Thank goodness my semester is over!

The LOVE that bleached FIRE and ICE

An arrangement made at birth finds Karin and Toshiro married to one another. But maybe this might possibly be a good thing…and maybe this might possibly be love. AU KKxTH slight MHxSA

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

AU Warning: Characters can and will appear OOC.


Terminology:

Edo: Trans. "estuary;" the original name for Tokyo; the name changed when it became the imperial capital in 1868.

Irori: Japanese fireplace. Sometimes appears as a pit in the middle of a traditional Japanese home's floor or is a kettle suspended from a chain attached to the ceiling.

"I don't know what to think anymore,": An actual Hinamori quote from the Bleach universe.

Kachan and Tochan: Trans. "mother" and "father". The use of these terms connotes a sense of closeness between Toshirou and his parents.

Kagutsuchi-no-Kami: The Japanese god of Fire.

Kenchinjiru: A Japanese clear soup with lots of vegetable and tofu. It's good to add various mushrooms and other kinds of potatoes too.

"… remember this. There are two types of fights...":An actual quote of Ukitake's from Bleach. Originally said to Rukia the night of Kaien's death and slightly modified.

Tsuyu: A soya-based dipping sauce added to soba noodles before serving.

Zaisu: A legless chair.


Upon the night that Karin is finally starting to realize her feelings for Toshirou, they return home to the burning Ugendo Estate. In a state of desperation to find Momo, Toshirou encounters Aizen and Gin who admit to being the ones behind burning the house and reveal their quest to own the paper mill and "stand over Japan." Karin, meanwhile, rushes into the burning to save Hyorinmaru and Sogyo no Kotowari. She escapes, but not without damage.


Ice and fire. Never

can they mix. In steam, I float

above to find you.

The BLEACHING EFFECT

"…Her right palm, left fingertips, and the sole of her right foot have first and second-degree burns." The Kuchiki doctor, Retsu Unohana, said calmly, folding her hands demurely in front of her. "Her lungs are also full of smoke; she may experience some respiratory problems for a while. Hitsugaya-chan must not do much strenuous activity."

Toshirou nodded numbly. One of the physician's gentle hands floated to rest on his shoulder. "Hitsugaya-san, Kagutsuchi-no-Kami was very kind to her. It may take the winter for her to heal, but I can assure you she will be fine…"

The room gradually flooded with bright light; Toshirou could now see everything inside of the bedroom-turned-infirmary. The sun illuminated the paper screens and he was surrounded by the images of crimson roses in bloom. The Kuchiki Manor was finally silent, him being the only one still awake.

Dawn. He honestly could not believe that he was seeing it again. It felt like he had been through Hell twice in the past few hours. His body was exhausted, but he wouldn't sleep yet.

He could not sleep yet.

"Ugendo…is i-in ashes." That was what a teary-eyed Matsumoto said upon arriving to the manor hours after he left. "We couldn't save it…only the guardians are left. I'm really sorry, Taicho."

Momo was…safe. In the servants' first attempt to contain the fire, a few brave ones had entered the burning house. She had been found unconscious and removed from the den where the fire was most widespread. In the chaos of the burning estate, she had been placed in one of the servants' houses and forgotten until the very end. Now, she slept in another room with a bandage under her left eye and some smoke in her lungs.

He was relieved at the fact that she was safe…

But he still had questions—about Aizen, about Ugendo. And she was the only one who could answer them.

And the mill…he didn't know anything about the mill.

And Karin.

He looked down at the tiny bed she slept in alone, the one she was placed in when he had returned to the Kuchiki Manor and the one he stood over as he waited for the doctor to arrive. Karin, her destroyed irojumi replaced with one of Rukia's kimonos, slept in a tight ball. She never uncoiled or stirred; the white gauze of her bandaged hands and foot peeked from under the blankets. The only clue that made Unohana-san's assurances true was the soft rise and fall of her chest.

His hand moved impulsively, touching her downy baby hairs and moving into the greater mass of her longer strands. It was his unfulfilled hope that his touch would smooth her furrowed brow.

