Ok, so Feilyn's been touting her favorite author, so I think it's fair that I can do the same. The greatest Hitsugaya story I have read on this site, by far, is Winter Solstace by Raskolnikov34. It's an OC story, I know, but don't let that turn you off, because this OC is so well developed, you wish she was actually in the show. I promise you, this story is the greatest romance of all time and it really has gotten so little credit because people seem to have a thing against OCs that it's just not fair. So here's my incentive. If you read and review that story, then come back and tell me that you reviewed it, I'll do something for you, most likely in the form of a one shot (but you've got to give me some form of mental stimulation, or at least tell me what you want from me). Good deal? I think so. (And just so you know, I have no affiliation whatsoever with Raskolnikov34. I've never met her. I don't beta her and she doesn't beta me. I just think great authors deserve to be rewarded and she is defiantly underappreciated.)

Hitsugaya was not in a good mood. He hated lying to his father, and even though he trusted Matsumoto, he still didn't understand what was so wrong about having Karin as a friend. He went down to the dojo to let off some steam, but it didn't help cheer him up. Finally, exhausted both physically and emotionally, he returned to his room and collapsed on his bed, without bothering to change.

Before he had a chance to fall asleep however, there was a knock on the door.

"What?" he groaned.

"Is this a bad time, Hitsugaya-kun?" came a sweet but concerned voice from the other side of the door. "I can come back."

"No, it's alright Hinamori," Hitsugaya sighed, cheering up ever so slightly at the sound of her voice. Hinamori entered the room and came to sit on Hitsugaya's bed.

"You stink by the way, do you know that?" she teased, beaming from ear to ear. Hitsugaya turned his head to look at her, but otherwise didn't move.

"Do you want to make fun of me some more, or are you going to tell me what's made you so happy?" he asked in a tired voice. Hinamori giggled.

"Aizen-san just asked me to go with him to the Sky High Festival!" she chanted excitedly. Exhaustion forgotten, Hitsugaya sat bolt upright.

"What?!" he cried with a mixture of surprise and indignation. "Then who am I supposed to go with?" He and Hinamori always went together. Who else was there after all? Hinamori pouted.

"Moh, I thought you'd be happy for me," she said in mock sadness. Hitsugaya frowned.

"I am," he admitted grudgingly. "Really. But I can't go by myself, and I can't not go. What am I supposed to do?"

"Why don't you take Kurosaki-san?" Hinamori suggested. "I'm sure she would go with you." Hitsugaya's stomach flipped over.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said offhandedly. "She probably wouldn't want to go with me anyway."

"I think you might be surprised," Hinamori replied knowingly. Hitsugaya thought about Matsumoto's warning and what he had just told his father, but in the end, the thought of asking Karin to the festival was just too appealing.

"Alright," he caved. "I'll ask her tomorrow." Hinamori grinned.

ooooooooooooooooo

"So Nanami," said an attractive girl with very long hair. "Who's taking you to the Sky High Festival?" The other girls gathered around, waiting desperately to hear the answer. Nanami smiled satisfactorily.

"Hitsugaya-sama," she said with conviction, and the other girls squealed with glee.

"Did he ask you?" one girl asked breathlessly. Nanami brushed the question aside.

"No," she said noncommittally. "But it's only a matter of time." The girls sighed dreamily.

"You're so lucky," the girl with the long hair admired. Nanami giggled.

"I know," she replied haughtily. Suddenly, the girls' attention was diverted from Nanami to the boy in question as Hitsugaya appeared in the hallway.

"We'll leave you two alone," the girls teased, and they giggled their way into the classroom. Nanami put on her best flirty face and turned towards Hitsugaya.

"Good morning Hitsugaya-sama," she said cheerfully. Hitsugaya nodded in recognition and started to walk past her. But Nanami wouldn't hear of such a thing. She placed a gentle hand on his elbow and he looked at her confused.

"So, Hitsugaya-sama," she cooed. "Who are you taking to the Sky High Festival?" Hitsugaya didn't know exactly how to react. Currently…no one. But he couldn't very well tell Nanami that.

"I, uh…I haven't decided yet," he stuttered, trying to push past her. But Nanami's placement was very strategic. Hitsugaya couldn't get into the classroom unless she moved, and she wasn't budging.

"Well," she said seductively, lowering her eyes ever so slightly. "I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go with me?" Hitsugaya gulped. Nanami mentally congratulated herself on backing him into a corner. He would have a hard time getting out of this one.

"Sorry," he said forcefully, "but you're not exactly who I had in mind. Now would you please move?" Nanami looked like she had just swallowed a lemon. Hitsugaya was rather pleased with himself as she moved to the side and let him pass.

