Finally hit the tenth chapter, double digits hell yeah.
Anywho, I finally got maintenance to fix that pesky wall. No more wild Kenpachi's trying to kill me or perverted shopkeepers popping up everywhere.
Sorry about taking forever to finally update . School just started again so I'm going to be quite busy.
However, if I do have enough time, I'll put up a Bleach x Soul Eater fanfic and a sequel to this story.
The sequel will be more focused on Karin as a shinigami rather than her love life. I'm still unsure if I should do a Bleach x Soul Eater fanfic though.
"Hn?"
Ichigo rubbed his eyes as he sat up, having been awoken by a strange sound coming from the closet. With a tired yawn, as he tried to get out of bed he managed to get himself tangled up in his blanket and fell out of bed with a loud thump. "Ugh," he groaned.
Of course, being woke up at 2:35 am hadn't exactly helped. Especially when he hadn't even gone to bed until 12:05 thanks to the hollows running around on the mountain.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
There it was again. The sound that had woken him up. At the sound of it again, Ichigo shook his head furiously, now wide awake. He kicked the blanket off himself and stood up. A frown settled across his face as he glanced at Chad, asleep on the other side of the room.
How can he sleep so heavy?
Trying to pinpoint where the rings where, he stood still, hardly daring to make a sound.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
There!
Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise as he realized that it was coming from his closet.
He tiptoed over to his closet, holding out his arm in front of him to protect himself. He slowly rested his hand on the handle of the closet door.
And yanked it open.
"Augh! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY CLOSET!?" the carrot-top shouted, taken aback by the sight that was in front of him.
There, was Rukia Kuchiki in pajamas on her phone in the closet.
"Oh hey Ichigo," she said casually as if there was nothing odd about it.
"What. Are. You. Doing. In. My. Closet?" Ichigo seethed each word.
"We don't have a closet in our room. And it's more comfortable in here."
"Oy..." Ichigo rubbed his eyes. He did not want to deal with this right now.
He wanted sleep.
"At this point I don't even know why I'm surprised. You did the exact same thing when you were supposed to spend the night in Yuzu's and Karin's room," Ichigo muttered, recalling the same incident where he had once again found her in the closet.
"Your closet is comfortable!" Rukia defended herself.
"Beds are comfortable, closets are uncomfortable. You have it mixed up," he muttered again.
"I do not! Closets happen to be very comfortable!"
"What are you even doing on the phone this late?" Ichigo asked, too tired to even start an argument. It was clear he hadn't gotten much sleep. Dark circles were under his eyes and fatigue was clearly shown on his face.
Apparently there were a lot of hollows running around on the mountain, driving all the shinigamis crazy.
"I was just spending Soul Society a report about the hollows," she mumbled, turning back to her cellphone and texting once more.
"If you're going to stay in my closet, keep your phone down," Ichigo grumbled. Rukia puffed out her cheeks, reminding him of a tiny squirrel with nuts in it's mouth.
"I can't help that. It's not my fault the 12th Squad hasn't fixed the kinks yet."
"THEN GET OUT OF MY CLOSET!" Ichigo shouted, annoyed.
"I can't help it that your sister snores even louder than you!"
"I DON'T SNORE!"
"YES YOU DO! I HAVE EVEN RECORDED YOU SNORING, SEE!"
Rukia pushed a few buttons on her phone, getting to the voice memos.
She quickly played one out of the many millions she had saved.
Loud snoring quickly filled the room.
"You can't prove that was me!" Ichigo yelled out defensively. He was absolutely sure he did not snore.
Suddenly the snoring stopped for a moment and Ichigo's voice came out of the phone. "Die hollow. You're no match for me..." his voice trailed off and he resumed his snoring.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT ON YOUR PHONE!?" Ichigo shouted, his face getting slightly flushed.
"I like to record things!" Rukia shouted back, cradling her phone.
Ichigo slammed the closet door shut and stomped back to his bed, not really having the energy to fight.
And somehow, throughout all that yelling, Chad still hadn't woken up.
He continued slumbering peacefully like a log. Oh how envious Ichigo was of him as he was forced to endure the Ring Ring Ring from Rukia's phone all night.
"Ugh," Ichigo groaned as he followed Renji throughout the merchandise store.
"What's the matter with you?" Renji asked as he put down a snow globe of a snowboarder.
"Rukia kept me up all night," Ichigo muttered.
"Oh?" He said suggestively, raising one eyebrow.
Carrot-top's face turned scarlet red and he shouted, "NOT LIKE THAT! OH MY GOD NO!"