Toshirou eyes grew cold as the now wiry ends of her black hair slipped through his fingers. From halfway down her back to its tips, it was singed, the last visible and lingering touch of the fire on her body. As his fingers combed through the charred ends, he felt like it was a reminder of how he failed to keep her safe.

Karin wasn't a vain person; her having or not having hair did not affect her. But he knew that it went beyond vanity…

"We all used to cry a lot when we were younger, even Ichi-nii. But we always smiled when we saw our mom. We were everything for each other. I remember she used to let me curl up in her lap and smooth my hair whenever I was upset. And it was long, so she would be there forever, just smoothing it. I think I used to think the longer it was, the more time I would have her to myself…"

That's what she had said that one night they spent talking about their parents.

From where they stood between the two bedroom windows, Hyorinmaru's and Sogyo no Kotowari's blades gleamed in the growing sunlight. They and the pictures were the only things left. They were infinitely important to him now; he couldn't imagine them being lost to him now. But he felt that if he had been asked to trade between them and Karin being safe from the fire, he would have parted with them willingly.

Karin was…special to him. It was hard to put into words how or when exactly he started to feel this way, but he had never been unsure of his feelings and decisions before and this time was no different. In a few short months, he had gone from not wanting to be in the same room with her to always seeking her and her opinion. Losing a zanpakuto was not so unbearable if it meant she didn't feel like she had to risk going into a fire for him. Or if it meant that he didn't have to see a tear fall from her eye…

It was only a few hours ago that he realized that when Karin cried, it was with the emotion of losing a loved one.

With bloodshot eyes, he continued to comb his fingers through her hair.

And he thought.


"My men speculate that the fire to the mill begun early this morning. Its epicenter was a smaller storage house and had spread to five buildings before the fire department arrived. The overall damage to the compound, however, is minor." Yoruichi said.

"Looking at Hitsugaya-sama's report, the other American taicho, Kaname Tousen, was not at Ugendo at the time and despite the descriptions of his visual handicap, I am considering him to be our prime suspect in the incident." She looked up from her paper.

Rukia and Ichigo nodded from their places across the table of the Kuchki Manor's meeting room. They refrained from bringing their cups of tea to their lips. Their meeting with the police captain, despite their exhaustion, was on Hitsugaya's behalf; they had only been too willing to let Toshirou and Matsumoto finally rest. Byakuya sat off to the side in his own official garb, holding a swaddled baby Kin in his arms. The baby's eyes were closed shut and his cheeks puffed adorably.

"We have begun a search, but so far, we have not been able to find any trace of the three suspects. It's possible they've have hidden themselves in another district of Sereiteri or have manage to escape Karakura in the confusion." Her eyes drunk in Ichigo's hand tightening around his disregarded cup. "If that is true, it will be a very long process before we can prosecute Gin Ichimaru. And because Aizen and Tousen are not Nipponese, we may not be able to do anything at all."

"And then what? They're able to go off and go back to where they came from?" Ichigo's voice was heavy with anger.

"It is a possibility, Kurosaki-san."

He looked up at the police captain with angry brown eyes. "My sister and Toshirou's cousin got hurt in that fire! The Onmitsukido didn't do anything when they first arrived; now they're not even going to protect the people of this han from those bastards?"

Byakuya looked over at the strawberry-head and then at the bundle in his arms. Kin yawned sleepily, his mouth suckling the air. He was indifferent to his brother-in-law's anger.

The commander of the Onmitsukido didn't bat an eyelash at his hollow ramblings.

"Ichigo," Rukia's eyes snapped over to her husband, "you're not being fair. Everyone was fooled by the taichos and this Ichimaru person. Toshirou-san feels the worst about what happened: he had had suspicions about them all along, but was unable to act on them until it was too late. But he's put his confidence in the Onmitsukido; we should try to do the same." He made a move to say something else, but nothing came out. His body relaxed slightly, an indicator that her words had worked on him.

"But what I can't understand why is Aizen needs the mill." She continued to muse. "How does it play into him 'standing over Japan'?"

