I'm quick, huh?

Hope you enjoy today's chapter. And please know I don't own Bleach. I keep dreaming anyway.

In this chapter we have some of Karin's history. How she changed and why she isn't playing soccer anymore. But no spoilers, you'll see when you read.

CHAPTER 6

Karin frowned in confusion. „Why are we going to the park?"

„I need to check something out.", Hitsugaya answered, as if that explained everything.

She wasn't so pleased with the idea. Her friends got a soccer training around two and if they'd see her with a white haired guy... She didn't want to even think about it. Yuzu and dad probably would know about it in max three hours. The last thing she wanted was to lie to her family. Because she couldn't tell them about the whole shinigami business, could she?

She just had to avoid the soccer field. Piece of cake.

„You have some questions, I have some questions... So who'd go first?" She asked, when they weren't surrounded by people.

„We aren't playing a game." He reminded her, but when she started to open her mouth again, he changed his mind. „Tell me about your headaches."

Weird question, but again, the Madhatter probably told him everything already.

„I don't know what you want to know. There's not much to tell." She began, shifting her bag on her shoulder uncomfortably. „I got them since I can remember. A side effect of seeing annoying spirits, I guess." He just hummed in answer. „You should know I'm not usually such a wimp, but since some time ago it's just gotten worse."

He looked her dead in the eyes. „Define worse."

She scratched the back of her neck. „I don't know, like, you're brain's teared to shredds. But that's just for a moment," She added quickly, seeing his suprised expression. „When a Hollow is nearby. It's gone as long as I'm far enough from it. But I have a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

„I noticed."

Karin snorted. „You don't know the half of it. So, my turn. Do you know where my brother is right now?"

Hitsugaya noted absently, mind seemed to somwhere else. He considered for a moment whether to tell her the whole truth, and then decided for the least complicated answer. „He's in the Soul Society. It's–"

„I know what Soul Society is, more or less. When he's coming back?"

„Soon." Was all he said, not giving her much hope, but enough to wait a little longer for her brother.

He noticed her hands turning into fists, lips becoming a thin line. She didn't say anything, just nodded. Ichi-ni was just the type, not dependent to anyone, defining his own paths. And it wasn't Hitsugaya's fault that he didn't know much. Probably didn't even care enough to find out. She got it.

They didn't talk much about their private lives, just answering question in the shortest way possible. Karin tried to figure him out. She thought briefly how good he looked in normal clothes, but still she could guess he was a lot older than her. She noticed how his eyes drifted every time he saw something suspicious. How he tenced, when some kids two feet away talked thrash about his hair. She couldn't guess what he was thinking about, when he furrowed his brow.

There was also that one time, when he catched a freesbee flying straight into his face with one hand, not even looking in that direction. Karin's jaw dropped to the ground. With his beastly reflexes he'd be an awesome soccer player, she decided.

She forgot how close they were to the soccer field a little too late. Four boys was running in their direction, yelling and grining like idiots. When they surrounded her and Hitsugaya, she didn't have a chance to run away.

„Dammit." She muttered under her breath. Hitsugaya's brow rose in question. She shook her head.

„We were thinking you never show up, Kurosaki!" Heita Toujoin said. He was a boy with a a serious-like expression, big eyebrows and a hairstyle in which the edges were pointy. He always viewed Karin as their leader.

„If you'll stand us up again, I'll kick your ass." Ryohei Toba with short black hair on the sides and long, blonde hair on the top of his head crossed his arms, scowling at her.

Karin snorted, puffing her chest out. They gotta know who's the boss, otherwise they'd know something's not good going on with her. „Like you'd stand a chance, prick."

Rather than be offended, he gave her a ball, saying, „Oh yeah? You and me, now. Let's see who's better."

She frowned at the ball. It felt strangely nostalgic. She didn't remembered the last time she played. How long it have been?

„What, Kurosaki? Chickening out already?" Kei Uehara, the boy with afro and full lips teased. „When you were doing your girly stuff, we trained hard. Are you're scared we're better now?"

„Besides you're a girl." Kazuya Usaka added, correcting his glasses.

She finally remembered why she didn't hang out with them anymore. When she grew up a little, they started to see her as only boobs and ass. That was so annoying. She had enough of those perverts in school, looking for an ocassion to glance at her cleavage.

Being a girl had nothing to do with them being arrogant pricks. But she'd gladly show them what 'playing like a girl' meant in her dictionary.

She felt Hitsugaya tense beside her. He was so quiet she forgot about him. She saw his jaw tightening, brows furrowed at the four boys.

Well, she guessed he didn't like being around human teenagers, who acted like pricks no less. „It's okay if I go?" She asked to make sure he was okay with it. „It won't take long, then we can continue what we were doing, before those pricks interrupted."

She hoped he'd said no – it'd be enough of an exuse to go the hell outta there. But with strange glint in his turquise eyes, he only nodded stiffly and said, „Whatever you decide it's good with me."

„So you'll wait for me or...?"

„Yeah." He rasped, not taking his eyes off of the boys.

Then, the four backed off two feet away and started to whispering in a tight circle. Karin started to think they really finaly lost it. They acted exactly like four or five years ago, like a bunch of kids. Was she the only one who matured?

When they came back, they looked nervous. Ryohei asked first, pointing a thumb in Hitsugaya's direction, „So he's your boyfriend, yeah? That's why you don't play with us anymore?"

I don't play with you, because even now you can't stop staring at my short skirt, you dumbass.

