Alright, I'm turnin someone away from the Hitsu-Hina path! THAT IS AWESOME! Welcome, newcomer :D
ANd thank you to all my reviewers; your comments are much appreciated. And here's an extra long chapter!
"So, what did you want to discuss?" Ichigo asked after Karin was out of sight.
Hitsugaya looked steadily at him and said in a blank tone, "I wish for your sister's hand in marriage."
"Hmm, and what makes you think I'd let my sister go off with you?" Ichigo said, careful to keep his tone level.
One white eyebrow rose as Hitsugaya looked sceptically at the older man. "Well, I am the Prince of this country." He said with a small grin.
"Very funny, but I want to know why you chose my sister." Ichigo said in the same level tone.
Hitsugaya's blue-green gaze suddenly took on a hazy, faraway quality as he looked off into the distance. "Because...She's just about the only one who's ever treated me like a normal person." He said softly.
Ichigo continued to gaze wordlessly at the youth for a time. He sighed. "And how do I know that you won't just chuck her out onto the streets if you get tired of her?"
The Prince's gaze cleared and he snapped back into the present. "Get tired of her? Kurosaki?" He sounded incredulous. "Your sister never fails to surprise me."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, it is."
"So, you really care for her?"
"The hell kinda question is that? Of course I care about her!"
Ichigo resumed his observation in thoughtful silence. He was wondering what other questions he could ask. Mom, dad, what do I do? He thought sadly. His eyes briefly flickered with regret and he looked away from the Prince. What should I do? How do I go about givin my kid sister away?
He finally let out a huge sigh. "Alright, if I asked you to prove that you cared about her, what would you do?" He asked.
Hitsugaya's eyebrows rose a little and he shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I'd accept whatever challenge you set me."
Ichigo couldn't help noting that the Prince didn't talk much like a prince. I wonder just how much time these two spent together, he thought. "Alright, if I told you to wear a ridiculous, girly dress and dance in it at the town centre, would you?" He asked with a serious tone.
Hitsugaya's eyebrow shot up. "What?!"
Ichigo looked meaningfully at him.
"Yes, Kurosaki-san." The boy mumbled with a sigh. "I'd do it, for the sake of your sister."
Ichigo couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Alright. But no worries; I'm not gonna ask you to do that, though it would be immensely entertaining." He said thoughtfully.
"Shut up..." Hitsugaya grumbled.
"Ooh, feelin sore now, are we?" Ichigo smirked at the boy.
"Shut up..." The white-haired boy grumbled again.
"Alright, alright! Sorry, didn't mean to hit a nerve!"
"You should stop talking about now." Hitsugaya said coldly.
Ichigo chuckled and shrugged. "My apologies, Ojii-sama." He bowed respectfully.
"Never mind, Kurosaki."
After that, they discussed some of the important aspects of such a union and other matters.
Karin was invited to come to the palace, and since she didn't have a father and mother, the man of the house was requested to come, along with his wife. Rukia knew that this was an important occasion so she made an effort to get out of bed when Ichigo told her and tried to make herself look presentable, though she still looked a little sick. Ichigo was sorry for his treatment of her but he had convinced himself that if she continued to feel hungry and got ill, then the spirit would leave and then he'd use whatever means necessary to get his wife to be okay again. She had tried to take over his body various times but he knew that she might try that so he'd kept his guard up and he'd fought her off mentally. The real Rukia hadn't been quite as strong. She'd been in mourning that time, because her sister had died not long before, and she had been sinking into depression and her mind
was constantly weary. One of the reasons why their group of friends had gone to that ruined graveyard was because they'd all wanted to do something out of the ordinary to get Rukia out of her depressed mood. She'd gone into that tomb alone because she'd thought it would have provided some peace and quiet from her friends' rowdiness. Her mind had not been strong at that point and she'd tried vainly to fight against the spirit that had suddenly taken over her.
While she tried to look acceptable, Yuzu was fretting over Karin's appearance and what she'd wear that night. Karin had a very, very limited wardrobe; the dark-haired Kurosaki twin preferred to wear only simple and plain garments. She used to have at least three outfits that she used to use for special occasions but she'd outgrown those years ago. Yuzu offered to lend her one of her numerous outfits and Karin accepted, seeing as though her sister wasn't going to stop pestering her until she had her way. Yuzu was ecstatic that she had her very own, life-size doll whose hair she could play with and apply makeup to and choose outfits for. Karin was not a happy camper.