"Calm down Kurosaki. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Ishida said matter-of-factly. "If you really love her then-"
"ISHIDA! OH MY GOD NO THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED. DO YOU THINK I'D DO THAT WITH CHAD IN THE ROOM!?" Ichigo shouted, pointing at the silent Chad.
"Calm down Ichigo, we're just teasing you," Renji chuckled.
Even so, it took a few minutes for Ichigo's blush to finally fade away.
As the four left behind the snow globes and started towards the clothing aisle, they hadn't noticed that Matsumoto had been behind them, eavesdropping with a grin the whole time.
Matsumoto rushed throughout the store, searching for Yuzu.
"Yuzu!" she called out as she finally found her.
In her wake, Matsumoto had left a trail of knocked over teddy bears, scarves and other accessories.
"Oh, Rangiku!" Yuzu greeted as she turned around.
"I've started placing bets on when Rukia and Ichigo will get together!" The lieutenant babbled excitedly, jumping straight to the point.
"A betting pool?" Karin asked a little skeptically. She knew Matsumoto was always planning more. Always.
"Mhm!"
"Those two have been dancing around each other for what, two years now? It's not gonna happen anytime soon," Karin grumbled.
"Oh my dear sweet Karin-chan! You don't understand love!"
"I'm betting $15 dollars on this week," Yuzu said with a grin.
"Wait you're betting on when our brother will confess to Rukia!? Yuzu, you out of all people...!"
"Great! I'll go ask the others. Karin-chan, are you going to bet?"
Karin shrugged. What have I got to lose?
"$15 dollars on next week," Karin said with a shrug.
Matsumoto grinned. She had already started two betting pools and she was bound to make a ton of money.
"Great! Remember your bets! Don't forget them!" She dashed off to do god knows what.
She was probably making some calls to Soul Society, trying to expand the pool as much as possible just like she had done with the betting pool on Karin and Hitsugaya.
Karin narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Yuzu turned towards her.
"You just placed a bet on our brother's love life without a second thought..."
"Go big or go home is what you used to say all the time isn't Karin-chan?"
"Hn. I guess." She just shrugged, deciding to drop the subject for now.
Karin shook her snow globe furiously that she had gotten from the gift shop, watching the snow swirl around. Inside of it was a forest of snowcovered trees and some moose along with other small animals that were hard to notice if you didn't look carefully.
"Why are you shaking the snow globe?" Yuzu asked curiously as she rubbed her hands together.
"Because that's what you're supposed to do right?"
"Hm, I guess."
The two walked in silence, listening to the soft snow crunch under their feet. It was nice, finally spending sister time without the subject of Toshiro coming up and not getting embarrassed with each passing sentence.
"The night lights look really pretty. They did a pretty good job on the ski-lodge," Yuzu noted as she looked up at it. The sun was sinking into the horizon that allowed the lights to dance beautifully in the evening.
"Yeah, it is." Karin looked up from her snow globe and stared.
Was it possible for a building to even be that pretty?
It wasn't just the lanterns strung about on the building, but the way it was built and the perfect shadows it casted. The shadows weren't eerie and creepy but warm and inviting in a weird way.
The architecture was simply beautiful, almost as if the resort shone even without the lights.
"I never really realized how beautiful it was. No wonder so many people stay here," Karin muttered.
"The architects must have put a lot of effort into building this. It almost a steal for staying here at the price it is," Yuzu nodded.
"I bet they got tired of snobby rich people staying in their place all the time," Karin said with a grin.
The Kurosaki family had never really been rich. They had been well off with the money they made from the Kurosaki clinic. Not rich, but not poor.
Of course they had their days when they had to pinch pennies but what family didn't?
"Not all rich people are snobby. There are a lot that are nice. Like Rukia-chan."
"I know I'm just kidding around."
The two sat in silence for a few more moments, basking in the warm glow.
As cold as it was, Karin felt warm and fuzzy inside. It felt almost like a warm summer night. Except it was winter, there was snow and it was horribly cold. But the atmosphere was nice and relaxed like that of a summer night.
Suddenly they were interrupted by a hoard of Ichigo's friends. "Where's Yuz- Oh there you are," Ichigo said as he swung the door open with the rest of his friends following behind in their bulky winter coats.
Scratch that, not just his friends.
Everyone was following. Even Isshin.
"We're planning on having a snowball fight," Rukia pipped up as she pulled her scarf over her mouth.
"A snowball fight?"
"Indeed a snowball fight! It was all Urahara-san's idea!" Isshin practically shouted.
"Er- I think I'll pass," Karin muttered, instantly deciding it wasn't safe.
"Oh come on Karin-chan! What's the harm? It's just snow!"
