Act 10: Shadow of Doubt

"Karin, would you like if I were to give you a rose every day for the rest of your life?"

Big, child-like eyes stare at the single red rose that is being handed to her and she giggles, "That will be a lot of roses! You won't be able to do it."

Glistening dark eyes shine brightly, almost mischievously, and he grabs her hand, leading her into the rose garden that is filled with every color, "Then, I think this will do! These roses are always growing, I've never seen the garden empty." He grins at her, "I will be able to give a rose every day. I'll give you one even if you don't want it!"

"Then they will have to be the prettiest roses you can find." She takes the flower from his hand, "They will have to be as pretty as this one."

The boy intertwined his hand in hers, "Karin, once we are big I want you to become my wife, that way, I can give you a rose until my dying breath and never be apart."

"Are you fond of roses, Miss Rin?" Hanatarou approaches her slowly, almost as if he was being cautious, "You're always looking at them."

Karin blinked, then her eyes downcast, almost as if she were ashamed for being caught, "No, not really... It's just... I would receive a rose every day back when I was a child..." she frowns slightly, a detail Hanatarou didn't miss.

And they sat in silence. Karin figured it was because he didn't know what to say to her, no one really knew what to say to her, but she was comfortable sitting in silence without having to exchange words. She might even admit that she enjoyed his company.

"You should smile more often." Hanatarou says, grabbing her attention, "You smiled back with Shinji and Hiyori."

He offers her a timid smile, and Karin couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "They're good people. Very lively. One can't help but smile with those two around." She then thinks of Yuzu and Ichigo, she wonders how they're doing, if they realized that she isn't in her prison cell. She wonders if they're thinking about her as well and she finds herself hoping that they are. It'll be unfair if they aren't.

Hanatarou places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You aren't alone, Rin. You have everyone here as well as Lord Hitsugaya."

"What about me?" Came his sudden voice, and she could feel his gaze on her.

"Good afternoon, Lord Hitsugaya," Hanatarou bowed, "I was just telling Miss Rin that she could confide in us."

"Is that so?" He sits across from her, his eyes bore into her own and she tried her best not to avert her eyes, "Do you, Rin?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you trust us?"

She freezes. How could she answer if she doesn't know the answer herself? She fidgets with her sleeve and sees Hitsugaya dismiss Hanatarou, leaving them alone together. "I don't know." She suddenly says, "I don't know if I'll be able to trust anyone."

"Why?"

"It'll be too much trouble. In the end you're always let down by those who say they'll always be there for you."

"Then you'll have to learn to trust again." His gaze then lands on her bandaged wrists, "Let me see your wounds." He reaches for her, and she was in no position to deny his request.

He is slowly taking off her bandages, his hands coming in contact with her skin, and Karin could feel herself getting nervous. Suddenly feeling more sensitive to his touch. It was absurd to fear this.

"I was surprised to find you here with Hanatarou." He says casually, while observing her hands, "your wounds have completely healed."

"There's not much to do here." Karin shrugs, trying to act indifferent.

"You are allowed to leave if you are tired of being closed in, but first you must tell someone beforehand. No one's forcing you to stay, this isn't a prison"

"Of course not." Karin furrowed her brows together, "And yet I still have to ask you permission to leave. I'm not a child Hitsugaya."

"It's only for precautions, Rin, someone tried to hurt you– maybe even kill you. You don't have to be on the defensive with us."

"Well forgive me if I'm still struggling to confide in you." She's glaring at him, her eyes dull.

"You met Hiyori and Shinji. You're very friendly with Hanatarou and Matsumoto. I'm sure you've told them things you have yet to tell me."

"There isn't much to say. I've told you the important parts."

"No you haven't. You seem to be more open with everyone else except me. I welcomed you into my home, I deserve to know who you are."

"Like I've said many times before, Lord Hitsugaya, I never asked for your hospitality. You're the one who keeps insisting." She frowns at him, "You never should've let me stay."

"But you needed help. It was obvious." Toshiro thinks back to the night when he first saw her. The girl who was on the verge of death, who's tears were spilling out of her eyes when she asked why he didn't leave her for dead. "I could never turn my back on someone who needs help." I could never turn my back on someone like you.

