yuzu that she would be ready and waiting to go by quarter to 11! She was on the roof way longer than she thought.

She jumped back into her body and flash stepped back to the school at the speed of light noticing another reiatsu approaching the park. It felt familiar but she was too far to sense it anymore and she wasn't turning back or her head really would be sharing a tray with those canapés when Yuzu saw her. Yuzu was waiting for her and didn't comment on her disappearance or her late coming which was unusual and they slowly made their way home. Karin felt a slight spiritual presence while she was leaving the park in her haste and wasn't sure but for some reason she felt sad when it faded away. Like a long lost friend that she hadn't really forgotten but didn't quite remember either.

Toushirou was seriously annoyed. Not really, at anyone in particular, just annoyed in general. All right, he really shouldn't be lying to himself. He was annoyed with Masumoto. She requested some shopping time in the real world and Yamamoto taicho granted it and sent him along to keep an eye on her. Why did they keep sending him to do amateur work in the real world if he was a captain? It seemed like he was going to be staying at Inoue's house again like last time and he felt sick just thinking about her cooking.

He'd had it rough lately and although he knew, he was actually huffy with himself for constantly thinking of Kurosaki Karin instead of getting on with his life. He hadn't seen her in months and it was probably better that way since they weren't supposed to make friends on earth anyway. She was different though and she understood him and treated him the same as everyone else. The truth was that he had realized when he said goodbye last time, the worried look in her eyes, for her brother, Soul Society, and for him made him feel bad for leaving her. At first, he thought that it was just guilt but it developed into longing and soon he realized that he missed her. Her laugh, her smile, her way of teasing him, her beautiful eyes, and even when she beat him at soccer. He didn't have to like it but he still missed it nonetheless. He missed her and he realized that he had fallen for Ichigo's sister harder than freaking granite.

The sad thing was that facts remained she was human and he was a shinigami and she probably wouldn't ever fall in love with him or love him the way her loved her. Maybe that's the real reason why he hadn't gone to visit her because he didn't know if he could pretend like there was nothing going on when there was actually was. He sighed and looked at his communicator to see if he was going the right way. Yup, the hollow he got orders to kill should be here somewhere but when he looked around he realized it wasn't and he felt a spirit pressure slowly fade away. That must be the young female shinigami that replaced Ichigo, Toushirou decided and saw that she had taken care of the problem for him.

He spent more time wandering around before deciding to go and visit Karin. He hadn't seen her in months, since before the war, and suddenly decided that he desperately wanted to see her. Surely, a visit on the basis of friendship is permissible? He slowly made his way towards her house wondering what she would say and what he could say. Mentally preparing his cold mask he always wore as Captain. He reached her house and made his way to her bedroom window. He knew he probably shouldn't peek in but he wasn't sure what to do or where he would find her, so he took a quick look and gasped. Lying on her bedroom floor in a turquoise mini dress was Karin's unmoving body and with a feeling of dread, he dove through the window rushed to her side.

Karin was sitting on the roof again, except this time it was her own roof and she was in her shinigami uniform. She had abandoned her body in her room so she could sit alone undisturbed on the roof or else the neighbors would have thought she was weird. She decided to quickly flash step to Urahara's to see if he had a soul candy for her because she was getting tired of dragging her body everywhere and making sure she didn't get admitted to hospital. She was halfway there when she realized it was 2am and everyone would be asleep, turned around, and went home. She sat down on the roof quickly and sighed in contentment, she loved being able to sit out here without being seen but she should probably go to bed. She climbed down and jumped in through her window before noticing a movement in the room and stopping in her tracks with surprise.

"Toushirou?" she asked surprised watching the white haired captain standing over her body trying to find out why she was collapsed on the floor. He turned towards her quickly and sighed with relief, her heart contracting realizing he was really here. She suddenly didn't know what came over her but she lunged at him giving him a firm but quick hug and then released him quickly. He was surprised but still didn't say anything looking her up and down in her shinigami uniform.