"We have our suspicions…"

"Books and papers." Byakuya said, his soft, yet powerful voice attracting the attention of everyone in the room. He looked up from the sleeping baby. "In Japan, books and papers are used more than swords to influence, to educate, to spread ideas, to establish law. It must be the same in America, too. To control these things enable that person to spread his thoughts and mission as far as five han; he could surely find people who will follow him.

"It is important that that person does not gain such power not merely to rectify the situation, but for the pride of Japan itself." The Kuchiki heir stood and floated to the door. He turned back from the paper screen of blooming sakura branches and looked at the rest of the party. "It is time for Kin's nap; I shall put him to sleep as you three continue conversing."


Momo's head shook furiously, the tears on her face falling freely now. "No, please don't! Please don't kill Aizen, Shiro-chan!" She began to wipe the flood of tears falling from her eyes, her fingers gingerly over the gauzed cut.

Toshirou looked down at his older cousin. Despite all the sleep she had had, there were dark bags under her eyes and she was shaking slightly as if she was cold despite the warmth in the guestroom. Her fingers gripped the sleeves of the periwinkle kimono given to her.

It had been too early to tell her his ambitions; but now that he had said it, there was no way he would take his words back. Part of him felt bad about talking to her when she was still distressed.

However, it was another part of him that made him turn from her and towards the window. He didn't want her to see any traces of disgust that may have been on his face.

She painfully lifted her body from her covers, and bowed, her forehead pressing against the futon. "I beg you, please!"

He closed his green eyes, his face set in a grim line. "Sosuke Aizen is responsible for last night, Momo."

She didn't lift herself from the top of her futon. Her hair cloth swayed from side to side as she shook her head. "No, no, no, he couldn't have done that. He wouldn't have—"

"He did. He told me himself."

Her head lifted, tears falling from her puffy and swollen red eyes. She hiccupped. "Please, Shiro-chan? Please don't kill Aizen…he couldn't have done those things. I-i-it was that man, Gin Ichimaru! He said he did something to the mill… H-h-he's manipulating Aizen! Aizen is too kind…and nice…to have done anything…"

Toshirou looked over at her. Momo's chest was starting to heave; the smoke in her lungs was finally getting to her. It was still too early for her to be talking for so long, let alone screaming. He couldn't bring himself to comfort her however—not when she was acting like this.

"He left you for dead and…I hold him responsible for what happened to Karin. His fire almost killed Karin, Momo."

"It wasn't his fault!" She began to cough violently. Her hands branched out and began to hit him, her small fists beating against his shoulders and chest, lessening in spite of her growing fury. She was done playing nice, but her energy quickly fleeted; she was still too weak to do anything more.

Toshirou gently but firmly held her wrists, restraining her; his were cold as ever. "You need to sleep. I'll call Hanataro-kun to bring you your sedative." He helped her under her futon, making her comfortable once again.

"Shiro-chan," Momo said as he walked over to the door, his gray kimono rustling with his footsteps, "please. I-I don't know what to think anymore. But I love Aizen. It's not possible-he couldn't have done that."

He paused and turned back to her. He wiped the look of surprise off his face from her confession and replaced it with one of ice. Momo clenched her eyes shut at his indifference and shame in her words, tears coming from her fringe of eyelashes and sliding down her face once more. She looked helpless wrapped up in her bedcovers.

Without another word, Toshirou left the room.


Kyoraku followed the baozi with a gulp of sake. "If Jushirou were here, I'm sure he'd be happier to know everyone survived the fire, even if the Ugendo compound itself didn't."

Toshirou nodded his head in agreement. The two were in Toshirou's small guest room in the Kuchiki Manor. As the sky had changed from buttermilk yellow of the morning to milky-gray of late afternoon, his sensei had arrived to the manor asking to see Toshirou. Now they sat on the floor, Kyoraku drinking the sake he brought and Toshirou leaving his own cup untouched.

"I arrived the same time as Karin's father and sister, but decided not to go into her room with them. In this moment when hearts are the heaviest, family comes before friends…" He mused.

