This is the fourth Chapter of At Your Service. I hope you all adore this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach

At Your Service

Chapter 4-The Turning Point

Karin woke up early the next day. She had gotten a lot of sleep, and there was only so much sleep her body would allow itself to have before it woke up. So, with nothing else to do, Karin decided to get up and get ready for the school.

She completed her morning rituals and then left a note on the kitchen table. It said that she was leaving for school early, which was actually a lie. In fact, she was just going to walk around and smother herself in solitude. That was her definition of relaxing.

Karin walked out of the house and down the street. The air was crisp and the sun had risen ever so slightly to where the day had been lit with the burning flames of the star, but also where dawn was not a far off memory. All in all, it was a beautiful morning.

She walked to her favorite place, the park. In the park the leaves were turning golden as a sign of the fall soon to come. Karin took a breath as she took in the sights. A smile graced her lips at the morning serenity.

Suddenly, the serenity was broken.

"Niko, come down" Karin heard a shrill voice say.

"Yeah, come down" she heard another voice say, a voice that was even more small and shriller than the one before.

Karin looked around her to see two children standing under a tree with worried faces. One a young boy, and the other a girl slighter younger than the boy. She decided to go see what the problem was.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked as she came over to them.

"Hey, Onee-chan, can you help get Niko out of the tree?" asked the little girl who was probably no older than 6.

"Yeah, please!" pleaded the young boy who, at close range, looked at least two years older than the girl.

Karin then focused on what they were worried for and looked up to the tree to see a little black kitten in the sea of green leaves.

"We weren't watching for a second and he ran up the tree" explained the boy, as the little girl continued to call for the kitten. Karin looked at her sympathetically.

Karin then sighed and looked up the tree.

"Alright, I think I can get him for you" proclaimed Karin. The children beamed at her.

"Really, Onee-chan?" they asked anxiously.

"Won't know unless you try" said Karin before stepping up to the tree.

Karin climbed up a limb, and then another, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Kurosaki?" Toushirou asked as he came from around a tree to see the soccer captain.

Karin looked down at him in surprise. He looked perfectly casual, with a jacket hung over his shoulder. Karin then glared at him.

"How I meet you in the weirdest places, I will never understand" she muttered before climbing closer the kitten. Toushirou stood as a bystander and watched.

"Here, Niko. Come here, boy" Karin whispered in a gentle voice as she held out her hand.

Toushirou was surprised to see her face actually kind and gentle. He was even more surprised by how much he enjoyed looking at it.

"Come on" Karin cooed. The kitten slowly crept closer to Karin until it was in arms length. Karin held the kitten in her arm as she was about to slowly make her way down to the ground. Then the unthinkable happened and a branch snapped underneath her weight.

Toushirou saw this and instantly ran, throwing his jacket on the ground.

"Kurosaki!" he shouted as he jumped into action.

Karin was still falling and by instinct she closed her eyes to brace herself, and as she did she held the kitten tighter to make sure that it wouldn't be affected by the impact. Everything stopped rising as Karin stopped falling. But it was strange, she didn't feel any pain. Actually, what she did feel wasn't pain, but it was firm. Karin then opened her eyes to see Toushirou's smirking face. Her eyes widened as she realized that he had caught her and that she was now in his arms.

Karin could feel a blush creep up her cheek at the proximity, but then she remembered the reason she nearly broke her bones in the first place. She looked down to the kitten in her arms that meowed curiously.

Toushirou, realizing that he might have been holding on to Karin a bit longer than necessary, let go of her and placed her on the cement paved ground.

Karin then walked over to the kids and handed them their kitten.

"Thanks, Onee-chan!" they thanked before running off.

Karin then turned to see Toushirou was walking off as well. Karin remembered she still had to thank him and chased after the boy.

"Toushirou!" she called. Toushirou stopped and turned around so she could catch up.

"What's up, Kurosaki?" he asked as she caught her breath, which was fairly quick for her.

"I just wanted to thank you, for catching me like that" she thanked.

"It was no big deal" he replied.

"Well, it was to me. If you hadn't had caught me I might have broken a leg or an arm" explained Karin. She was at least grateful for that, because if he would have let her fall, she could have broken her leg and would've had to give up soccer for the year. And if there was anything she wasn't doing, it was giving up soccer.

"Like I said, it was no big deal" he stated.

"Yeah, I guess" agreed Karin. It was weird for her, because for the first time, she didn't feel like glaring at him or insulting him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Sure" responded Karin.

"What were you doing out there so early in the morning?" he asked.

"I woke up early so I decided to take a solitary walk, it's relaxing" she answered.

"I see…" said Toushirou nodding.

"What about you?" asked Karin.

"Going to work" he replied.

"Oh yeah" said Karin, then her stomach had growled loudly and Karin immediately covered her stomach, hoping Toushirou wouldn't notice. No such luck.

"Let me guess, you left so early that you didn't eat breakfast" he stated with a smirk on his face.

"So what if I didn't?" asked Karin hostilely, but for some reason it didn't sound as hostile as before.

It was a silent for a little while, before Karin decided it was no longer necessary to walk beside him when they had made it to the Bleach Café. She was about to turn and walk away, but then Toushirou suddenly put his hand on her shoulder. Karin looked at him, surprised.

"Come on, you're breakfast is on me" he said before they both walked in.

"You don't have to Toushirou, I'll be fine" reasoned Karin, not wanting to trouble him after he sort of saved her life.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's hard to survive the day without it" was all he said before disappearing behind the back door.

Karin watched him go before looking around at the café. It was empty. It felt oddly relaxing, when it was empty like this.

Soon, Toushirou came back out with his uniform on. Karin watched as he strode over to her. As he stood in front of her, he took out a notebook and a pen.

"Hello, I'm Hitsugaya Toushirou and I will be your server for today" he repeated.

Karin couldn't stop herself from giggling at his antics.

"Hey, it's a part of my job" He said nonchalantly before sitting down at an empty table.

"Why do you work here?" asked Karin as she sat down across from him.

"Because my uncle is the manager, and he says I have to pay my own weight if I'm going to live in his house" said Toushirou. They both then heard a ding from the back room.

Toushirou got up from the table and went into the back room before coming out with two plates, both filled with French toast and syrup on the side, and with two cups.

"Breakfast is served" he announced.

He set the plates down and handed her the cup that was warm.

"Coffee?" Karin asked.

"Heavy on the cream" he replied as he sat down across from her with his own cup of coffee.

"Thank you" she said as she took a sip.

"No big deal" he answered.

"No, really. Thank you for everything" she said with a gentle tone.

"Your welcome" he said before they started eating.

And as they ate, Karin could think of some things that were more serene, but nothing that felt nearly as nice as sitting with Toushirou in such an atmosphere.

Well that was the fourth chapter of At Your Service. I hope you all loved it. Please review.