A/N: This is my first fan fiction. I hope you enjoy. I always welcome constructive criticism.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I only own my own characters.
Chapter 13: It's Been So Long
"Aren't you a Captain? I thought that captains were supposed to have the highest respect? Isn't he supposed to let you through, Karin?" Masaki whispered as she stood behind Karin.
They stood at the Black Ridge Gate of the Northern Rukon. Karin was squaring off against the gatekeeper, Danzomaru. The two had butted heads ever since they had met. She knew she didn't like him because of the way he treated the souls of his district. Why he didn't like her was anyone's guess.
Karin turned to her mother and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. He's always this vulgar."
"Hey! I heard that, you half pint captain!" Danzomaru blustered. "I'll report you to the first division. Don't think I won't!" The over sized man nodded his head self-importantly. "And I'm not lettin' you through my gate. Your title is just a sham. Look at you, you're just a kid! What harm could you do, scream my head off during a tantrum? Please. No, I'll save my respect for those who are strong and deserve it." With that, he plopped himself down on the ground in front of his gate and folded his arms in a defiant manner, much like the child he had just claimed she was.
Masaki gasped at the man's disrespectful words. Before she could even look to her daughter for her reaction, however, the large behemoth of a man was flat on the ground, surrounded by thick, dark miasma that seemed to be searing his flesh in several non-vital areas.
Danzomaru yelled in shocked pain as the black smoke covered every inch of him. When he whipped his head to the side, hoping to dislodge the strangely painful substance from his skin, he saw to his surprise that it was radiating from the captain standing before him. He had never even seen her move, let alone speak a command for her zanpakuto. There was no way.
"Do you respect the strength of my zanpakuto, then, Danzomaru? I could demonstrate it to its full effectiveness if this is not enough to 'earn your respect as a strong person'." The last was said with disdain for the man twitching on the ground. The young woman's face looked almost bored. Detached, even. It actually terrified the gate keeper.
"No. Don't. I mean, please, Captain Kurosaki, have mercy. I will let you in immediately." As soon as the words were uttered, the miasma dissipated back from whence it came. But before he could rise to do as he had said, Danzomaru found a small, feminine hand clutching his shihakusho at the neck and dragging him closer to the speaker.
"Listen here, you overgrown child. And listen well. Know that strength should not be measured by the strength of one's blade, but by the contents of one's character. And if you don't start showing better character, then I will do everything in my power to have you removed from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, post haste. Got it?" Karin seethed.
Nodding vigorously, Danzomaru rushed to open the gate to admit the captain and her companion.
Half an hour later, Karin had her mother getting settled in her quarters. They had yet to run into anyone. Odd, since normally the third squad was always on the move. There was no way her lieutenant would let it get so lax, would he? Karin thought for a moment, then remembered it was the second week of the month. During this time, the third squad always trained with the fourth in order to improve the fourth's combat readiness. With that worry settled, Karin turned her attention back to her mother.
"The bathroom is through here, the bedroom is here, and if you want something to eat, there's food stashed in this cupboard here. I don't have anywhere to cook since I usually eat out anyways. There is a garden out through those doors if you get tired of staying inside. And if you need anything, I'll be sending someone over to check on you in about an hour or so." Finished with her short tour of her rooms, Karin excused herself, saying she needed to go and report to the Head Captain.
Quickly changing into her uniform and spare haori, Karin flash stepped to the first division. Stopping just outside the doors to the Head Captain's office, Karin raises her hand to knock.
Before her knuckles make contact, the door swung open to reveal a peevish looking Lieutenant Sasakibe.
"Hey, Lieutenant Kabe! Been a while! Is the Old Man in?" Not waiting for an answer from the man, she pushes into the room and stood before the white bearded captain's desk. "Yo, what's new, Captain Yamamoto? Haven't seen you in a bit."
Yamamoto raised his head and peered at Karin in a solemn fashion. "Your report, Captain?"
Karin grinned and put her hands behind her head. The old man never wasted any time. Always straight to the point. In this case, she was glad. She had other places she wanted to be.
Starting from the beginning, Karin began to detail the events since she had been gone.
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"Man, that was a long meeting!" Karin stretched as she walked to third squad as the sun started its' decent in the sky. As she approached her office, she saw her lieutenant step into the hall just ahead of her. "Hey, Kira! Glad I could find you, man."
A lengthy meeting followed as her lieutenant descended upon her. First was a long and drawn out welcome from her seated officers. Then settling urgent matters within the squad, which was mostly just signatures. Last was getting someone to escort her mother for the time being. All of this took no less than four hours. Karin was happy to see her men again, don't get her wrong. And she did need to get someone over to watch out for her mother. But there was still somewhere she desperately wanted to be.
Finally able to break away from Kira, Karin dashed off in the direction of the tenth division. As she passed the entrance for the sixth's grounds, a red haired man stepped out into her path holding a mound of paper work. As he turned to come in her direction, he stopped short. "Karin? Karin Kurosaki? Is that you, kid?"
She rolled her eyes at the term 'kid', but smiled at Renji as he approached. "Hey, Abarai. Good to see you. How have you be- hugh!"
Without warning, he had dropped his papers and pulled her in for a hug that nearly had her blacking out from lack of oxygen. Finally releasing her, he held her at arms length. "Does your family know you're here? Man, they've been worried sick! Ichigo has been a nightmare to talk to. Your father usually starts crying when you are mention, and your sister. Don't even get me started on your sister!"