"Wah, Karin-chan, so cute!" Yuzu cried, stepping back and admiring her handiwork. A vein popped in Karin's forehead as she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. "TWIN PIGTAILS!?" She thundered as she put her hands to the twin braids that were secured tightly atop her head. "NO WAY! I LOOK LIKE A LITTLE BABY!"
"Aw, but Karin-chan..." Yuzu protested.
"NO!" Karin continued. "TAKE EM OUT!"
"But..."
"NO!"
"Okay..." Yuzu sighed. She led her sister to the chair again and pulled the bands out of her hair and got the brush once more.
Some thirty minutes of squabbling later, Karin agreed that she'd have her hair in a simple high ponytail. Yuzu was not happy about that so she forcefully put makeup on her sister. Karin washed it off when Yuzu was busy with something else. Yuzu found out and then reapplied it, only for her twin to wash it off again so she decided on just putting some base makeup like lipstick (a shade that was very light and barely detectable, upon Karin's instructions) and foundation and eyeliner.
After getting her entire ensemble together, Yuzu thought her sister looked lovely. Karin thought she looked like a clown in a nice dress. She walked down the stairs slowly, afraid she'd slip in the thick-and-high-heeled shoes that her sister had lent to her. Ichigo's eyebrow rose as she came into the foyer.
"What?" She said gruffly, trying to cover up her self-consciousness.
"Nothin, just that you never bother dressin up for other occasions," he said in the same gruff tone. "But you look alright, kid." He offered her a sincere smile and she smiled back.
"Thanks, Ichi-Nii."
"Alright, let's go." He said and walked towards the door, just as a servant announced that the carriage was ready. His arm about his wife's waist tightened as he led her out of the house. She'd stumbled a little and she'd done that at least ten times since she'd come down the stairs.
"Seeya, Yuzu, and if all goes well tonight and Shirou-kun don't think I look like a complete fool, I'll thank you when I get back." Karin said to her twin.
Yuzu looked upset for a moment. "Karin-chan...!"
"Relax, I'm only kidding!" Karin said, punching her sister playfully on the arm.
"Ow..." Yuzu whimpered. Karin rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Thank you, Yuzu." She said with a smile.
Yuzu perked up at that and smiled back at her twin. "Good luck!" She said happily.
Karin thanked her once again and rushed out of the door, being careful to watch where she stepped. She climbed into the coach beside Rukia and they began to move off. She waved to Yuzu from the window as her twin stood in the doorway. She was a little too aware that Rukia had frozen beside her. She sighed.
"Please don't try anything." She said stiffly.
Rukia didn't reply. Karin sighed again. "If you do, then I won't be held accountable for what I do." What concerned her more than the fact that her sister-in-law was trying to take over her was that they were going to the palace, house of the royal family, house of power, basically. Rukia was obsessed with power, how would she react tonight? They were going to be in the presence of the royals, what would she do? What if she tried to possess one of them? Karin hoped that the royal family was strong-minded, especially Shirou. What would she do if Shirou got possessed?
She tried to banish the worrying thoughts from her mind as the journey wore on.
Ichigo had been distracted as of late and his discussion with the Prince earlier had only distracted him more. His arm about Rukia's waist tightened once again. I wish you were here, mom, dad, he thought, Karin's growin up big time. He sighed as he watched the dark scenery whizz by the carriage window. How do I know if I made the right choice? He looked over to Karin in the dim light and she looked relaxed. An uncharacteristically honest smile played upon her faintly painted lips and he felt some of the weight upon his shoulders lift. If she was happy about it then maybe, just maybe, he was doing something right. He hoped he was. He sighed again and turned his attention back to the window.
Hitsugaya was, to an extent, excited, but what overshadowed the excitement was whether Kurosaki would make good enough an impression on his mother. He found himself constantly wishing that the black-haired girl had dressed up decently and her speech wouldn't be quite so telling of her nature. He liked Karin and he liked her for whom she was, but if she didn't behave in an appropriate way in the presence of his mother, then his need for Kurosaki would go unfulfilled and he didn't want that.