Karin was alone at their desk when he entered, and the now familiar butterflies started fluttering in his stomach when he saw her.

"Good morning Kurosaki," he greeted her as he sat down beside her. Karin grunted in response. Hitsugaya was slightly put out by her cold behavior, but he brushed it off. Lots of things could put Karin in a bad mood.

"Is everything ok?" he asked. Karin glared at him.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said angrily. "Never better." Hitsugaya looked at her with concern.

"Are you sure?" he prompted. "Because…"

"I said I'm fine!" she spat. "And what's it to you anyways?" She turned away from him and crossed her arms in a huff. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, but knew that she wouldn't say another word about it, and the best course of action was to change the subject.

"You forgot your shinai by the way," he said casually, holding it out to her. Karin snatched it out of his hand without even looking at it. Hitsugaya considered his next move. The timing definitely wasn't perfect. Ok, scratch that, it was downright awful. But Karin's moods were known to change on a whim. And besides, if his encounter with Nanami was any indication, he had better find someone to go to the festival with soon or he would be swamped by every girl in school. Taking a deep breath, Hitsugaya prepared himself.

"Hey Kurosaki," he began with as much confidence as he could muster. "I was wondering if…" But he didn't get a chance to finish because at that moment, the teacher entered the room and called the class to order. Hitsugaya's question would have to wait.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The door to the roof was in serious danger of flying off its hinges.

"Someone's in a bad mood today," Kanji noted unnecessarily as Karin lowered her foot.

"Shut up!" she insisted, plopping down and pulling out her lunch. Kanji shook his head in amusement and sat down beside her.

"So what's up?" he asked, opening his obento. Karin crossed her arms and waited several moments before replying. She was clearly debating whether or not she wanted to tell him.

"It's Hitsugaya-kun," she admitted grudgingly. Kanji looked at her with interest and she launched into the story of the conversation she had overheard between Hitsugaya and Jyuushiro.

"After all the time we spent together, I thought at least he would consider me a friend!" she said with indignation. Kanji tried very hard not to laugh.

"So?" he asked amused. "Why do you care? I thought you didn't like him." Karin scowled.

"Since when does liking someone have anything to do with friendship?" she spat. "Do you honestly think I like you?" Kanji chortled.

"Well, then you won't mind if I do something rather mean to you?" Karin glared at him.

"Like?" she prompted.

"Like telling you that there's someone else I really want to go to the Sky High Festival with?" he replied, bracing himself for the fireworks.

"What?!" Karin cried, leaping to her feet. "Who?!"

"Yuzu," Kanji muttered under his breath. Karin invented new shades of red in her rage.

"Oh great. Just great. So you're ditching me for my sister. That's fabulous. Well, I hope you two have a beautiful time together, because I won't be there to see it!" And with that she stormed off the roof, her lunch completely forgotten. Kanji stared at his own uneaten food and sighed.

"I hope Yuzu was right and Hitsugaya-sama really does want to ask her," he thought. "Otherwise, I hurt my best friend for nothing."

ooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya had been right. Three other girls he had never even spoken to asked him to the Sky High Festival before lunch was even over.

"They only like me for my position," he growled. "They don't really know who I am." He looked desperately for Karin, but because of the barrage of date requests, he didn't find her until lunch was almost over.

"Kurosaki!" he called with relief, coming up to her as she entered the school building. Karin ignored him.

"Kurosaki," he repeated and she finally turned to face him.

"What do you want?" she barked.

"Still in a bad mood?" Hitsugaya thought with a sigh, but he couldn't wait any longer. He didn't want any more girls asking him and besides, the Sky High Festival was tomorrow.

"Kurosaki," he said much more confidently than he had that morning. "Do you want to go to the Sky High Festival with me? As friends," he added quickly. Karin wanted to spit in his face but refrained because she just couldn't bring herself to stoop that low.

"Oh really?" she said sarcastically. "We're friends? I wasn't aware of that. I thought we were just partners. Nothing more. Why on earth would I want to go to the Sky High Festival with you?!" And she turned on her heel and stormed off before Hitsugaya had a chance to stop her. He stood there, feeling much more broken hearted than he had expected to feel at her rejection.

"She doesn't think we're friends?" he thought painfully. He stood there for a moment absorbing that realization, then started to head into the building, still in a daze. He didn't notice where he was going and accidentally barreled straight into Nanami.

"Hey, watch where you're…Oh, Hitsugaya-sama!" Nanami gasped, springing to her feet. "Just the person I was looking for. Have you changed your mind about the Sky High Festival? Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," Hitsugaya replied blandly without fully realizing what he was agreeing to.

The plot thickens.