Karin sighed. She had expected as much. But what could she do? "No, Renji, I haven't. Feel free to tell them when you see them to come see me at my place. It will save me having to hunt them up one by one." Hurriedly helping him gather his papers back up, she waves over her shoulder and continues on her way.
One flash step later, and Karin was in front of the Tenth's offices. She knew 'he' would be here at this time of day. He always was. She wasn't disappointed, either.
Standing just outside his office door, Karin listened as she heard Matsumoto delivering the monthly report to him. Karin did try to stop herself. She really did. But she wanted to see him so badly. Of all the people she had missed, he was the one she had wanted to see the most in the past six months.
Sliding the shoji door open in front of her, Karin stepped into the office.
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Hitsugaya barely listened as his lieutenant droned on about the daily or monthly report. He couldn't care enough to remember. The only thing he had on his mind was forming another rescue team to delve into Hueco Mundo in search of Karin. Nothing else had been able to hold his attention for more than a few minutes for the past six months.
He was brought out of his thoughts as his office door opened suddenly. Matsumoto stopped talking and stared, open mouthed, at the person he could not see in his doorway.
If that's Ichigo come to annoy me again, I swear I'm gonna kill him this time. He thought angrily. The carrot-top had been coming around at least once a day to 'cheer up' Hitsugaya. All he had been able to do was piss him off.
When the person stepped into the room and into Hitsugaya's line of sight, his heart stopped dead in his chest. Matsumoto seemed stunned, as well.
"Karin?" He croaked. She was here. Really here? How many times had he dreamt of this only to wake up and have it cruelly snatched away in the early morning light. Gods, don't let this be a dream. And if it is, don't let me wake up.
The two captains stared at each other for only a moment more. Then Karin was running to him and throwing herself into his arms.
For once, his lieutenant quietly excused herself to give the two lovers privacy. But not before her captain saw a grin on her face and a glint in her eyes. He didn't care though. Karin was there. With him after so long apart.
Hugging her close, he breathed in her vanilla and strawberry scent, relishing the now distant familiarity of it. Tilting her face up to his, Hitsugaya kissed her lips softly.
She pushed away from him after only a moment. Framing his face with her hands, she looked into his eyes and said, "I love you, Toshiro. With everything I am. Right now, nothing else matters."
His eyes water with the intensity of emotion welling up inside of him. Reaching into his coat pocket he pulls out a shining object carved from his sword's ice. Holding it up to Karin, he meets her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Karin Kurosaki. I love you. Heart, mind, and soul. There is no other person in any world that I would rather spend eternity with. Will you do me the greatest honor of being my wife?"
Karin stared at the beautifully crafted choker necklace he held out to her. It looked like two of Hyorinmaru, tails entwined as they both clutched an icy jewel between their jaws. The jewel itself looked to change from icy blue to a pure, untouched white in a cloudy fashion.
When she said nothing in response, Toshiro began to get a bit nervous. "I know that others may talk. I mean, we don't exactly look old enough to get married. I don't mind waiting as long as you want. So long as -"
Karin covered his mouth, stopping his words. It was then that Toshiro saw the tears forming in her eyes. As if in slow motion, the tears fell, one perfect droplet at a time. "Of course I'll marry you, you idiot. And no waiting. As soon as it can be arranged. Got that?" Smiling softly up at her tear streaked face, he nods his head. Karin leans down and kisses him softly. "Good. Now will you put that on me?"
As he reached up the clasp the necklace around her throat, one of the dragons released it grip of the jewel in its mouth. Mist, like that from dry ice, drifted from its open maw until it fit itself back around the jewel. Hitsugaya brushes her tears away. "Why are you crying, Karin?"
"I'm just so happy." She sniffles and tries to wipe her tears away. "I haven't cried in years."
Grabbing her hands away from her face, Hitsugaya lays a kiss against each eyelid. "If you want to cry, then cry. I'm here, so no one else will see."
After drying her tears, Karin snuggles her face deeper into Toshiro's neck while she rests on his lap, glad to finally be back in his arms. She had almost forgotten that he smelled of spearmint and watermelon. It was a comfort she hadn't had in months. And she never wanted to go a day without it.
And I won't have to. We're getting married! I can't believe it! I'm so happy. Karin thought excitedly. I wonder what mom will say when I tell her?
Pulling back from Toshiro, Karin exclaims. "I almost forgot to tell you! I found my mother when I reentered Soul Society. She found me and took care of me while I was recovering. Can you believe it? I actually found her!"
Toshiro smiled at her lit up expression. He hadn't seen her nearly this excited since she had beaten Captain Soifon in a race around the Seireitei. "Really? That's a miracle! The chances of finding family members in the Soul Society who died before you are less than one in a million."
"I know. And better than that, she actually came back here with me to reunite with dad, Ichi, and Yuzu."
Hitsugaya paused as Karin said her family members name's. "Karin, do you mind doing something for me?" She tilted her head in question, making the living ice at her throat shimmer and gleam in the dimming light of the evening. "Would you mind not telling your family about our engagement? I want to tell them together." He turned his face away as it started heating up.
Karin chuckled softly at his embarrassment. "I don't mind. But I must warn you, it will be your funeral." Leaning forward, she brushed a laughing kiss on his forehead as she got up from her seat on his lap. "I've gotta go. My mother will probably be dying of boredom about now. I'll see you tomorrow. We can set up a time to tell my family then."
As she dashed from the room, she could hear him hollering about coming back and explaining what she meant about it being 'his funeral'. In response, she laughed and ran faster in the direction of her barracks.