His mother had given him a brief reprieve and said that he was free to go wherever he wanted, provided that he came down immediately upon the arrival of the guests. He went to his room. His room was on a corner and it had two huge windows that offered views of the entrance of the palace and the landscape that stretched out over the side of the building. He was sitting on the window seat of the one that showed him the entrance. His thoughts were jumbled up in a mess of worry and anticipation. He leant back against the side of the window seat and continued to look out towards the main gates. It wouldn't be long before they were scheduled to arrive, unless they were the type of people who weren't always punctual, and he sincerely hoped not; it wouldn't be a good start to the evening if they arrived even a minute later than the appointed time. Chikako Hitsugaya was a particular person when it came to everything.
He'd left the window open so he clearly heard the sound of a carriage coming up the driveway and it was only when his head jerked up at the sound that he realised he'd dozed off. He jumped up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked outside properly. The carriage was drawing to a steady halt. He dashed out of his room and ran down the more than necessary flights of stairs.
As his feet touched the floor after the last stair, some servants were leading the guests in. They came into view and his eyes met those of Karin Kurosaki. He stopped awhile and looked at her properly. She was dressed quite splendidly and she was wearing subtle makeup. He caught himself thinking she looked amazing. He approached them after forcefully tearing his gaze away from the object of his affection.
"Welcome, Kurosaki-san." He said, first to Ichigo and just gently inclining his head a little in greeting.
"Thank you, Ojii-sama." Ichigo bowed more deeply and smiled at the boy.
Hitsugaya then inclined his head at Rukia, was looked oddly blank but replied with a weak greeting of her own, and then he turned his attention to Karin. "Good evening, Kurosaki-chan."
"Yo." Karin grinned up at him.
Hitsugaya almost fainted. It was like the world suddenly froze collectively. He was glad his mother hadn't been there at that precise moment. Baka, baka, baka, Kurosaki! He thought frantically, his lips set in a straight line and his teeth gritted tightly. "If you would all step this way please." He said, in his most polite tone, as he held his hand out towards the drawing room. They all made their way
into the room and as they did, Hitsugaya muttered quickly, "Be a little more formal" as he passed by Karin. She looked at him innocently and he sighed.
"Dinner shall be served in a while." He said as he bid them to sit down. They did so. "So..."
"Ah, you have arrived!" His mother walked into the room, followed by a few servants. "The Kurosakis, how pleasant to meet you!" She went around all of them, first pausing at Ichigo and inquiring after his health (to which Ichigo replied uneasily that he was well) and then she moved onto Rukia and commented on the dark circles beneath her eyes ("my dear, are you all right? You look dreadfully tired!") Rukia had smiled and said that she was fine; she just had a tendency to lose sleep sometimes. Chikako had then moved onto Karin.
"Ah, the esteemed Karin Kurosaki, how nice it is to finally meet you." The white-haired lady said.
"Arigato." Karin smiled and bowed deeply.
"You seem to have made quite an impression on my son; he talks of little else." The Queen said.
Karin visibly flushed at that. Hitsugaya hid a small smile as she further squirmed under the watchful gaze of his mother.
His mother went to sit in one of the seats and bid them all to sit down (they had stood up as soon as the Queen came in). "So, Kurosaki-san, what is it that you do?" She asked Ichigo.
"Well, father ran a medical clinic and he urged me to take over the business when I was young." Ichigo replied.
"Ah, a man of the sciences! So, are you very experienced in the field? Pardon me for saying so, but you do look young!" The woman exclaimed.
"Yes, father sent me to study abroad for some years."
"I see." Chikako said, nodding her head understandingly. One eye was on her son and the Kurosaki girl. She was a little amused to see that their gazes were locked on each other and hazy smiles played upon their lips. "So, Kurosaki-chan, do you dance?" She asked, deciding that their staring contest should end.
Karin's gaze drifted from Hitsugaya's to his mother's. "Hai...I do know how to dance." She said.
"But you do not do it very often, am I right?"
"That's right."
"Why not?" The older woman challenged.
Karin grew a little uneasy. She knew she couldn't reply with such a carefree attitude that she didn't like to dance and thought that it was too girly. "Because...I simply haven't much taste for it, your Majesty."
Chikako frowned a little. "I see." She said after a contemplative second or two. "And what do you have a taste for?"
Karin tensed up again. "Um...Well, I like the outdoors..." She said uncertainly. Had she made a mistake in saying that? She sincerely hoped not!
"Oh, the outdoors? What about the outdoors?" Chikako asked.
