This is the twenty-first chapter of At Your Service. I hope you all like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own bleach.
At Your Service
Chapter 21-Assurance
Karin was walking cheerfully to the bleach café after school. As she walked, she tried to come up with a way to explain to Toushirou that her brother was coming home. She knew how overprotective her brother could get and Karin didn't want Toushirou to have his head bitten off just for dating her.
At the same time, she tried to think of ways to explain to Ichigo that she had a boyfriend. She had failed to do so on the phone, but saying you have a boyfriend is something that must be done in person. Plus, Toushirou had a tendency to have cold first impressions.
Karin sighed, creating a puff of her breath in the cold air.
Two of the most important guys in her life would be at each others necks. With Ichigo's hot temper and Toushirou's cold attitude, bad things were bound to happen.
As soon as she made it to the café, she saw it was nearly empty. She sat at one of the empty tables.
"Hello, I'm Hitsugaya Toushirou and I will be your waiter this evening, is there anything that you would like?" Toushirou replied as he walked over to her table. Karin smiled coyly.
"Yeah, I was wondering if you've seen this really cute workaholic with a cold attitude that works in this café. He's got white hair; you can't miss him" Karin explained, using hand gestures.
Toushirou smirked.
"Yeah, I've seen a guy like that around. He's that really annoying one, who keeps talking about some Kurosaki chick that he's in love with. What a jerk"
Karin chuckled softly.
"Great timing by the way, I'm off work in five minutes" he replied.
"Oh, then I'll have a coffee" Karin ordered.
"Coffee, heavy on the sugar, coming up" he responded before leaving for a different part of the building.
Karin waited a little while before he came back with her drink in hand. He sat the drink in front of her before sitting himself in the seat across the table.
"Hey," he acknowledged.
"Hey," Karin greeted with a cheery smile. She took a sip of her coffee and sighed happily.
Now, most couples would kiss each other as a greeting. But Karin already knows how Toushirou doesn't like to show public displays of affection, especially at work, so she doesn't want to push him.
"So… you came because…?" urged Toushirou. Karin faked an offended look.
"Can't I just come to see you?" questioned Karin. Toushirou raised an eyebrow at her.
"You only come to see me when you have an ulterior motive" he answered.
"True" Karin replied before taking another sip of the hot liquid in her hands.
"So what's the motive?" repeated Toushirou.
"Well, my brother, Ichigo, is coming to visit" replied Karin, waiting for a reaction on Toushirou's face.
"I've heard" he replied in a bored voice. Karin looked up at him, shocked.
"You've heard?" asked the stunned Kurosaki.
"Yep, I heard from Inoue and Ishida"
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. You sound mad"
"Well, of course I'm mad. I was stressing over how I was going to tell you that my overprotective brother is coming for a visit" pouted Karin while drinking her coffee.
"If it makes you feel any better, my sisters are visiting during new years" Toushirou informed. A smile broke out on Karin's face.
"Really? That's awesome! I can't wait to meet them" squealed Karin excitedly.
"I wish I could say that the feeling is mutual for when your sibling visits" groaned Toushirou.
"Yeah" Karin sighed. Toushirou looked at her quizzically.
"Hmm?" he hummed.
"What?" asked Karin.
"Well, this is usually the part where the caring girlfriend say 'oh, don't worry, my brother's not that bad' or 'I'm sure he'll like someone as great as you' or something to reassure me" Toushirou notified.
"I'm not going to lie to you. My brother is one tough cookie. He's protected me from bullies, wild animals, and especially my possible suitors. He's going to hate you because he thinks you'll break my heart or something of that nature-"
"Which I would never do" Toushirou interrupted.
"And if he even gets the slightest inference that you will, he will tear you limb from limb" Karin finished.
"That does not reassure me at all" stated Toushirou.
"I'm just telling you what's ahead. I still have to think of a way to tell him that you and I are dating" pondered Karin.
"Oh, fun" complained Toushirou.
"Alright, I promise you that everything will work out. My brother will only be around for two days, and I will do everything in my power to convince him that you are special to me" Karin proclaimed.
"Now, there's the reassurance I was looking for" smiled Toushirou.
"Always here to help" claimed Karin with a bright smile.
Karin then, out of the corner of her eye, noticed the clock.
"Aw man, I have to go" announced Karin before gulping down the rest of her coffee.
"You know, you can take the coffee with you" commented Toushirou as he watched her gulp it down. Karin finished gulping it down quickly.
"Yeah, I know" she replied once she finished. She and Toushirou rose up from their seats.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow morning?" he requested as Karin threw away her cup.
"Yep, see you then" she replied before rushing out the door.
"Karin" called Toushirou as he walked out of the café behind her. Karin turned around to him.
"Yes, Tou-"
But Toushirou cut her off with his lips. The kiss only lasted for seconds, but that was good enough for Karin. Toushirou pulled back from her lips.
"Have a good evening" He said with a kind smirk.
"Thanks" replied Karin with a light blush on her face as she smiled softly at him.
Well, that was the twenty-first chapter of At Your Service. I hope you all loved it. Please review.