This is the 12th chapter of Holding On. I hope you like it, it has plenty of Hitsukarin.
Disclaimer: I don't own bleach
Toushirou's thoughts
Hyroinmaru's thoughts
Holding On
Chapter 12- The Snow of Immaturity
Karin walked up to the cashier of the coffee shop, Toushirou right behind her.
"Two cups of hot cocoa, please?" she asked. The cashier nodded kindly as she went to get the order. Karin and Toushirou waited at the cash register.
"Tell me again why we're getting hot cocoa?" he asked her.
"Because, one, it will be cold when we see the first snowfall and I want to at least be kept warm inside. Two, because it take even better on cold winter night" she explained.
Soon, the cashier came back with two cups of hot chocolate. Karin paid the woman then left. She and Toushirou then began to walk to their favorite place, the railing. When they finally made it Karin looked over the city in awe.
"The snow is going to look beautiful from up here!" she exclaimed. Toushirou looked at her and smirked.
"You're acting very childish" Toushirou commented before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
"You say that like it's a bad thing" she said as she faced him.
"Well…" began Toushirou. He had always believed he should be mature if he ever wanted anyone to take him seriously.
"What? You never had an immature moment?" questioned Karin as she took a gulp of hot chocolate.
"An immature moment?" replied Toushirou, taking another sip of his hot chocolate.
"A moment where you would scream or shout. A moment where you would do something silly because you wanted to. A pure, carefree, moment" she explained. Toushirou leaned on the railing and looked out at the clouded sky.
"Carefree… I haven't been carefree in a long time" muttered Toushirou.
"This is a perfect time to start then" Karin replied. Toushirou looked down at the girl who was now sitting down in front of the railing, leaning her back against it, drinking her hot cocoa.
"Alright, well maybe you can enlighten me. Why are you so excited?" he asked, drinking everything left in his cup. Karin smiled sadly.
"Well, when I was three I saw snow for the first time. It was the first snowfall of winter and the last 'first snowfall' my mother would ever see" she said sadly. Toushirou eyes widened.
Her mother died?!
Apparently, no wonder her and Ichigo are the way they are. It must be hard losing your mom at the age of three
Extremely hard…
Toushirou now felt guilty for bringing up the sensitive subject.
"I'm sorry" he apologized.
"Don't be. I… I remember that day so clearly. Ichi-nii and I made snowmen and Yuzu and I made snow angels. It was really fun. That's why I love watching the first snowfall, in memory of my mom" she said as she hugged her knees to her chest. Toushirou hopped over the railing and leaned on it next to her.
"You know, I think I'm going to like the first snowfall, Kurosaki" he said as he looked up to the sky.
"Wow…" said Karin in disbelief. Toushirou turned to her.
"What?" he asked. The snow hadn't fallen yet so he wondered why she would be amazed.
"I just shared a personal story with you and you still call me Kurosaki" she said drinking the rest of her hot chocolate then facing Toushirou. Toushirou didn't know how to respond to such a comment.
"Call me Karin" she demanded. Toushirou was about to retort but, remembering that she has done so much for him and that they were pretty close, he decided against it.
"Fine… Karin" he replied. She smiled brightly at the sound of her name blended with the sound of his voice.
"Much better" she said. Then something white caught her eye. She looked up and gasped. Toushirou looked up and smirked. The snow was falling.
"Beautiful…" Karin breathed. Toushirou nodded. He had to admit that the snow falling was a beautiful sight.
"Stick out your tongue" commanded Karin. Toushirou looked incredulously at her only to see she was doing what she had told him to do.
"Why?" he asked. She glared at him.
"Because you can catch snow flakes on your tongue" she explained as she stuck out her tongue to catch more snowflakes. Toushirou sighed before opening his mouth and sticking his tongue to catch snow. The snow instantly turned to water when it hit his tongue. Toushirou was so focused on getting snowflakes on his tongue that he failed to notice the snowball coming right toward his face.
SPLAT!
"Karin" he grumbled angrily. He faced her only to see she was holding her sides from laughing so hard. He then smirked mischievously.
"Karin, you seemed to be forgetting that I can control the snow and that even in this gigai I still have some of my shinigami powers" he stated. Karin stopped laughing long enough to have snow dumped all over her. She shook some of the snow off.
"Hey!" she yelled. When she looked over at Toushirou and her eyes widened as she saw him sitting down next to her, laughing.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you laugh, Toushirou" Karin commented. This comment made Toushirou stop immediately and look down at himself.
"You're right. I haven't laughed like that in a long time" he stated as he looked at her and smiled softly to himself. Karin smiled at him then a thought came into her head causing her to frown. Toushirou saw her frown and looked at her confusedly.
"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"How long are you going to be staying here, Toushirou?" she asked she hugged her knees to her chest once again. Toushirou frowned at her question.
"Probably a couple more weeks" he replied. Karin then got an idea.
"Alright, then let's promise to never forget tonight" suggested Karin. Toushirou nodded. Karin then held out her pinky. Toushirou rolled his eyes before hooking his pinky with hers.
"Cut your finger and promise," she began a little promise jingle while swinging their pinkies up and down. Toushirou remembered the song from when he was a child in rukongai, so he couldn't help but sing along.
"Break it and you'll have to swallow a thousand needles. It's a promise!" they finished in unison. He let go of her pinky when they said "promise" and relished in the silence with her. Soon the snow stop falling and they began to head back to the Kurosaki clinic.
Toushirou laid down in Ichigo's bed.
You seem happy, Toushirou
Yeah, I am, Hyorinmaru
When I watched you today, you seemed so child like. I'm glad you still have the ability to be that way
I am too. I spent the entire night having fun with a girl I love… wait a minute! What?! Did I just-
Yep, you just said "with a girl I love", congratulations
Toushirou's eyes widened in horror.
"This can not be happening" he whispered sharply to himself.
Well that was the 12th chapter of Holding On and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.