"Well, the trees!" Karin smiled; she could answer that much truthfully, "And the nature...the feel of the wind on a hot summer's day, the smell of the grass after a rainstorm and the sight of a river on a gusty day." She clamped her mouth shut immediately, hoping she hadn't overdone it with the idiotic Romantic notions. She really did like those things and she'd thought they sounded girly enough to satisfy whatever test that Chikako Hitsugaya had set out.
The Queen chuckled. "You have the makings of a true poet, Kurosaki-chan!" She exclaimed. Karin flushed furiously and fidgeted with her hands in her lap. Hitsugaya smirked.
Dinner was announced right then and the group of them were led to the dining room, which was huge. Karin thought it was rather wasteful how they had such a large table when only three people dined on it at most. And then there was the unused cutlery and such, what a waste indeed, particularly since three quarters of the table would still be empty even after they all sat down.
Hitsugaya was to sit at the end of the table and Ichigo was instructed to sit on his left while Chikako sat on his right. Rukia sat next to Ichigo while Karin sat next to the Queen. The starter was served. For the most part, there was little discussion. Karin would look up sometimes to see Hitsugaya
looking at her and she'd smile. Other times, Hitsugaya would look up from his dinner and find that she was gazing fixedly at him.
"Oh, Kurosaki-chan, I would very much like for you to stay here tonight." Chikako suddenly said.
Karin froze, as did Ichigo and Hitsugaya. "I'm sorry, your highness?"
"I said I should very much like for you to stay on this night." The Queen repeated. "I am sure you are aware that Toushirou's father is not feeling well and he does not have long to live. He would very much like to meet the woman of his son's choosing, so that is why I would much appreciate it if you could stay the night."
"Um..." Karin looked over at Ichigo, who gave her a subtle shrug. She couldn't refuse outright. This was a royal who was asking her to stay overnight; royals didn't need to ask, that was just a courtesy.
"I suppose there's nothing wrong with the idea." Ichigo said. "Though, she doesn't have her things."
"My dear Kurosaki-san, do not assume me to be so ignorant of your sister's situation; we shall provide all the necessary things she needs for the night." Chikako said authoritatively.
"Of course, your highness." Ichigo said, bowing his head a little.
"If you shall worry about her so much, your wife may remain." Chikako suggested.
"My wife?" Ichigo looked to the blank faced Rukia, who was messing around with her food, having lost her appetite. He didn't think it safe for her to remain in the palace overnight. He himself couldn't stay; he'd have to go and check up on the Clinic tomorrow. He looked to Karin, who shrugged, and sighed. "If my wife wishes to stay, then she may. Rukia?"
Rukia looked up at him and gave him a false smile. "Of course, Ichigo-san, anything you wish."
"We shall drop the two of them off at home tomorrow, possibly after noon. Well, that's sorted!" Chikako exclaimed with a smile.
Karin looked to Hitsugaya with a puzzled gaze. His was equally questioning.
Dinner finished not long after that. Since there was nothing more left to discuss, Ichigo took his leave and bid his sister and wife goodnight, as well as the Queen and her son.
Karin felt a little awkward, to say the least; she couldn't talk to Toushirou normally and she had to keep up an act of politeness and formality. She hated it. Chikako left the three of them in the drawing room after they left the dinner table and said that she needed to refresh herself, 'please excuse me'. Karin didn't get why she couldn't just have said that she needed to use the damn john, which would have been funny.
"So, Ojii-sama..." Karin began uneasily as the door closed. She was all too aware that Rukia was sitting beside her.
"Kurosaki-chan..." Hitsugaya said in the same fashion. "Did you enjoy the meal?"
"Hai." Since Rukia wasn't looking at the two of them, Karin shot Hitsugaya a hopeless look. He shrugged.
"I would very much like to speak with you in private, if that is okay with Kurosaki-san?" Hitsugaya said, motioning to Rukia. She looked up upon being addressed and smiled.
"But of course, Ojii-sama." She said politely.
"Thank you. Kurosaki-chan?" Hitsugaya said, standing up and pointing at the door.
"Hai," Karin said, also standing up and following him to the door.
Upon closing the door, Hitsugaya looked around to make sure that no servants were around and jerked his head down the hall and ran on down the corridor as quickly as possible, Karin followed. They rounded two more corners before Hitsugaya stopped and fished a key out of his pocket and opened the door. He closed the door to the room once they were inside and turned the lights on. The room wasn't a shabby broom closet like Karin had expected but it housed all sorts of boxes and there was plenty of space to move around. Hitsugaya interrupted Karin's observations and turned to her and whispered urgently. "I'm really sorry for makin you go through this but please bear with me."
