Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine.
Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter.
First Hug
Seritei is so very easy to disappear from, to remove a badge or a cape and vanish into the crowds of the unseated shinigami. That's…what they do for fun, since without an adventure, their life is nothing but paperwork.
On this particular day, both the fukutaichou of the ninth division and the taichou of the Tenth are in Rukongai, at a marketplace, just looking at this and that, enjoying each other's company. They stop by a pet shop. Karin, who, though she would deny is vehemently, was a girl under all that badassery, immediately vanishes to find the puppies and left her friend standing there, quite awkwardly. And, with nothing better to do, of course, he follows her squeals and cooings, eventually coming on the sight of Kurosaki Karin, settled on the floor with her legs under her, trying to handle six puppies at once. The little suckers are, even Toushirou has to admit, pretty cute; they're all different colors, but all have the same stubby little snout that have that permanently wet nose attached to. They're all licking her at once, trying to crawl up her robes at once, all fuzz and ears and cuteness. Karin laughs and giggles, trying to pick them all up and cuddle them.
All except one. There's another puppy, bigger than its littermates, but not big enough to be the mother, that remains in the cage that Toushirou assumes the rest of the little suckers crawled out of. He (Toushirou checks) has a rip in one ear, and is laying in a way that suggests his left front paw is injured; he has lots of fur but it's gray, a unique shade of red and white. Toushirou likes him immediately, because the puppy's sad eyes remind him of himself—lonely but understanding.
He squats (Thank kami he took Hyounimaru off at his office) and holds out his hand silently. The puppy immediately looks happier and limps over to him, tongue lolling out of his mouth. The puppy rubs his head under Toushirou's palm, and the captain himself smiles gently.
"Wow, you can show affection!" Karin's teasing voice, gentler than normal, drifts from behind him. As he looks around, he can see all the puppies clinging to her body in some say. She's holding two in her hands, two are balanced on her feet, one is being held between her arms, and one particularly brave one balances on her head. "Never would thought it of you, Shirou."
"Oh, shut up." With a slightly annoyed expression, he stands up; the puppy remains at his side loyally. "What about you, cuddling all those puppies? I would've thought Momo was over there, with all the noise you were making."
She scowls. "Oh, shut up." Turns her attention to the puppy by his feet. "Who's this?" She gently places the two puppies in her hands in their cage, then the one between her arms, then plucks the two from her feet and deposit them with their littermates, and finally sets the brave puppy from her head to the cage, and gently shuts the latch, smiling softly all the while. Toushirou watches her closely.
"I never knew you liked animals," again he kneels to pet the puppy by his feet, but his eyes never leave her face.
"I usually don't…they're too furry for me. I mean, look at my uniform now! It's covered in fur!" She impatiently bats at her clothes, sending some of the hair drifting to the ground. "But…there's something about young animals that's so…innocent. Utterly, totally kind, that reminds me of Yu." At this she has to blink tears away, remembering her sister that was lost so cruelly, and has yet to be found.
He gives her a moment to compose herself before saying, "We'll find her."
She clears her throat and smiles shakily, "I hope so."
They turn to go, but a small whimper makes them turn back. The gray dog looks at them with pleading eyes. Karin turns to Toushirou. "What do you think?"
"No. No way in hell." Resolute, he shakes his head determinedly, crossing his arms once more.
"Oh, come on, Shirou. Have a heart. How can you look at those eyes and say no?"
XX
Damn those puppy eyes, is all Toushirou can think as the newest member of the Gotei 13 family attracts every. Single. Female. In squealing distance. Karin has already abandoned him, laughing hysterically, citing paperwork and not Toushirou's fury as an excuse to leave.
XX
Later that night, when she stops by his office to check on the dog. When he tells her, rather nonchalantly, what the new name is, she pauses in her cuddling. Shinyou. Faith.
"Thank you."
It's almost awkward, but he's seen the first time she went bankai, and nothing could be more awkward than that. She wraps her arms around his waist and presses her face into his chest; he, uncomfortably, settles his arms around her back.
It's almost awkward, but both can't help but enjoy it.
XX
They're so CUTE! Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
Review my darlings!