"I can think of a thousand reasons I wouldn't want to have a snowball fight with you." Karin muttered so low that no one heard her.
Or at least she thought no one did.
"Oh dearest Karin-chan! You insult me!"
"If we're having a snowball fight, we're going to need teams," Ishida broke in, pushing his glasses up.
"How about a free-for-all?" Renji suggested.
"Nononono, I will die in a free-for-all!" Keigo cried out.
"What about teams of four?" Mizuiro finally spoke, shoving his phone into his pocket.
"I'd rather have a free-for-all," Karin grumbled, adding her two cents.
"A free-for-all it is!" Urahara chuckled.
That almost made Karin regret speaking up.
Matsumoto frowned, "Hey wait a minute! What's the prize?"
"Do we need a prize?" Hitsugaya grumbled. When wasn't he grumbling?
"Yes taicho! Every game needs a prize for the winner!"
"How about the second to last person standing buys the winner anything?" Yoruichi suggested.
"Reasonably priced of course-" Ishida added.
"Seems fair," Yuzu shrugged.
The only person that seemed to be distressed about this snowball fight was Toshiro. He sighed and crossed his arms.
"This is ridiculous. I cannot believe you dragged me into this again Matsumoto."
"Taicho, would you rather be killing hollows instead of relaxing?"
"If public safety is at risk, yes."
"Taicho you cannot spend the rest of your life being so uptight and picky!"
"Okay!" Urahara finally intervened, probably impatient to get this snow ball fight started.
"Snow-ball fight starts in three...two...one!" He then quickly disappeared with flash-step.
"No fair! No shinigami powers!" Keigo cried out before running away.
"Oh dear Masaki! Give me strength to win!" Isshin shouted before scooping up a big handful and aiming it at the group.
Everyone quickly scattered before the snow hit with a tiny thump.
At this point everyone was trying to find little places to hide behind, trees, large rocks, anything. That and they were trying to avoid Chad because he could throw a snowball that felt like you got punched in the gut.
"Hiyah!" Karin cried out as she got Orihime. At first she had felt a little bad because Orihime had been such an easy target. And Orihime was so nice to everyone.
But it was a free-for-all so she her guilt quickly vanished as she ducked to avoid Tatsuki's snowballs of vengeance.
Ichigo quickly ducked and rolled out of the way to avoid Renji's snowballs.
"Hiyah!" He cried out as he fired back.
He was too focused on dodging Renji's snowballs to notice the midget sneaking up behind him.
Renji grinned the whole time as he watched Rukia advance upon him for a surprise attack.
"Behind you!" He finally called out when she was close enough.
He turned around with fear on his face. His fear quickly change into shock as he was suddenly hit with a very cold snowball very close to his face.
"Stupid! Next time you should be more focused on your surroundings!" Rukia shouted as she scampered off to find her next victim.
The strawberry muttered something about 'stupid midgets' before getting hit in the face with another snowball.
"WHAT THE HELL RENJI? I'M ALREADY OUT!" He shouted.
The two still continued to pelt each other.
"MIZUIRO HELP ME!" Keigo cried out as he shivered behind a rock.
He was suddenly hit with a snowball on the top of his head.
"YOU TRAITOR!" He cried.
"It's a free-for-all," he replied simply.
"But how could you. I thought we were friends," Keigo wailed.
"Keigo is a snowball fight."
"OH THE CRUELTY! YOU'VE TURNED ON ME!"
"Hiyah!" Tatsuki cried out from behind them.
"Not you to Tatsuki!" Keigo cried out after spitting out the snow.
"Next time keep your whining down Keigo!" She said before ducking behind the rock with them. She heard a very faint "Tatsuki" coming from behind her and footsteps crunching heavily in the snow.
"Tatsuki..." Rukia called out a bit singsongy while tossing her snowball up in the air.
"Did you offend Rukia or something?" Mizuiro whispered.
"I may have said a thing or two about Chappy."
"Insulting Chappy in front of Rukia is a death wish. Do you want to die Tatsuki? DO YOU!?" Keigo whispered loudly. The fool didn't understand the concept of whispering. "Shhh!" Tatsuki said as she clasped her hand of his mouth while peeking above the rock.
"Tatsukiiiii," she called out again with a face smile plastered on her face. "Come out."
"We're going to die," came out Keigo's muffled sentence.
"Why don't you just stay still!?" Karin complained.
"Because as much as I hate doing this, I still refuse to lose," Toshiro replied before stepping behind the tree. He heard a plunk as the snow ball exploded against the tree.
"If you hate it so much, then why are you playing?" She grumbled as she ducked an airborne snowball.