Karin fixed him with an unwavering gaze and then launched into a sudden rant. "I have no idea what's going on, you have a hella scary mom, I have to watch out for my sister-in-law longer than I'd like, and I have to keep up this pretence that I'm some upper-class woman who has nothing better
to do than wander around gardens and talk to trees!" She hissed angrily, counting the things off on her fingers for emphasis. "This is not me!"
"Quite down, please!" He whispered, fearful that any servants going by the room would hear. "Look, I didn't know my mother was going to ask you to stay overnight, but all I can deduce is that she's going to be watching out for you; she's going to monitor you until the moment you go to bed and then when you get up in the morning. She's just overcautious. Just keep up the facade for less than sixteen hours, that's all. For my sake, please?" He looked beseechingly at her.
Karin sighed. "I dunno, Shirou-kun; if you really want me as your wife, then shouldn't you let me be me?"
"If you were you in the palace, then my mother wouldn't think twice before she dismissed you!"
"Well, then maybe you made the wrong decision." Karin said firmly, not tearing her gaze away from his.
He sighed and paused to lick his suddenly dry lips. "Look, I don't want anybody else, ok? You're...You're the best thing that ever happened to me." He looked away, not wanting to be caught out after uttering something so sentimental.
Karin flushed and opened her mouth to say something but the door opened suddenly.
"Found you." A voice said teasingly.
Karin jumped at the sound of the voice. "Rukia?" She growled.
"Who else? What're you two lovebirds doing, discussing facades and such?" The petite woman grinned in the near darkness. "I thought I should check on the two of you, who knows what you kids do alone nowadays."
"What do you want?" Karin asked coldly.
Rukia smiled evilly. "You know, Karin Kurosaki, you know what I want..." She took a steady step towards the younger girl and Karin backed up a little, still scowling. Rukia's smile got wider as she took another step forward. Hitsugaya frowned and stepped before Karin.
"What's all this about?" He asked, looking back at Karin.
"You should back away from her." Karin warned, pulling his arm and urging him back, but he shook her off.
Rukia continued to wear her grin and held one hand up and electricity began to whizz about the air around her.
Hitsugaya frowned, "What the...?"
"I told you, have you forgotten already? The whole possessed-by-a-spirit thing?" Karin asked, attempting to push him out of Rukia's range. "Would you fuckin move already?" She hissed.
"No." He said with finality.
"Hitsugaya! Move it!" She ordered, attempting to shift him with all her might. As stiff as his composure was, he stumbled a little and she took the opportunity to go around him and face her sister-in-law. Rukia was still grinning, even wider than before if possible, and the electricity around her slowly picked up its pace.
"Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya whispered crossly.
"Stay out of this." Karin said over her shoulder. She kicked off the sandals that she wore and rolled up the sleeves of her dress.
"Are you going to fight or something?" Hitsugaya asked, suddenly intrigued despite himself.
"You betcha." She grinned. She faced Rukia, who was gazing at her with a raised eyebrow, "What're you lookin at?" Karin said roughly, "I'll stop you, whatever it is you're planning on doin."
"But you're not the focus of my "plan"." Rukia said calmly.
Karin's brow furrowed as the petite woman suddenly thrust her hand out. Too late, Karin realised that Hitsugaya was the one her sister-in-law was going to use. The electricity didn't do him any harm. Instead, it went through his head but didn't come out of the other side. Electricity proceeded to whizz about his entire frame and he swayed for a second or two.
"Now..." Rukia said lowly in her echoing-growly voice of persuasion, "...Kill Karin Kurosaki...and then we can move up from there..."
Karin stared as Hitsugaya's eyes lost all animation and went flat. "Hai." He said in a flat tone. The last of the electricity faded.
"Your time has come, Kurosaki, say goodbye." Rukia said bitterly as she stood back and observed.
"Hitsugaya?" Karin said softly as he started to move towards her. She took a step back but he still kept moving. "Ojii-sama?" She said uncertainly. "Toushirou?" Still, there was no response. "Shirou-kun?" There was still nothing. Her heart started to beat a little frantically as she realised fully that he was under the control of Rukia. He would do whatever she said. No, no, no, no, no! She screamed within her mind as his fist came towards her. He had no weapon to use so he would have to use his knowledge of the Martial Arts; he'd beat her to death, basically. Karin dodged the attack. "Shirou-kun, snap out of it, please!" She cried, dodging another blow.