"I haven't seen you in ages what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have no idea. I was sent here on a mission to look after Masumoto so she doesn't run up the bills for the tenth Squad by buying Jimmy Choos and decided to visit you while she was shopping. On the other hand, I didn't know that you were a shinigami so when I came through your window I saw your lifeless body and I was sure you were dead. Note to self, remember to find out if your friends are shinigami, it might save you the heart attack." He said grinning, and Toushirou blushed slightly himself at her sudden hug but he had covered it with that friendly teasing that they always had before he left.

He looked her up and down and decided that she was definitely just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe more. She was slightly taller fuller in more places and more adult. The uniform suited her and her zanpaktou was strapped to her back the same as his.

"Sorry I thought you knew I had taken over Ichigo's work." She told him sheepishly before she realized that he was actually here and not one of her dreams and she blushed when she realized that she had actually hugged him on an impulse. She brushed it off and started to tease him in the same tone he used with her. "Well you should have seen how it looked to me! I go out for a quick breath of fresh air and when I come in through my window, you're man-handling my lifeless body. If I didn't know any better I'd say you looked like a pervert Shiro-chan." She grinned.

"I am not a pervert! And don't call me that!" Toushirou yelled at her, a vein popping in his eyebrow. He was getting seriously annoyed with her and he was trying to recall if he remembered this side of her, and he did. Way too clearly.

"Good thing Ichi-nii is in soul society or you would be toast when he finds you here in my room with me. He will think completely wrong thoughts!" she leaned forward and ruffled his hair, which was slightly more difficult than last time because he seemed to have grown a few inches like her.

"Would you shut up! You have no idea what you are talking about!" Toushirou was fuming but she just laughed.

"Good to know some people never change. You are just as easy to wind up as the last time I saw you."

Toushirou paused and looked at the girl in front of him. She was still the same Karin even if she was a little older and a shinigami. He hadn't realized how much he was in love with her until he saw her again and the feeling swelled up inside him. "Yeah well your attitude hasn't changed much either." He replied getting over his momentary annoyance.

Karin suddenly remembered the view from the school roof and how she had wished he was with her to see it too. Well it was still dark for another few hours and there was no reason that she couldn't still show him. Karin walked over to her lifeless body and went back into it before standing up in her stupid dress. Toushirou wasn't sure what exactly she was doing but she was so beautiful in that dress, it showed off her curves nicely too. Karin walked over to her bed and climbed into it as if she was going to sleep and covered herself with a duvet. Toushirou looked at her puzzled and then saw her take out her Substitute shinigami badge and split herself from her body again. "What was that all about?" he asked confused and she grinned.

"Well I need to make it look like I'm in bed so that if Yuzu comes in she will think I'm sleeping. It's too much of a pain to drag the body there so I just moved it there quickly."

"Oh ok then. So what now." He asked her with genuine interest not really minding what they did as long as he could stay with her.

"We are going for a lil walk flash step style since I have something I want to show you." She grinned at him and she beckoned for him to follow her while she jumped out of the window. Toushirou followed her and surprised by how fast she was, he pushed himself a little faster. Suddenly she stopped on a roof and sat down taking him by surprise. He stopped and sat down beside her. "What exactly are we doing on the roof of your school?" He asked staring the young girl up and down. She really was something else.

"Shhhh…" she said and pointed straight ahead of her with a small smile. Toushirou looked at the spot she pointed out and gasped at the beautiful view.

"Wow, it's beautiful." He breathed.

Karin gave a small sigh and whispered, "It is isn't it. It shows all the peace and serenity in Karakura town since the war ended. The most gorgeous view."

Toushirou was amazed at the beautiful view but he was more interested in the young girl sitting beside him. "Karin?"

"Ne Toushirou?"

"Why did you become a shinigami?" He didn't know what prompted him to ask this question but it seemed to be the right one to ask.

