This is the second update of this week... hope you enjoy it... I'm going to update this fic faster from now on.. just feel excited about the Torin Awards and I want to get it done. And this is the news for you guys XD
SHIROUchan99 and Nokas-Kokas. Slacking101 are organizing the 2008 Torin Awards! You can vote for your favorite HitsuKarin fics in 13 different categories, and the winners will be announced on July 30th. The URL for the forum is www. fanfiction. net /forum/TheAnnualTorinAwardForum/49024/ You can copy and paste but don't forget to take the space out.. I can't post the URL in this, so it had to be this way.. So go check it out XD There are many great HitsuKarin fics there. And also SHIROUchan99 has a poll on her homepage where you can vote for possible hosts, so check that out too XD If you have any questions, send them to SHIROUchan99 or Nokas-Kokas. Slacking101...don't forget to vote. XD This will be fun for us, HitsuKarin fans... Okay, better get on with the story...
'This can't be happening' Toushiro thought as he was walking with Matsumoto. He needed time to think, he had to think. Did this change everything between them? His mind was racing that he had to stop and took a few deep breathe to calm himself.
"Taicho, what's wrong?" Matsumoto asked her captain when she saw that he stopped walking.
"Nothing," He said but his face told her differently.
She knew this was a sign telling her to drop it and she would if she was someone else. Who wouldn't fear his wrath? But they were more than just captain and lieutenant now, they were comrade, friends, and she considered him as a younger brother that she had never had.
"Taicho, what's bothering you?" She asked again trying to look serious this time.
"I don't know." He said then sighed.
Matsumoto knew he was lying. It was just too strange that he didn't yell at her or tell her to do something else. This is the first time that he acted like this when she asked him about this his personal life. She wasn't shocked to find him with Karin though. She could say that it was about time that he knew the truth, because she didn't believe that someone like Karin would be a cheater too. The moment she woke up in the morning and found that he wasn't on the bed, she knew that he would be at Kurosaki residence and that was why she decided to follow him. Well, it wasn't her intention to follow him actually, she went there to tell him that the senkai gate was opened and Hinamori was on the way here. And she heard everything when she was hiding and waiting for the right time to break the news to her captain. Oh boy, what was he going to do now that he knew the truth?
"We should go now," He said, interupting her thought, and started walking away. "And forget about this Matsumoto."
"But taich-" She was about to call him when she felt a familiar reiatsu from somewhere. She remembered this reiatsu very well. It belonged to her childhood best friends, Gin Ichimaru.
"Taicho" She called her captain softly from behind, hoping that he could confirm it.
"What is it?" He asked, obviously annoyed with her questions.
"Do you feel anything?"
Toushiro nodded. Now that his lieutenant mentioned it, he had been sensing this familiar reiatsu for awhile since the day they got back from the Soul Society. Even when he was fighting the arrancar yesterday, he still felt it. However he knew they couldn't do anything about this; it was too weak to be located and it seemed like Gin didn't want to be found. That was why he didn't go look for Gin. He knew Gin would show up when he wanted to, and he would deal with him later.
"There is nothing we can do," He told her softly while looking at her. He knew how she felt. They had been through tough time together, but he knew she felt much worse than him when Gin chose to go with Aizen and betrayed the Soul society. "Let's go Matsumoto."
...
Hinamori was standing next to the senkai gate when they arrived. Toushiro broke into a grin when he saw her, his confusion faded for a second.
"Shiro-chan" She exclaimed and ran towards him.
He scooped her up before spun her around once before setting her down in front of him.
"Hi," He said leaning down to kiss her. He almost sighed out loud. amazed as always that her presence could make him feel safe and calm him. "We should go."
It took them about fifteen minutes to walk back to Orihime's place. However, when they opened the door, both Toushiro and Matsumoto had the shock of their lives when they found that Karin had been waiting in the living room.
Karin was shocked to find both Toushiro and Matsumoto came back so early, she thought that they were off fighting an arrancar or something. Her smiled faded completely when she saw that Toushiro came back with a girl she didn't know.
Toushiro's smile falters for a second he looked at Karin. He didn't think that she would be her waiting for him.
Karin couldn't move, she stared at them for a second before Orihima came into the room.
Toushiro kept his eyes on Hinamori, sinking into the comforting feeling that she always gave him. He watched her face harden for a second as her gaze moved to Karin before a grin spread across her face. And it was so quick that he doubted that anyone had seen it besides him.
"Hi," Hinamori said, moving forward. "I think we have never met. I'm Hinamori."
"I'm Karin," Karin replied smiling back. "Ichigo's sister."
The girls continued talking after that. Matsumoto let out the breath that she had been holding since seeing Karin at Orihime's place. She hadn't thought to tell her that Hinamori was coming because she didn't realize that it would matter until this morning. 'Timing is everything I guess.' She thought to herself before looking at her captain, who stood back, as though afraid to enter the conversation. She watched the girls talk, all politeness and smiles, and she said a quick prayer of thanks that Karin had grown up and didn't react badly.