He looked at Toshirou's hand clenched in anger. He put his sake cup away for a moment; the air was making it thick to the tongue and heavy in the belly.

"But, ano, there's a reason why I am here today. But first…" He straightened up, opened the bedroom door, and stuck his head out. "Ah, please come in now. I'm ready for you."

Toshirou watched as a young man entered the room. The pale yellow hair, the shape of his face, he seemed kind of familiar… And then it clicked. Toshirou made a motion to move, incensed at the sight of that man. That man that broke into his home that night. His teeth grit as his hand balled into a fist.

Shunsui's hand held him back. "Chotto matte, Toshirou-kun. It's not like you to be so rash. You've already given him a black eye; there's no need for another."

"I'm sorry!" The new man fell to the floor, bowing in supplication. His forehead pressed into the tatami mat. "I'm sorry!"

Kyoraku sighed. "Yare, ya-re, Kira-tan." He grabbed the blond's back and straightened him up. "Please explain to Toshirou-kun before you apologize."

The man's head nodded. "Uh, hai. My name is Izuru Kira and I am of Sereiteri's third district. I am…was... a friend of Gin Ichimaru's. We met about a year ago.

"I wish to be a doctor, and though my family is very affluent, I desire to pay for my education on my own. When I met Gin, he told me of a way to pay for my apprenticeship. A taicho needed someone to write for him and promised to pay well. I was surprised to know that the taicho was from the Black Ships…but Gin coaxed me. I agreed.

"I met…Momo-chan that way," his eyes flashed over to her cousin, unsure if he was allowed to use her name. Toshirou did not interrupt, so he continued.

"At first, everything was fine. Aizen appeared to be a calm, kind man. Gin followed him without hesitation; it convinced me of the power of Aizen's patience and charismatic nature. I willingly provided the things they needed: kimonos for Gin, carriages, letters… Every few days, I would write the letter for Aizen with Gin translating and send them to Momo-chan myself.

"But things became strange… It was Momo-chan's relationship with him. I began to notice her attraction to him and was…happy…for her. But the nature of their courtship was strange to me. I began to think, 'If Aizen is courting Momo-chan, why hasn't he asked her cousin for permission to see her?' and 'Aizen will return to America soon, does he plan to take her with him?'

"When it became clear that Aizen did not plan to do such things, more things came to light. His eyes, at times, held a trace of something…sinister. And, when I returned to them from visiting Ugendo, Gin began to ask questions about your home—detailed questions. Things were too strange and I began to suspect foul play. I wanted to warn Momo-chan, but I feared she would not believe me and push me away. Who would have…looked after her then?"

Toshirou couldn't miss the emotion in his voice when he said that. Kyoraku's eyebrow lifted lazily as he chewed another baozi; he heard it, too.

But if Kira noticed the change in air around him, he ignored it. "I thought it would be strange if I simply made myself known to you with my feelings without evidence, so I came up with the plan to leave you a note of warning…but I did not think that through." He dropped his head again, but not with the earlier franticness, "I ask you for your forgiveness."

The room fell to silence. Toshirou looked at the man bowing towards him with wide eyes. Kira's body shook silently in nervousness.

"Well, Toshirou-kun?" Kyoraku prompted him in the otherwise silent room.

The white-haired boy nodded. "Ah. I accept your apology. Arigato." He lapsed into silence once again. Then,"Kira-san. Do you…know where Aizen is?"

Kira's eyes lowered; he didn't.

"That is the reason I am here." Kyoraku polished off his sake and lifted one finger in the air. He opened one eye lazily and stared at the two younger men. "I am about to tell you something important; what I say cannot leave this room. Yama-jii has made a dangerous decision and if what I say goes out of this room and we should be find out, we all may be dealt the worst punishment by the shogun himself.

"Yama-jii has decided to go against the decisions of the empire itself in regards to the Americans. He plans for a small group of men to make their way to Nagasaki and drive the Americans from Japan. We are to move in secret through the Garganta Pass from Edo to the coast. As the journey occurs, we are to spread the news of our intention in hopes that more men will join the effort. I have been asked to lead the group.

