Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, dammit!!

Chapter Three: Sleeping

The images and figures in his vision were blurry and unrecognizable, and they grew close and then far away again. Hitsugaya was confused and he frowned as he watched the shihakusho-wearing figures drift around him.

That blurry figure over there was probably Matsumoto. And that one with the bucket over his head was Captain Komamura. That tiny one… Yachiru Kusajishi.

But why was everything so unclear here in the Seireitei? It was as though he was looking through a fogged up window or something.

Suddenly, he was aware of one person coming towards him and he was surprised. She wasn't blurry at all. And even if she was, he knew he would've recognized her from a mile away.

His heart throbbed so hard he had to breathe in hard to hold in the pain.

She had a slender figure and stood a little taller than him. She had perfect porcelain skin and moved in a gentle, drifting way. She had black hair that famed her delicate face, the rest of her hair tied up into a bun under a white cloth.

Oh, but her eyes. Why, did she have to look at him now?

Hitsugaya felt his body tighten, he clenched his hands into fists, he grit his teeth.

Her eyes were beautiful, that innocent, gentleness evident in their colour. And they stared straight at Hitsugaya with something like adoration.

"Shiro!" she smiled at him and it was as though he was being stabbed in the heart.

Why?? Why are you doing this to me?? Don't look at me like that!

Hitsugaya felt himself weaken as she continued to search deep into his eyes, love shining in them.

Hitsugaya faltered. He fought back a growl growing in his throat. Dammit. He'd seen this before!!

…Momo… Don't pretend. Stop doing this to me!! Don't look at me like that when I…

She kept staring at him, and Hitsugaya turned around in dread, already knowing.

Don't give me any false hope… don't hurt me anymore…

The man standing behind Hitsugaya stood tall. He wore glasses and had brown hair. And Hitsugaya knew that on the back of the man's haori was the number 5.

…when I already know that the one you are looking at is not me.

---

Hitsugaya's face was crumpled and twisted, as though he had eaten something incredibly bad. His already pale face was even whiter, but it had already been like that for a while now. Sweat had gathered on his forehead.

Karin yawned.

She glared with frustration at the shinigami captain occupying her bed. She stretched her arms up over her head and curled up on the chair she was sitting on.

Resting her head on her knees with a sigh, she gazed over at the white-haired shinigami. He… looks like he's hurting. He's probably having a bad dream. She thought. Sheesh. I didn't even know shinigami slept, let alone have dreams.

She watched him for a moment more, but became aware of the way his hands clutched at the sheets, so tightly the veins in his hands showed through. There was so much anguish and turmoil in his face, Karin wondered about waking him.

She settled on fixing up the sheets that were slipping, but then he woke.

Hitsugaya was shocked as he opened his eyes and sat up. He stared at the girl beside him, realized it was just Karin and then his whole body relaxed, his shoulders dropping again and his hands on the sheets loosening.

"…Toushirou…" Karin began, worriedly.

"Karin…" He began, trying to recall what had happened and how he'd ended up here, but then gave up, instead lowering his head with a heavy sigh of relief. He bowed his head and smiled weakly in relief. I'm… so glad that was just a dream!

He had never felt as relieved as now. To wake up from that terrifying nightmare, and then seeing that the black-haired girl beside him was Karin, and not Hinamori. And Karin, she… she was like an antidote for his pain right now. Just being here, here in the Living World, knowing that he was far away from the cause of his pain… that was enough. He'd be okay.

Hitsugaya breathed in and out repeatedly and then turned to face the wide-eyed girl next to him.

She explained, "Toushirou, you just collapsed after you told me you were tired; so I bought you back here."

Well, he'd figured that out by now.

He offered her a small weak smile. "Thanks… I… haven't been able to sleep in a long time. I guess I… feel a lot better now."

Karin stood up. "Good. 'cause I need the bed."

She huffily shooed Hitsugaya out of the bed and fell back, pulling up the sheets to her chin; breathing in his scent as she did so. Karin wrinkled her nose. "You smell." She told him bluntly.

Hitsugaya frowned at her but said nothing. He leaned against the windowsill; somehow amused by her grouchiness.

Karin turned away from him. What? Was he gonna stand there watching her sleep? Her bed still smelt like him. But it wasn't actually that bad.

No wonder she was tired, Hitsugaya thought as he gazed out the window into the dark night sky. It was late now, a little past midnight. He felt okay, not as tired, now that he had recovered from the nightmare.

"…" Karin stirred slightly from her position on the bed. Finally, she turned onto her back with a sigh and said quietly, "Hey Toushirou?"

He gazed at her, slightly surprised that she wanted to talk. "Yeah?"

She stared up at the ceiling. "You were pulling faces while you were sleeping. Were you… having a bad dream or something?"

He was silent, thinking. "…yeah."

"What happened to you back at Soul Society?" she asked, bluntly, truthfully. Images of Aizen and Momo appeared in his mind and he fought to keep the pain down inside him. Hitsugaya sighed lightly.

"A lot of things." He answered, but said nothing else.

Karin considered his words and figured out that he didn't want to say anything more. She murmured sleepily, "Will you… tell me about it someday?"

Hitsugaya watched her, surprised. For some reason his heart seemed to flutter as he looked down at the sleepy-eyed girl. His voice was balanced and controlled, yet soft. "…maybe." He said quietly. "Someday."

Karin didn't answer. She closed her eyes and turned towards Hitsugaya. Her chest under the sheets rose up and down gently as she slowly fell asleep.

Her thoughts were churning away slowly in her mind as she let herself fall asleep. They dawned on how Hitsugaya had stared at her in shock and run away from her. She thought of the changes that had happened to him since she had last seen him.

Actually… I wanted to ask you more, Toushirou. I wanted to know what had happened to you that suddenly put you in such a state… 'cause I guess… Today I saw that you were hurting while you slept, and I… I want you to tell me 'bout it sometime… even though I probably won't understand.

Hitsugaya didn't move. He stayed still as he watched Karin's peaceful sleeping face. She had it so easy, he thought. She slept without a care in the world. And that made him smile.

He hadn't even smiled properly in a long time. And he didn't understand this warm feeling that was growing within him as he watched her.

His cold blue eyes grew distant. I should… probably leave now. But… Karin was like relief to him, made him forget about his own worries.

Hitsugaya struggled with his conscience for a while, wondering whether he should just leave or let himself stay here, watching her sleep. Then, he noticed that the sheets over Karin were slipping off the bed and went over to fix them.

He pulled them up to her chin and said gently, "Goodnight, Karin… Sweet dreams."

---

When Karin woke up the next morning, Hitsugaya was gone.

End Chapter Three! I hope you liked it! Sorry that all these chapters have been so short, they'll get longer soon! I guess it's a little awkward having Karin and Hitsugaya being more unfamiliar with each other than in my other fics. Anyway, please review! ^_^ emichii