"Do you like to play the hero, Hitsugaya?"

"No. That's not the point."

"Then what is? Why are you so persistent in helping a stranger? Your fiancée doesn't seem to approve of me."

She looks hurt and frightened, she's trying to hide. He gets the notion that she's pushing him away. "Even so, I want you to trust me."

Karin's mouth runs dry at those words, "I can't!" It's because the last time she put her faith in someone they ended up abandoning her. She had no one else to turn to and when she needed them the most they were no where to be found. They had let her lose her identity, they had left her to die. She is not willing to make a fool of herself again. She told herself she wouldn't rely on anyone. Not anymore. Not like she used to.

And he smiled at her, a smile that reminds her of her childhood, even if it was only for a moment, "It's okay." Toshiro says, "I'm very patient. No matter how long it takes for you to trust me, I will wait."

Karin stared at him, she looked at him for a long time. How can he blindly trust someone he doesn't know? Someone who was found on the verge of death and in chains? She doesn't understand the man in front of her. "You're a fool."

He smirks at her, "I'd much rather be a fool. I'll be a fool as long as you start trusting again."

She's glaring at him, her eyes cold and distant, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. Why is this man making everything so hard for her? Why can't he leave her alone? She tears her gaze away from him.

Toshiro releases an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair, brows furrowed and eyes closed. "You were in the library."

Karin quickly turned her head to face him, "What?"

"The other night, you fell asleep in the library and I was the one who brought you back to your chamber."

She blinks, her eyes wide, "Did I say anything?"

"No." He lies. The memory of the night coming back. He still wonders about the name but he cannot bring himself to ask her. She wouldn't have answered him if he did. "You looked frightened."

He watches her reaction, she suddenly goes speechless. He hopes she would tell him what she dreamt that night, he wants to know what she's thinking. She is a mystery that he welcomed into his home, into his life. He wants to know more about the person sitting across from him.

It was then when he knew she was done speaking with him. He knew by how she fixated her gaze on something else.

He knew by how she didn't say a word to him for the rest of the day.

"What do you know of Rin? Has she told you anything?" Momo's voice breaks through the silence, and when he looks up to look at her, she has a worried expression on her face.

"She's not one to really talk."

Toshiro says, "She told me she had a family, she seemed sincere but that's about it."

Momo frowns, "A family... why would she leave her family? What could have possibly made her leave?" Her expression became thoughtful, "What kind of life did she have before we found her?"

Toshiro stays silent, his thoughts wandering towards Rin. Ever since their conversation earlier in the day, he can't help but question why she is so hesitant in opening up. She should know that she's safe here. Who did he let into his home?

"You spoke with her today, didn't you?"

"I did." His hands clench, "She never wanted our help. She made it clear today. She made it look like we are nothing but a burden to her."

"You've always had that bad habit." Momo smiles at him, "helping people who don't want it, I mean. You did it years ago, when you helped a girl from a fire."

"You still remember that?" He thought she wouldn't remember that incident, "That accident happened shortly before you fell into a coma."

She nods her head slowly, "It still feels like it happened not too long ago. It's still fresh in my memory."

The memory of that night comes back to him. Momo didn't want him to go in there, knowing he didn't belong. He shouldn't have cared. But he went anyway, only managing to save one person out of the many that lost their lives that evening. He remembers leaving the body of the unconscious girl near some trees because that was as far as he would go in saving someone from a rival country. He never did find out what happened to her. He never bothered checking.

Momo kisses him on the cheek, taking him out of his thoughts, "Rin will come to appreciate the things you're doing for her." She sounded so sure of herself, but Toshiro couldn't help but doubt her words, "She will learn to trust you. Even if she's taking a while to do so."

A/N: I recently rewatched those hitsukarin episodes which basically reawakened my love for those two and now I'm back in my feelings lol. It also made me think that I may be writing Toshiro and Momo a bit ooc in this story? I'll try fixing it if that seems to bother anyone but until then you'll just have to stick with me as the story begins to unfold. Though, it's far from over!

I also have so many ideas for this story, and I'm excited to be sharing them with you soon.

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Thank you for your time!