"Kira-tan, you would know more about the red-haired men than any other Nipponese. Your knowledge about them would be immense. And…Toshiro-kun, I would like to put your skills to good use. To have my old apprentice fight by my side would make me feel better…my wonderful Nanao-chan would be less worried about me at the very least."

He stood and looked down, the fancy kimono on his shoulders sweeping the floor slightly; Kira stood too, albeit more clumsily than the ronin. "You do not have to decide immediately; I know there are things that could keep you from joining me." He motioned to the door, intent on visiting the sleeping Hitsugaya and Hinamori-chan before he left.

"I shall return a few days from now. But, ne, Toshirou-kun," Hitsugaya's glance up into the kind face of his teacher, "it would be a waste to not use Hyorinmaru, especially when she tried so hard to get it back."


"Shiro-chan, remember this. There are two types of fights. Whenever we are in battle, we must be one of the two. The fight for life or…the fight for pride! When a man fights…He is fighting for his pride! His wife's pride…his men's pride… Most importantly…his own personal pride. Dismiss this as stubbornness…but there will be times when fights are like this…"


For the first time in two days, Toshirou stopped sharpening Hyorinmaru. The sound of the sword's metallic ringing faded away and sounds of the irori's fire took over.

Karin was standing at the door of the guest room and staring at him. She was dressed in another borrowed kimono and her bandages looked new, telltale signs that she had been awake for awhile. He mildly wondered why he hadn't been told anything the moment she awoke, but did not pursue the thought; he figured she was behind it. His green eyes watched her walk towards him, the ginger amount of pressure she placed on her bandaged foot for every other step. "Domo," she said when she was close enough to him.

"Domo," the tension and panic built upon his chest lifted and his hands sheathed the katana and placed it on the corner of the bed. Seeing her asleep for so long and now awake were two elementally different things. She was still a bit pale but the same: the bridge of her nose, the shape of her cheek, her eyes and lips, her h—

"Do you like it?" The fingers of her good hand briefly, nervously combed through her ink-black strands. The familiar but damaged mane had been cut just a little bit past her shoulders. He watched her fingers half-comb, half-pull the shorter locks that swept over her left eye and traveled down, mussing her tips into fly-away strands. "Matsumoto cut it for me."

His hand swept from the roots to the tips, feeling the warmth of her skin and tangled locks. He nodded, acquiescing himself to the change.

"Did you sleep well?"

She nodded minutely. "Mm-hmm…I even dreamt a little."

"About what?"

"…My mom…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes avoided his, but her tone didn't make it sound unpleasant.

They fell into silence for a moment, his hand still entangled in the tips of her hair, his eyes focused on her face.

She finally met his gaze. "She told me about Ugendo and Momo…and Aizen." His hand dropped. "And she told me about what you're doing." He lowered himself to the bed and she followed. Their eyes stared ahead at the black and purple-winged butterflies on the paper screens. "When were you going to leave?" The accusing tone he was expecting was almost absent, buried deep underneath her words.

"After you awoke. I planned on telling you myself." Since Kyoraku-sensei's visit, he had spent his time revitalizing Hyorinmaru's dull edge and deciding his course of action. There was no denying that he wanted to go but he decided to wait for her; Toshirou felt it was his responsibility to let her know of his intentions. He would then travel down Garganta himself and meet with his sensei, Kira-san, and any other men who decided to join in another town on the way.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Karin pick at the ragged edge of a piece of gauze wrapped around her hand. The air between them wasn't necessarily heavy and tense between them; it felt more like what happened when a few drops of water touched a fire's flames. He listened to the slight wheeze in her breath, detecting the smell of kenchinjiru from the air of her mouth. The red etchings on the off-white yukata she wore resembled honeycombs and caught his eye against the light blue pattern of his own loaned kimono.