"Hitsugaya taicho," Orihime called Toushiro sweetly. "I already prepared a place for Hinamori, I'm sure she must be tired."
Toushiro's head jerked at this, it was as if he hadn't been paying attention to the whole conversation.
"Err.. Okay, thank you." He said and led Hinamori from the room.
"Nice to meet you Karin, Orihime." Hinamori said as she walked out following Toushiro. Karin stared at the door for a minute before turning to look at Matsumoto. Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back and walked pass her and out the back door. Matsumoto frowned at this.
"Karin-chan, wait!"
...
Toushiro let Hinamori to the room next to Orihime's bedroom. As soon as he closed the door, Hinamori immediately asked him.
"So, that was Karin," She said as she moved to sit on the bed.
"Yeah," He replied, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "That was Karin."
"Are you okay Shiro-chan?" She asked looking at him worriedly.
"I'm fine, I feel much better now that you are here."
"Has it been horrible?"
"Part of it," He replied when his mind filling with the images of Karin. It was weird that he was content when he saw Hinamori, but as soon as he thought about Karin, he suddenlt felt sick. He tried to push his thoughts back, but it just didn't go away.
"Hinamori, You must be tired. You can lie down if you want. I'm going outside with Matsumoto." He smiled and said before leaving the room.
...
Toushiro found Karin at the soccer field. He hadn't been looking for her but the soccer field seemed like a good place to think, and apparently Karin thought the same. She was sitting on the ground with her back to him staring at the sky. For a second he thought about walking back but instead he chose to walk and sat down besides her. And the just sat together looking at the sky. He wasn't sure what to say to her so he didn't say anything, and Karin didn't seem to mind the silence, so he just sat there next to her and lost in his own thoughts. He felt terrible, and he knew he needed to apologize to her, but he didn't know what for.
"Who is she?" Karin finally asked not bother to look at him. She knew who Hinamori was from Matsumoto, but she just wanted to hear it from him.
"She is my best friend, The one that I talked about when we were together." He replied looking over at her for a second.
As they talk, they did't look at each other. It almost like they were listening to the conversation and not participting in it. Toushiro was telling her about Hinamori; how she took care of him and stayed with him while he recovered in the Soul Society. She fell silent after he finsihed. This wasn't supposed to happen. It's true that part of her wanted to thank Hinamori for taking care of him, but the other part of her just broke at the realization that she had been helping him move on, helping him get over her.
"Do you love her?" She asked finally, and she didn't why she suddenly had a courage to ask this question.
Toushiro was quiet for a second. Love Hinamori? He didn't even know what he felt towards her was love. Yes, they were childhood friend and he cared about her deeply, but he had never asked himself that question.
"I think my answer is yes." He replied. It was the truth though. He knew he loved Hinamori somehow, he just didn't know if he ever loved her as a girl or a woman.
"So, what does this mean?" Karin asked softly, she didn't know how to feel about this. "I supposed we don't hate each other anymore."
Toushiro looked over her at this and she turned her head meeting his eyes. The sadness in her eyes hit him like a wave and he totally understood how she felt. He studied her for a second before answering.
"I guess we are friends. We will try to be friend again. I mean if you want that. That's all I can give you right now. We can't go back and change things. I don't know maybe it is better this way; we have a different lives Karin."
"I know, I didn't expect," She replied but her voice trailed off when she looked at him. "That we will be the same, and thank you Toushiro for telling me."
She gave him a sad smile.
"I'm sorry Karin." He said, feeling guilty. This was a nightmare for him too. He didn't expect this to happen between them.
"I'm really glad you are alright after the battle Toushiro, and yes, I would like to be your friend."
Toushiro studied her face and saw the truth of her words mixe with the sadness in her eyes.
"Thank you Karin." He said softly.
Karin repeated the word 'I would like to be your friend' silently in her mind. She had the uncomfortable feeling that she was lying because she didn't think she wanted to be just friend. She could handle hating him, being angry at him, but she honestly didn't know how it would work out if she could just be around him and not be with him.
"So, what about Hinamori?" She asked him again, pushing all her worried away and telling herself that everything would be fine.
"What about her?"
"Well, she doesn't like me Toushiro, I saw her face when we met."
"Oh that, I thought I'm the only person who saw it." He chuckled softly at this.
"Do you think she will be okay with us being friends?"
"I will tell her everything, don't worry."
--
I just want to show that Karin loves him, that was why she respects his decision. I make them grow up in this fic, so I suppose she will not be hot-tempered anymore.
I know it's heartbreaking... but they tell each other that they are friends right?... You will see if they really are or not in the next chaper...and just remind you all again... And again please review! :) You can tell me if it is too stressful... I will do something about it, I promise...This will be the last chapter for the heartbreaking moment between them
