Notice: Friday, May 13, 2011—So far for today I have uploaded chapter 11, 12 & 13. Yesterday I posted Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 so if you didn't check in yesterday then you might want to go back.
Watching Karin
By fate they met in Karakura Town. He helped win a soccer match due to her stubbornness. Luck allowed him to save her life. Now Hitsugaya can't get Kurosaki Karin off his mind. So he watches over her, unfortunately he isn't the only one watching.
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I don't. I also do not make money from writing fan fiction.
Chapter 13: Let's Go Shopping!
Toshiro took Karin home. Yuzu her was so glad that she hugged her too hard. Karin fought the urge to wince and smiled, "I'm so sorry Yuzu."
Her father was giving her a stern look, "What's going on with you Karin?"
"I'm sorry, Dad," She said in an unusually humble voice. This surprised the old man, his face softened.
"Who's this?" Her father asked in a voice that betrayed some recognition. Karin and Toshiro took it to mean he understood they had been seeing each other. He smiled and invited the boy in, "Thank you for bringing her home. Come inside."
Toshiro appeared unemotional, and respectfully declined, explaining that he had to go straight home. The Kurosakis went inside leaving him at their door. He turned around and walked away. He was thinking hard about the last month. It had really been strange, not just between Karin and he, but all together. Almost no Hollow activity, than that tree thing, and those arrancar all appearing at once. He knew that times in Karakura Town were strange, so he shrugged it off and went home.
He couldn't believe he agreed to go to a dance. He frowned hard. He did not look forward going to a party of any kind, least of all one in which there would be so many boys who viewed him as a romantic rival.
'Romance, I never thought about it before I met you, Karin,' He turned his thoughts to Momo suddenly, he felt terribly guilty. He hadn't even thought of her in weeks. She was suffering terribly and he could do nothing for her. What right did he have to have any kind of romance, when she was in such pain? He loved her too, he guessed. It was hard to feel so strongly about two different people.
Without realizing it he'd walked to 'the' spot. He looked at the sky. The sun was still high above the horizon. He stayed there for a while.
"What am I going to do?"
When he got home, Rangiku was still gone so he slunk down in front of the kitchen table and absentmindedly picked up an apple that had been laying there. He bit into it and sat there in contemplation. When Rangiku got home he was still sitting there staring off into space holding an apple with a single bite in it. The white flesh of the apple had browned. She tapped his shoulder, he woke up.
"What's the matter Captain? You look depressed."
He sighed, and mumbled, "She wants me to take her to a dance, at her school." He shot an icy look toward her warning her not to laugh or say anything that he'd have to make her regret.
"Well you know what this calls for," She looked at him seriously. He actually thought she was going to say something helpful, "Shopping trip!" She squealed with delight.
He fell on his back in revolt; the apple was dropped and rolled under the table. She grabbed his arm, and forcefully dragged him out of the apartment. He actually left tiny scratch marks in the linoleum floor.
"Why are we shopping?" He wondered because they had only been to two shops and both sold exclusively women's clothes. He was miserable. He felt like everybody was staring at him.
"Well I thought I'd get some shopping done too," She smiled, "Now Captain, did Karin tell you if this was a formal occasion?" He shook his head. She piled several bags of clothing onto the boy. She took out her phone and made a call. She was exchanging words with someone on the other end of the line. She nodded, "Uh-huh, OK," She hung up the phone.
She dialed again, "Are you very busy right now? I could use your help," She looked at the captain and turned her back on him and continued talking to the person on the other end. She loved doing this to her captain. He sighed and braced himself for whatever torment she had in store for him.
"Great! This is going to be really fun!" She sighed and looked very pleased with herself. They walked for a couple of blocks. The small white haired boy following a tall busty blond, loaded with several shopping bags. Suddenly she stopped and yelled, "Hey! Yumichika! Over here," She waved. Toshiro looked there was Yumichika leaning against a store front window across the street.
The boy grimaced, 'This-is-going-to-be-hell.'
"Thanks for coming!" She smiled brightly.
"Any excuse to go shopping," He flashed his most charming smile, allowing everybody the chance to enjoy his beauty.
They dragged the unwilling victim into the nearest store which sold men's and boy's apparel. The clerks were eying the Trio suspiciously. Rangiku would choose something off the rack. Yumichika would give his approval or disapproval. She'd thrust the ones that met the narcissistic man's approval onto the little boy. They sent him into the dressing room. Out he'd come.
"No those are too long," Rangiku muttered.
"That shirt looks good if I do say so myself," Yumichika said, pleased with his choice, "Keep that one." One of the Shop girls nodded.
Captain Hitsugaya went into the dressing room and took it off obediently handing it out through the red velvety curtains.
He came out with a glum look on his face in a pair of dark blue slacks, and a white long sleeved dress shirt.
"No, that doesn't suit you at all." Yumichika stated holding his hand to his chin in contemplation.
This kept up for way longer than Hitsugaya was comfortable with. Finally the two were done torturing him. They had settled on Tan slacks that were just the right length, 'and just like every other pair I've got,' Hitsugaya thought, annoyed. They chose a blue green polo shirt that matched his eyes. They both agreed it was adorable, of course not where the captain could hear.
Hitsugaya drew quite a lot of attention when he pulled out his own wallet and produced the money for the purchase. The three of them left. Hitsugaya carrying a sack with the store logo on it and decided he'd had enough of this, so he sneaked off while the two soul-reapers were walking into another store. He was walking along when something shiny caught his attention. In a jewelry store window of all places. There on a display bust was a gold necklace with a delicate chain. On it was a soccer ball pendant.
He didn't even think about it but went into the store. He left with a small bag that contained a little white box. He spotted Rangiku and Yumichika looking for him. He slipped the smaller bag into one of the larger ones then made some distance from the jewelry store before he allowed them to spot him.
As promised Toshiro replaced Rangiku's ruined make-up. Yumichika left them at this point. All the fun was over for him. When he got home he hid the little box among his things and laid on the futon. He was more exhausted than when he had fought that arrancar the earlier that day. Rangiku did not return with him, but sent her own purchases with him, "Thank you captain, you're so sweet."
When he awoke it was dusk. He decided to go to 'the' spot, 'Maybe she's there now.'
She wasn't there. He had decided he was glad, because he'd be unhappy to know she had gone anywhere alone. He sat and looked at the sky. His thoughts picked up where they had left off—with Momo. He sighed and decided he didn't feel like looking at the sky after all.