"It's no good, he can't hear you!" Rukia said gleefully.
"I swear I will kill you for this, bitch!" Karin muttered angrily. Just lemme get out of this predicament first, she thought in panic, ducking for cover as a leg came flying at her. "Fuck!" She stood up. She couldn't keep dodging forever; she had to fight back. She'd learnt everything that she knew about almost everything from Ichigo and that included fighting. Her brother had always been a rebel, even when he was younger and he'd often get picked on because of that (and his hair colour) so their parents had decided to get him to channel his frustration and rebelliousness and enrolled him in the nearest dojo. He'd been the top student and after their mother's death, as part of looking out for his sisters and helping them however he could, he'd taught Karin how to fight. Yuzu hadn't been too keen on the idea so she'd declined the offer. Karin had been a good enthusiastic pupil and she'd perfected every technique that she'd been taught, often incorporating her brother's attacks with her own unique style.
But I can't attack Shirou-kun! She protested to herself.
But he's got to admit defeat in order for her spell to wear off, a voice said in the back of her mind. This was the voice of reason and Karin seldom listened to it but right now, it was really starting to sound reasonable.
That might work, she thought. The idea made her pause a second and her guard came down and she got punched across the jaw. She hissed in pain and immediately jumped back before Hitsugaya could attack again. "Shit...!" She muttered, clutching her jaw. Hitsugaya thrust a punch at her this time and, instead of ducking or dodging, she blocked it. This seemed to surprise the inanimate Hitsugaya as his head rose just a little. This ignited a little hope in Karin's heart but it died again as he aimed once more. She blocked his next punch too and aimed her own attack. He easily dodged it and dropped to the ground and made to kick her off her feet but she jumped up just as his foot was about to make contact with her shins.
As their fight continued, Karin chanced to catch a sight of Rukia out of the corner of her eye. The petite woman was smiling, as if she was immensely entertained and Karin scowled. She would not let Rukia have the satisfaction of getting the power that she sought and, in order to stop that, Karin had to save Hitsugaya first. This fight was useless; they were cancelling each other out but Hitsugaya would keep on going until he passed out from sheer exhaustion whereas she wouldn't be able to keep going for much longer. Her breath was already becoming laboured. She didn't have a hope of beating him at this fight.
Perchance, as the fight wore on and Karin dodged and ducked and blocked all the blows that Hitsugaya delivered, her mind strayed to her family. She hoped Ichigo was okay, and Yuzu. She hoped that if she lost this and failed them and everyone else in this kingdom, then they'd be okay at the least. She was so glad that she finally had her real brother and sister back. She had the best family in the world, especially her brother, who had put his controlling wife aside and gone to seek her out that other time.
Wait! She thought suddenly. Ichigo had been under Rukia's control then so how had he been able to break out of it and go against her wishes? He'd said he'd wanted to apologize to her. And he'd been glad when she'd come back home. So maybe, if it wasn't too presumptuous of her, Ichigo's worry for her had helped him break out of Rukia's control? It was a possibility. So, what about Shirou? He said she was the best thing that ever happened to him. So, could she build on that in any way? What would really grab his attention and get him to fight off Rukia's mind-control? "Shirou-kun?" She suddenly stopped as he attacked again. Both were breathing pretty heavily now. Hitsugaya paused momentarily, surprised that she wasn't attacking or defending. That was enough proof for her that, somewhere in there, Hitsugaya was paying attention. "I...I love you." She said softly. The fist that had been raised ready for attack suddenly unfurled at her words and his blank gaze flickered from unanimated to animated to unanimated again.
"What's going on!?" Rukia cried, though she had enough sense not to be too loud, after all, what would happen if some of the servants found out that they were in here and discovered a dead Karin Kurosaki? "Kill her!"
Hitsugaya's eyes stayed unanimated and the relief in Karin's heart abruptly faded. "Shirou-kun...?" She said hesitantly.
He thrust his fist at her face and she barely managed to avoid it. She felt the air rush by her cheek as his hand streaked past. Damn, what now? WHAT DO I DO? She cried desperately into her mind as she backed up.