"Because Matsumoto will nag me. That woman knows no bounds," he said as he scooped up another pile of snow.
"I think we're the last ones standing," Karin noted, changing the subject.
"We are. Have been for the past five minutes."
"You're so frustrating! Why are you so difficult to hit with a snowball! It should not be this hard!"
"You're trying too hard to win."
"No you just won't come out from that damn tree that's why!"
Karin knew that there were no way either of them were going to win if they kept this up. So when she saw Toshiro reach down to scoop up more snow she took her chance.
But Toshiro had already been prepared. Even in a snowball fight, he thought ahead. He had a snowball already made, hidden in his pockets. He quickly pulled it out and abandoned his half-way made snowball on the ground and aimed it towards the raven-haired Kurosaki.
Karin saw the snowball barreling towards her and she jumped out of the way just in time. She acted almost as if it had been a bullet fired from a gun from the way she jumped.
She gave out a triumphant cry as she launched her own snowball. It exploded against Toshiro's chest.
"Ah hah! I win!" She grinned.
"I suppose I have to buy you something," Hitsugaya muttered as he stood up, brushing the snow off his jacket.
"Nah. It's fine. I don't want nothing."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
The two made their way back to the ski-lodge where the others were waiting on them. They were greeted with, "Who won?" and "What took you so long?"
"I won of course," Karin said with a grin.
"That means taicho has to buy Karin a present," Matsumoto said with a grin.
"Nah he doesn't. It's fine, I don't want anything."
"But it's the rules! He has to buy you a present because you are the winner!" The lieutenant quickly grabbed her Captain and pushed him towards the gift shop with him protesting.
"That's my dearest Karin-chan! Always being a good sport!" Isshin fawned over his daughter.
To which she rightly responded to by kicking him in the face.
"Let's go inside, I'm cold," she said, rubbing her hands together like a fly.
"Matsumoto she said she didn't want anything," the shinigami captain grumbled as he followed her into the gift-shop.
"Oh taicho you are so dense! When a girl says she doesn't want something, it means she does want something! You don't understand girls!" She said as she started digging through the clothes on the aisles.
"Why would she say one thing that means the complete opposite? You're reading too much into this Matsumoto."
Hitsugaya tapped his foot impatiently on the floor, wanting his lieutenant to hurry up.
"No taicho. You're not reading into this enough. See it's like when a girl says she wants nothing for Valentine's day but she really wants a lot of chocolates and a teddy bear that says, 'I love you.' Men are too dense."
"I'm pretty sure Karin doesn't care about things like that."
"That's what girls want you to think. They want you to think they don't care about the little stuff but really they do."
At this point, Hitsugaya was rubbing his eyes in frustration. "That makes no sense-"
"Ah hah! You should give her this!" She held up a black hoodie that had a snowboarder on it that was drawn in white. On the back of it was, "Swift's Ski-Lodge Resort," in fancy writing.
"Personally I find it to be a bit tacky but it looks like something Karin would wear."
"Great now can we go?" Hitsugaya grumbled as he headed towards the register.
The rebel, also known as Kurosaki Karin, was once again back in the living room of the ski-lodge resort. The others had been in here chatting up a storm but they had slowly trickled away, one by one.
"Here," came a voice from behind her. She turned around to see the ever present genius.
He walked over and sat down on the couch with the hoodie neatly folded up in one hand and hot cocoa in the other.
"You actually bought me something? I told you that it was fine."
"You know how Matsumoto get," he sighed. "Anyway, here."
Karin took the hoodie and opened it up to get a good look at it. She grinned and turned towards him with a, "Not bad. Who knew you had good taste in clothes?"
"I didn't pick it out. Matsumoto did."
"I'm still giving you credit for it." Karin quickly re-folded the shirt and set it down on the coffee table.
Karin glanced at his hot cocoa in a plastic cup and frowned. "I thought you didn't like hot drinks."
"I don't. This is for you." He handed out the drink towards her. Karin paused before taking it out of Toshiro's hand, just barely brushing against his fingers.
"Uh thanks. Did Matsumoto force you to get me a drink to?" she said with a tiny chuckle.
"No. I just thought you would want something to warm you up after the snowball fight," he said as he stood up and made his way towards down the hall. "I'm going to bed, goodnight."
Karin sat there, stunned. He had actually gotten the hot-cocoa for her?
She glanced down into her cup at the dark brown liquid and smiled.
Wow I think this was the first chapter that had an IchiRuki in it. I forgot to put in more IchiRuki because I was so focused on HitsuKarin. Whoops xD
Sorry about taking forever to update /hides under table
School just started and all but I will try to update at least once a week.