„Actually, he's..."

„Does he even know how to play soccer?" Kei Ueheara said, eeying white haired boy with doubt. „He's a pretty boy, Kurosaki. Why do you like him anyway, if he can't play? For me he looks like he's spending his free time at hairdresser's or doing his mani-pedi."

Like you're the one to talk, she thought furious.

„And his hair look kinda fake."

Karin had enough. One thing when they talk shit about her, because she knew them her whole life. But throwing shit at Hitsugaya's face... That's a whole diffrent story.

„One, those awesome hair are fucking real. I know, I checked. Two, think before you open your mouth, you fucking pricks. The guy saved my life and you talk about him as if he wasn't even here. And he's got very good ear, for your information. Besides, I never forgive you talking shit about my friends ever again, got it?"

The four boys crouched and began to apologize with their heads down, but Hitsugaya interupted them by raising his hand.

He looked irrated, but kept his composure – Karin could tell. He raised his eyebrows and said, „What's so difficult in soccer?"

That's it, Karin thought. That's the worst thing he could say. Now Karin didn't shirk them out of it.

"You're on, pretty boy!" Ryohei smiled.

As he said, soccer was easy. After Karin's fourth and his fifth goal, he thought about ending it. It wasn't fair anymore. The four boys were nearly falling to the ground, where he didn't even broke a sweat. Karin on the other hand seemed tired, so he decided to end it.

„Go, Toshiro!"

He nearly choked, when Karin said his first name like he won already. He passed her the ball and she raised her eyebrows.

„It's your victory." He said simply.

She grinned and with her last final blow the ball flew past the afro boy's head and ened in the goal.

The four boys stood speachless and Hitsugaya noted with a sigh that's because when Karin kicked the ball, her skirt pulled up showing a little too much thigh. He considered telling her that thirty minutes earlier, when they started a match, but decided against it. It wasn't his busness and she was old enough to know, when not to play soccer in a short skirt with a bunch of hormonal teenage boys drooling at the mere sight of her.

And the most irrating things was that only he seemed to notice. She was either so oblivious or just didn't care. Hitsugaya couldn't guess wich one.

He smirked watching Karin's awkward victory dance. He'd never understand the idea of sports, but he always liked competitions. Well, the fair ones, when he could prove his worth. This match was hardly fair, to be honest.

But Karin seemed to think otherwise, as she threw her hands on his neck.

He was taken aback, his arms stiff at his sides, his muscles tensing. He hardly deserved any graditude at all, especially not that kind. He didn't do anything special, she would won even by herself.

Karin quickly backed off, sensing his nervousness. „Thanks." She murmured, so only he could hear, her minty breath fanning his face. One last time she smiled in his direction, before turning to the boys, who called themselves her friends.

„Who's playing like a girl now?" She shouted with satisfaction. „You guys were probably lazing your asses off at the trainings. Maybe in three or four years you'll catch up to me and Toshiro. Good luck with that!"

Ignoring their whinning and protests, she turned around and walked off. Toshiro followed.

„So," She said finally, not looking him directly at the eye. „You were cool back there."

Hitsugaya found it funny she was using the world 'cool' to desribe a captain with ice powers.

„Hardly. You could've won without me."

She snorted. „Probably. It's easy to win, when their staring at your ass half the time." His adam's apple bobbled involuntary. So she knew it all along. „That's why I don't hang out with them anymore. I don't know when they became such douchebags. And sorry for what they said about you."

Huh, he almost forgot about that. „It wasn't your fault. Like you said, you can't control what they're saying."

„Yeah. But knowing them all your life does things to your brain. It was funny, when we were younger, but now... they didn't change. They don't want to change, you know?"

„I know." He assured grimly. Oh, how he knew what it felt like to have your close friend, who don't want to change her beliefs about something, even if her life depended on it.

Karin cleared her throat, feeling him tense again. He did that a lot, she noticed. „So how come you're so good at soccer, if you never played it?"

„I never said I didn't played it. In Seiretei we have this game, which resembles your soccer. The rules are basically the same."

„So you play a lot in that game, then?"

He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. „Never."

Her eyes went wide. „Who are you, golden boy? Knowing how to play soccer without even playing it?"

With a sudden surge of arrogance, he shrugged nonchalantly, saying, „A gift."

Karin laughed, holding on his shoulder. With the corner of his eyes, he saw her smile long after she stopped laughing. He smirked satisfied to himself.

Even after she waved him goodbye, her laugh was still ringing in his ears.

Maybe it was a good decision, after all. To talk to her. At least for a while he could enjoy the World of the Living as Matsumoto suggested. Even their little enqounter with Karin's childhood friends wasn't that bad. He enjoyed it when Karin was ready to beat the shit out of them for insulting him. And she even hugged him – something that still bothered him for no reason.

But then again, he was supossed to focus on a mssion and Karin clearly was a part of it. How could he forget that even for a second? He won't make this mistake again.

I always wondered why Hitsugaya never corrected Karin and her friends in calling him by his first name in that episode. I guess when no one (meaning: other shinigami) could hear it, he liked when Hinamori called him Shiro-chan and Karin - Toshiro. Just my thoughts. What do you think?

If you have some thoughts on this chapter or the whole story, review anytime you want. I'd like some good reviews, especially because I don't know if you all liked the path this story took.

Speciall thanks goes to Sakura Chara. Her review motivated me to end this chapter and post it today. Thanks again ^.^