He came charging at her suddenly, his strides long and his expression blank and fists raised.
And it suddenly came to her, like a revelation, what she should do.
She stayed still as he came bounding at her and when he was close enough, she threw herself at him, her arms winding about his neck. His punches were useless at such a close range. She leant into him and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes as she did so.
"NO!" Rukia hissed. "Kill her! Kill Kurosaki!"
But she was ignored. Karin's eyes remained closed as the unresponsive, stiff lips that she kissed became a little livelier and kissed back. She didn't open her eyes but she smiled through the kiss. Hitsugaya's arms suddenly wrapped about her waist and held her close. They savoured one another, finally able to express their feelings through the gesture, as they had waited so long to do so. They were both still panting quite heavily from their fight but they continued to kiss for a good few seconds.
They broke away slowly, feeling the breath of the other rush into their mouth as they took in air desperately. Hitsugaya's eyes opened, as did Karin's, and their gazes met and they smiled.
A screech from behind brought them back to reality and they turned around abruptly, letting go of one another. Rukia was glaring at the two of them with undisguised hatred.
"You little..." She began, talking to Karin.
"Save it." Karin said, charging at her and punching her across the head. Rukia was so fragile; she fell immediately.
"Nicely done." Hitsugaya said, impressed, walking up behind her. "But how do we go about explaining this if we get discovered?"
"Um...I haven't a clue. I'll think of something." Karin said, rolling her sleeves down and slipping her sandals back on again. "Help me get her up." She said, going over to the fallen woman and grasping one of her arms and slinging it about her shoulders. She lifted the petite woman up easily. "Whoa, she's real light." Small wonder, she thought, she's barely eaten in almost a week.
"Need any help?" Hitsugaya asked.
"No, it's alright." She said, walking slowly towards the door. "Say, what's with this room? It don't look like much from the front." She looked around again at the clean floors and the numerous boxes.
He shrugged in response, "It's just one of the rooms in the palace where I go to in order to get away from everyone else."
"In here?" She asked uncertainly.
He shrugged again as he opened the door and turned the lights out. He stuck his head out of the doorframe and peered out. The coast was clear. "Come on." He whispered.
"Right." Karin said, starting after him.
They kept walking cautiously. If they were discovered by the Queen is a dimly lit corridor with an unconscious Rukia leaning on Karin, the situation would not look too good.
They were almost back to the drawing room when they were confronted with the Queen.
"Toushirou! Kurosaki-chan! What happened?" Chikako looked worriedly at Rukia and then turned an accusatory gaze on her son.
"Um...Well, your Majesty, my sister-in-law began to feel a little faint while we were sitting and we left the room senselessly without asking for the whereabouts of the lavatory. We do beg your pardon." Karin bowed deeply before the white-haired woman, taking Rukia down with her.
"So, I went to look for them because they hadn't returned in quite some time and found them some corridors off, lost." Hitsugaya added blankly.
Chikako frowned at them, not sure if what they said was true but then she surmised that they had no reason to be false so she decided that she'd let them off. "And what did you say happened to your sister-in-law?" She asked curiously.
"Well, she has periods of weakness when she's likely to drift off to sleep. She gets tired easily." Karin explained seriously.
"Hmm...I see," Chikako called a maid over and told her to help Karin take Rukia to a room upstairs.
"Hai, your Majesty." The maid said as she came over and bowed. She went over to Karin and took the unmoving arm of Rukia and slung it about her shoulders. "If you would come this way, Kurosaki-san." She said as she began leading them towards the stairs.
"Of course, thank you." Karin smiled at the maid and they walked on. Karin looked back at Hitsugaya and winked while his mother wasn't looking. Hitsugaya's eyebrow rose in response but a grin tugged at the corners of his lips nevertheless.
"Toushirou, I would very much like to discuss this girl with you." Chikako said as soon as Karin was out of earshot.
"Hai, Okaa-sama." Hitsugaya said.
"Step inside please." She said, pushing the door to the drawing room open and ushering him in. She closed the door after they were both in and turned to her son. "Right, how did you meet Karin Kurosaki?" She asked.
"We have the same chill out spot." He grinned, not mindful of the fact that he'd used a colloquial.
"You have the same what?" She asked, eyes narrowed.
"Chill out spot; the same place where we go to unwind." He explained.
"And why did you never inform me of this little "chill out spot"?" She questioned.
