I don't eat, I don't sleep
I do nothing but think of you
Past
"The hell you doin' here?" Jinta sneered, pausing in his chores, a brittle broom held roughly in his hands as he puffed out his chest.
Karin halted in her step and glared at him. It had been just a week before now when she'd gone to the Urahara Shoten to send off her monthly message to Ichigo and had become acutely aware that Hitsugaya was staying there, having caught his resigned frown in passing on her way out. She'd stuttered, and he'd stared, and it had caused a permanent jolt to settle in her chest. She'd been irrevocably drawn to the stupid shop every other day since.
"None of your fucking business," she spat.
"Of course it is, I work here." She gritted her teeth as he sauntered over, a knowing gleam marring his already too annoying and cocky face. "Live here, too. And, to be honest, I can't help but notice you coming around here an unusual lot since a certain shinigami came mooching about."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied dismissively, casting her gaze around aimlessly as she tried to drown the embarrassed blush rising in her cheeks. She soon caught the unmistakable form of Hitsugaya high above them, his back to them as he sat perched on the roof, white hair blowing lightly in the wind. Her heart thudded, and all success she might have made in evading her blush flailed away pathetically.
Jinta's eyes followed hers, and he snickered lightly. "Being a Kurosaki must've given you a complex," he commented dryly, turning a patronizing look on her. "You got no shot with him, y'know. Unlike your dad and Kuchiki, he has a high ethical standard. He's not gonna go for a human."
Karin breathed out, rolling her eyes at him pointedly. Like anything this bastard said actually bothered her. "I have a better chance with him than you do with the entire female population. That's enough for me."
His glower bore into her back as she stalked away, her feet leading her around the building where she made her way up to the roof. Hitsugaya didn't even spare her a glance when she plopped down next to him, settling herself on the mass of brittle shingles easily and quietly. The breeze picked up in the silence, and she curled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them as she shivered lightly. She cursed herself for not going home to change clothes, but then she wouldn't have had her 'on my way home from school' excuse.
"Back again."
A tingle crawled up her spine at his voice, so dull and unmoving, and she trained her eyes on her shoes, scuffing the soles against one another distractedly. She'd been sitting on the front porch with Ururu the night before, words hitched uncomfortably in her throat as he'd passed by her without a word and disappeared into the shop, leaving the air rather crisp in his wake. He'd become so unfazed and rejecting of her presence as the days went on, and it was becoming daunting, beating on her nerves and taking her confidence away. She must seem so fucking eager.
Maybe Jinta had a point.
"We can't be friends, you know." He spoke so surely, like he'd given it quite a bit of thought, and she tightened her grip around her legs. "It's too much of a commitment to have in a world that isn't mine. I'll leave soon enough and I can't have you expecting me to come back."
"Spare me, Toushiro," she said thickly, shooting him a heated look. "I'm not that fucking naive."
But maybe she was.
"I'm not stupid, Karin." His eyes were too soft when they met hers, so aware and sympathetic. It pissed her off.
"You're a presumptuous little shit is what you are," she spat, deliberately making his features grow sharp. "As if I hadn't watched you all pop in and out of my brothers life for years, leaving him high and dry over and over again whenever you had somewhere better to be. Like I thought I'd be any different. I just figured that maybe you'd want some company while you're here. My fucking mistake."
He looked legitimately stunned. "I just thought–'
"You think too much."
He stared at her for a still moment, his jaw clenching and unclenching as if indecisive of what to say. He exhaled a dense breath, resting his head in his hands with a sluggish slump of his body. "Sorry."
She studied him. "You look like shit, by the way."
She swore he laughed. "Thanks," he replied dully, folding his arms over his knees. "This place isn't exactly nurturing to it's guests. I might as well sleep right on the floor given how worn out my futon is."
"Is there nowhere else you can stay?"
"Not since Inoue moved out of town."
Karin chewed her lip thoughtfully, mulling over her words carefully before saying them. "You could always just stay at our place. My dad adores you, so it's not like he'd mind. You can sleep in the den."
"That'd be kinda weird."
"Just a suggestion," she said with a shrug, looking up towards the sky, watching the sun retreat behind the clouds. Her phone chimed then, and she shifted towards her bag, pulling it out of the front pocket and skimming the text message briefly. She sighed. "I gotta go. Yuzu's making a new dish for supper, wants me to be her taste tester."
He barely inclined his head, his eyes cast downward, and she frowned. Springing nimbly to her feet without delay, Karin slung her bag over her shoulder and made a careful trek off the roof. She paused once she was on the ladder, just her head peeking out as she shot him a smile, having garnered his gaze. "Sleep tight."
He stared at the empty space where she'd just been for several engrossed moments, the air feeling significantly colder in lieu of her presence. He scowled to himself then, too much sentiment seeping through and marring his facade.
He would not get attached.
The fashion channel streamed a competitive reality show about aspiring designers for them as Karin and Yuzu laid huddled on the living room couch, their bodies sluggish as they sunk into the generous cushions and recovered from their dinner, dessert plates sitting half eaten and long forgotten on the coffee table.
Karin snuggled into her blanket, her eyes unfocused and drooping as she stared disinterestedly at the television. Her sister was already asleep, at least lightly napping, wispy snores sounding from her every few minutes. She yearned to follow suit, any and all responsibilities set at the back of her mind, and she let her eyes close for the minute of silence before the doorbell rang through the house, stirring her into reluctant wakefulness.
Dragging herself from the couch, Karin wrapped her blanket around herself and made for the front door, the legs of her too big pajama pants dragging along the floor. She struggled with the locks, forgetting which way they turned in her listless state.
She was slow to react when she finally opened the door to a disheveled and rather bothered looking Toushiro, her throat dry from laying on the couch for hours too long without a drink and making her voice come out cracked. "Toushiro?"
"Urahara was monitoring my brain activity in my sleep. Do you know how creepy it is to wake up with a dozen unconsented electrodes stuck to your head? Homemade, I might add." Karin snickered, sleepy and amused, and Toushiro ran a hand through his hair defeatedly. "Can I stay here?"
Her face twisted into an almost scowl, but her eyes stayed the same, bright and entertained. "Sorry, already gave the room away. Shinigami housing is a very hot market, you know. We get applications all the time."
"Spare me, Karin. I'm tired."
She smirked, swaying slightly to the side to let him through. He lingered uncertainly in the foyer as she locked the door, and he felt too close, both bothered and comfortable at the same time, conflicting emotions blaring against each other as she came up beside him, leading him further into the house and into the den down the hall. Her eyes were too big and kind, her presence so warm and entrancing that it made his head feel thick, drying up his throat.
A dull 'thanks' was all he managed before closing the door on her, shutting himself off.
Lyrics: Under Your Spell – Desire