"I don't want you to go after Aizen." There was a quiet rip as her fingers tore at more of the gauze. "I know why you want to, but… I know Momo has her reasons—I do, too. I don't want you to fight for my honor. I chose to go inside Ugendo on my own. I wa—needed," rrrRRRiippp, "to get Hyorinmaru and Sogyo and the pictures for you." He waited for her lapse of silence to end, watching the servants beyond the room light the hallway candles. It had been their habit to call on him for dinner, but none ventured to walk inside and disturb the two.

"I didn't want you to know how it would feel to lose them after having them for so long." Her arm reached across him, grabbing the Zanpakuto and resting it on her lap. He eyed his katana in its sheath, the lacquer gleaming in the fire's light.

"Arigato," he said in acknowledgement. "But if they had been lost, Kachan and Tochan would have understood. They wouldn't have wanted those events to occur." He slipped her shorn tips between his fingers and held them up to her.

"It's just hair, Toshirou—it'll grow back."

He held up her bandaged hand and didn't fight when she slipped it out of his grasp.

"Matsumoto told me Unohana-san said I'll recover. Your parents gave you those swords and pictures; they're all you have left of them." Her bangs hid her eye from him, but he heard the firmness in her voice.

"My parents did not give me just Hyorinmaru and Sogyo no Kotowari. They and your parents gave us each other." His tongue ran over his teeth in his mouth; he was trying to build up to saying the only thing he had spent the last two days thinking about." And I promised them to protect you from harm…and care for you above all things." He brushed away her offending strands of hair; there was no way she could hide her face from him anymore. Heat radiated from her skin and imprinted itself on his hand.

"…You are very important to me, Karin."

He said the sentence with all intended, unspoken implications. He felt Karin go very still beside him and her hand grip the sheathed Hyorinmaru a little tighter; he wasn't sure if she was breathing but he knew that the weight of his words had sunken into her understanding.

Just as he thought she had somehow become frozen solid, he felt her move. Her gauzed hand pressed on his leg and she cringed a bit, probably feeling the pain the action had inspired. She stood only to near her face closer to his and rested her hands on his shoulders. Toshirou watched her stare at him, at the pucker between her eyebrows and the frustrated, half-disbelieving confusion that traced itself on the corners of her mouth. He held her eyes with the calmest expression he possessed, an echo of his sure, whole-hearted expression.

And then he closed them and let his lips seek hers for a kiss, sweet and slow.


Karin spent half the night waiting for the inevitable and listening to the deep, soft breathing coming from right beside her. After two days of sleeping and dreaming, she wasn't ready to go back again. And so, she stayed awake and the thought about two things.

She thought about him leaving. Karin knew what she had said to him; however, as steadfast as she was in her feelings, everything she said was with half-hearted intentions. Part of her knew that she really didn't want to stop Toshirou from leaving for Nagasaki. If it were her, she wouldn't want him to stop her and it was that realization alone that kept her from fighting against his decision. The dark-haired girl could only stand by her promise to take care of Matsumoto and Momo and to watch the mill.

But what she really thought the most about was he had said to her earlier…about her being really important to him. As simple and cryptic as the sentence was, she realized she knew Toshirou well enough to understand and it was enough for her. Her mind wasn't letting her forget the look on his face either. She doubted if anyone before had ever seen him so unguarded before…just the thought of his eyes and his lips made her turn red again.

There was only one thing left for her to do: tell him the same.

If only it were that simple.

It wasn't like the act itself was so hard; she was ready to say it and if it wasn't for everything two nights ago, she would've done so. (Part of her couldn't believe that she let two days slip outside of her fingers like that.)

It was…just…she moment she did say it, he was going to leave. It wasn't like she was going to get "blessings from Mushibi-no-Kami"—she cringed at remembering her father's words—or anything like that. Whatever steps that were going to come after that were going to have to wait. And she didn't want to have to; it just made her think about him leaving again. Despite knowing that her thoughts were causing her to worry too much, her chest tightened a bit when imagining the long walk to Nagasaki. If she wasn't careful she was going to start crying again…

She lay wrapped up in the night, passing the time by staying awake and going back and forth between her thoughts.