He shrugged. "I didn't think I'd have to inform you every time I went out to the town."
"And did you have any bodyguards with you?" She asked.
He looked away and sighed. "No."
"WHAT?!" She exclaimed. "You know you are not supposed to go out anywhere without your bodyguards!"
Hitsugaya looked to her and held her gaze evenly. "Don't you think, Okaa-sama, that the point of all the lessons in Martial Arts and swordsmanship were supposed to be so that I could defend myself in the unlikely incident that I got attacked?" He said blankly.
"Toushirou...!" She began irritably, but she trailed off and sighed. "The lessons in Martial Arts were supposed to be a last resort if you did get attacked; the bodyguards are there to look after you."
"I'm eighteen years old!" He exclaimed suddenly. "I'm perfectly able to look after myself!"
"You will not take that tone with me!" Chikako said crossly.
"Okaa-sama, don't you think it's time you stop fretting over everything I do?" Hitsugaya said with another sigh. "If you really expect me to run a whole country, then shouldn't you be treating me like I'm my own person?"
"Of course, but I cannot just give up being your mother overnight, Toushirou," She said softly, "And I know you may think it unreasonable to ask your future wife here to stay all of a sudden but understand that I cannot just place you in her arms without ascertaining that she'll take good care of you."
"Okaa-sama!" Hitsugaya exclaimed as a small flush crept up his cheeks. "I'm not an object!"
"Of course not, dear." She said without much conviction. "So, tell me more about her. What does she like?"
Hitsugaya's flush subsided and he shrugged. "She likes to climb trees, she likes to play tag and she loves her family."
"And that is all well and good, Shirou-chan, but what does she feel towards you? How do you know she genuinely cares for you?" Chikako asked seriously.
"Cuz I know her." He replied distantly.
"Cuz"? Chikako thought with a raised eyebrow. What was wrong with her son's speech? He was talking like...like a common person. "Why are you talking like a commoner?" She asked.
"Eh?" He looked back at her in puzzlement. "In what way do I talk like a commoner?"
"Where are you picking up these habits?" She asked disapprovingly.
"I have no idea what you mean, Okaa-sama." He said.
Upstairs, in one of the many spare bedrooms, Karin and the maid laid Rukia onto the bed and after pulling the sheets over her, they left.
Once downstairs, the maid knocked on the door of the drawing room. The door opened, revealing Chikako Hitsugaya and her son both wearing frowns. They cleared up as soon as they saw Karin. "Ah, Kurosaki-chan, welcome!" Chikako held the door open and Karin came in, bowing as she did. "Make some tea." Chikako ordered the maid. "For three."
"Hai, Hitsugaya-sama." The maid bowed and left.
"Right, I shall have to leave the two of you soon; some matters require my immediate attention." Chikako said as she sat down.
She asked the two of them numerous questions and they answered truthfully to the best of their abilities. When the tea was served, she bid them to move closer to her and made sure that they were sitting together and monitored the uneasiness they felt at being so close in her presence. She found it rather amusing. She left them sitting together when she left some time later, telling them not to go to sleep too late.
"So..." Karin began, turning to face him.
"So...what?" He said, also turning a little to face her.
"Quite an eventful evening, no?" She asked.
"Damn straight."
"Yup." No doubt; came to the palace for dinner, was asked to stay the night, had a proper fight with the Prince, confessed my feelings for the Prince, kissed the Prince, beat my sister-in-law up; all in time to have a nice cuppa tea before bed, she thought with a weary sigh.
"You need to do something before she runs amok." Hitsugaya said.
"But what?" Karin said in exasperation. "She's not really supposed to leave Ichigo's side for too long; usually she stays in her bedroom."
"Yeah, but you can't keep going like this." Hitsugaya said in response.
She sighed again. "I know, but how are we going to do this?"
"Exorcism?" He suggested.
"Yeah, but then what?" She asked. "The spirit's gonna leave Rukia's body and just enter somebody else's. She's already tried to possess various other people."
"You'll get through this." He whispered reassuringly. His leant forward, eyes closing as he did, and met her lips with his own. He grasped the back of her head and pulled her in further and she ran her hands through the thick strands of his white hair. "I love you..." He said softly, "And I believe in you..."
She flushed at that and embraced him. "Arigato...Domo Arigato...Shirou-kun." He smiled and held her tightly. "I love you too..." She said, still flushing.