Karin didn't look surprised by this question and paused thinking of the best way to answer. "Well once you left I confronted Ichi-nii about everything and the truth came out. I felt so useless spending my days playing soccer when I could be helping fight in the war. I spoke to Urahara and he agreed to train me so I could at least dispatch minor hollow while Ichi-nii was away but it turned out I had more power than he expected and I achieved shikai in just 3 months. He was very surprised and we all know Urahara, he was doing flick flacks off the ceiling."

"So you became a shinigami so you could help." He said more as a statement than a question.

Toushirou's gaze was on her and she adverted her eyes away so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. She answered him in a quiet voice, "Well, sort of, I first wanted to become a shinigami so I could help but over time… I clung to it because it gave me a connection to you and your world. I guess didn't realize how much I missed you and wanted you around until I didn't know if you were ever going to come back."

That was not what he had expected to hear and a million things were rushing through his head. She wanted him around... "You became a shinigami because you missed me?" he asked bewildered. She shrugged not saying anything.

"Well I am a captain and too important to take missions in the real world or even have any kind of relationship with humans because it is too risky for us, but I came to Karakura town to see you because I missed you too." He said softly and smiled at her when she looked up at him in amazement at his revelation. Her eyes met his and time slowed down, he was very confused and he just wanted to lean in and kiss her warm soft lips. Karin was confused and she felt her heart do one of those flippy thingies they talk about in Yuzu's corny romance books. She should really stop reading those. She made a mental note whilst staring into his deep azure eyes. She just so badly wanted to kiss him it felt like her heart would burst if she didn't.

Toushirou didn't have time to react before she grabbed him and gave him a quick kiss full of emotion and uncertainty, putting her heart and her happiness in his hands. He had just started to kiss her back when she broke away, "Sorry." she mumbled, and a deep blush started to spread across her sheepish face. She couldn't believe she just kissed him and she needed to get away before all her feelings overflowed and she ruined their friendship. She got up quickly to leave but he stood up quickly too and stopped her, grabbing her wrist and pulled her towards him again so their lips were kissing distance away again.

He couldn't believe what just happened, Karin had kissed him and he wanted to kiss her again so badly. She had started to get up and make motions to leave when he stood up too pulling her into his arms firmly bringing her face close to his before whispering.

"Is that really the way to kiss the guy who is in love with you? On the contrary I would very much like to try that again." He grinned at her and she smiled back.

"You love me?" she whispered.

"Yes." He breathed.

"Well isn't that just a coincidence that the guy I love just happens to love me back?" She teased him softly, her fingers locking around his neck, working their way into his hair as he held her tighter.

"You really love me? Masumoto told me you did but I didn't believe her. Can't believe she was right. Well, there is a first time for everything."

Karin giggled and pulled him closer, "Are we really going to sit here and talk the whole night or are you going to show me how a guy kisses the girl he loves?"

Toushirou got a cheeky glint in his eyes, "Well I personally believe that the recession is a brilliant topic. Don't you want to discuss the economic crisis?" He asked her sitting down on the roof again and pulling her into his lap.

"Oh just shut up and kiss me." She just grinned at him and brought his lips to hers once again, they shared another kiss slow and gentle, then passionate and fiery, all the bottled up love over the past few months released.

Masumoto was watching from behind a nearby tree and she smiled at her taicho and his new girlfriend. They were so cute together and it really did take them long enough to find each other. They sat there for the rest of the night talking and kissing before they knew it the dawn started to break casting everything in shades of golden yellow and white but they ignored the sunrise focusing only on the view of each other. Masumoto took her camera out and took a snapshot of their perfect romantic setting. She had found something to give her taicho for his birthday, a framed photo of this special moment, since she couldn't find anything he would like in the shops she entered, and she was sure he would love it. Well, as soon as he finished killing her for spying on him and buying six pairs of Jimmy Choos.

Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading Please rate and review! Advice is always welcome too!