The moonlight crossed the floor in its own dance, illuminated everything in its pearly glow. And when Toshirou awoke and moved around, using the now chilled water from a basin to wash his face, dressing in a thick hakama, and sitting on the bed with his back to her, she saw that, too.

She decided to drop the sleeping façade and sat up in the bed.

He looked over his shoulder. "You're awake?"

She nodded. "I slept too much before. Now I really can't."

He nodded and shifted his gaze so he could face the window and the moon directly. The light casted his hair in a silver light and his eyes looked frosted over. Karin stared out the window, too. Shunsui-sensei was going to signal Toshirou when he arrived. The white-haired boy would then grab his belongings, a bundle of clothing tied in a small blanket and Hyorinmaru, and exit from one of the hallway's numerous sliding doors as to avoid waking the main section of the manor and everyone sleeping there.

Karin felt her chest tighten a little more at the thought; it would be happening any time. She was reminded of when she lost her ball that day on the bridge. The oiled-eyed girl recollected feeling like the loss of her ball was the absence of an integral part of herself. That held little comparison to now; trying to measure them against each other was like weighing an apple against an orange.

…She was really missing her orange and it hadn't even left yet.

Thinking about her words made the tightness in her chest creep its way into her throat and stay there. Since when had been so afraid to tell anyone how she felt about anything?

Since now when my emotions decided to conveniently kick in, she groused bitterly.

Her eyes watched him bend down to pick up his trusted sword. He pulled it out of its sheath as if to assure himself that it was there. The part where the cross-guard and blade met gleamed at them.

And then very suddenly, they both heard it—a lucid, whimsical whistle, too unnatural at this point in winter when there was no such thing as birdsong in the early morning. He stood quickly, re-sheathed his katana, and grabbed the bundle beside his foot. A muffled musical sound reached Karin's ears—a loaned bag of coins from someone in the midst of his sparse clothing and the bento of onigiri a worker had given him at one point in the night.

She saw him look at her again with that newfound expression, though it was less intense than before. His lips parted to say goodbye and she swallowed the lump that had kept her from saying more than two words. She stepped off the bed and reached her arms out for him, wrapping them around his torso when she got close.

"Toshirou, come back soon." She pressed herself to his back and felt his heartbeat under her bandaged hand. She felt him stiffen a bit and then relax; it was like he was melting in the heat of her embrace. Her lips pressed themselves to the skin of his neck. "Come back soon…because I'm starting to love you, too."

There, she said it.

Emotions be damned.

Bandages be damned.

"I promise," he finally said softly, firmly. It was enough for her. She slowly detached herself from him and felt him slip out of her arms. When he turned and kissed her lips, she closed her eyes automatically, that perfect, balanced, and whole feeling she always felt ending too soon. "Ja ne, Karin."

And like the first time they met on that bridge all those months ago, he left her, stepping outside the Kuchiki mansion and into the night.


A/N: Happy everybody! Because this is the season for giving and because my hiatus has been wayyy too long, I hope that everyone enjoys this new chapter. I am so sorry—apart from the two scenes, everything has been written and typed since October, but I couldn't find the time to dedicate the time to complete it until December.

What to say…mmm Byakuya and Kin. Earlier someone said in their review that they liked Byakuya and wanted to see him make a cameo. I hope you this satisfies you. At one point I thought it was kinda funny-weird to put them together, but I slowly realized that Byakuya has a lot of funny-haha moments in the manga like his desire to make Ichigo call him "Kuchiki-san." I think he'd be a pretty cool uncle.

I liked writing the last two scenes, but they were hard. I kept going back and forth on whether or not Toshirou should say, "I love you." And I realized that while him saying it directly works, it also worked for him to imply the same thing with the phrase, "You're very important to me." I think the most emotionally-charged things he says are sometimes the most cryptic things. And I wanted to stay true to that part of his personality.

I felt like Karin's scenes are cool. I think it was good to make her a little unsure about things. I'm glad I ended with her; their whole dynamic feels a bit full circle in that manner. And I'm glad I was able to fit a kiss in there—I was really close to not having it.

But eh, it's early EARLY morning for me. So enjoy reading and Happy Holidays!