A/N: SURPRISE! :D I did it in THREE days! I don't own Bleach!

PROMPT Y: Yawn

Romance/Friendship: HitsuKarin

Karin turned 15 that year and Toshirou hadn't made it. Of course, he almost never made it for the day of her birthday, but she thought that maybe, just maybe, this year he would. It was a special year for her, and yet he did not make an effort to come and see her.

However, Karin made him make up for it.

The first day he came back in November, she made him take her to the ice cream shop even though it was cold out. He hadn't denied her that-he was content to cool places. After that, they went to play soccer to work off the calories, but it turned out not being worth it since it was too windy and cold.

The next day, she hunted him down at Orihime's house and dragged him from his breakfast for a morning jog. It lasted the entirety of forty minutes and by the end of it, he was sure that a dragon inhabited his stomach; it just wouldn't shut up. Although he felt it was foolish, he couldn't help but blush slightly in embarrassment as Karin looked over at his stomach and giggled a little.

Finally, she took him home and they ate a bowl of cereal- Karin eating another despite her breakfast two hours earlier.

"You just ate not long ago!" Yuzu had warned. "You'd better not keep it up, or you'll get fat."

Karin had promptly started jogging in place, just barely balancing the milk in her bowl. "See? No problem," Karin said with a mouthful of cheerios.

"That's…That's brilliant!" Yuzu beamed, jogging in place next to her older sister. Toshirou had rolled his eyes as he chewed his Raisin Bran Crunch while Karin laughed.

Later that day, she dragged him from Orihime's again after letting him relax for a few hours-Matsumoto and the rest of Toshirou's team went along.

"Karin," Toshirou complained as he was dragged along by his sleeve. "I have to work!"

"You missed my birthday, so you have to make it up."

"That's what this is all about?" Toshirou rolled his eyes, which was one of Karin's habits that had rubbed off on him. "Karin, I can't just up-and-leave whenever the hell I please. I need to ask permission or get sent here for a reason other than you."

"Then why didn't you ask?" she wondered, ignoring the booming laughter of Yumichika and Ikkaku, along with not-so-modest giggles and snorts from Matsumoto, all of which thought the situation was adorable and hilarious. Toshirou was having no such luck with any joy, refraining from telling them to shut their traps.

"I did ask," he claimed, but Karin knew better.

"Liar," she accused, dropping her soccer ball on the ground. They were at the soccer field near Grandma Haru's house.

"Okay… Maybe I didn't. But still, I've been around here so much the past few years that I doubt Yamamoto would have let me come, anyway."

"Well, it would have been worth a shot."

"Actually," Yumichika butted in," I bet he would have just extended the mission."

"You're not helping," Toshirou snapped irritably, stealing Karin's ball and dribbling it around the field.

"You ain't off the hook!" Karin yelled, running after him while the others went to go sit at the stands and watch them play.

"Will I be if I win?" Toshirou wondered. Karin shook her head.

"Well," he dusted off his pants and turned around with a smirk. "I'll win anyway."

Karin scowled at the arrogant decision and tried to steal the ball back, failing miserably.

And Toshirou did end up winning the game. (THE GAME.)

Presently, however, Toshirou and Karin rested against the wall below her window sill. Each yawned periodically, it had been a tiring two days, and Toshirou was too tired to go back to Orihime's as of right now.

"I missed you," Karin said suddenly, delirious in her sleep-hazed mind. "I thought you wouldn't come back."

"Why?" Toshirou snorted a little, brow furrowed, although his eyes were closed.

"I don't know, because you never made it to my 15th birthday."

Toshirou exhaled a little in realization. "That's right. You're 15 this year." He had actually remembered her 15th birthday at the time, but had shrugged it off and got down to business with his paperwork instead of making an effort to go and see her.

"Yeah, I am," she sighed.

"Sorry about that. Maybe I'll make it next year," he said as though it mended everything.

"Quit giving me hopes if you don't plan to carry them out," Karin snapped tiredly. Toshirou just smiled a little.

"You're just grumpy because you're tired. Better go to sleep," he teased.

She hadn't really heard him past the mighty yawn she was performing. She just heard the 'better go to sleep' part and nodded. She stood up with her wobbly legs and almost instantly dropped and crumbled back down to the cold, carpet-less floor. She looked up at him with barely-open eyes and said, "Carry me."

Toshirou just rolled his eyes and picked her up with her legs on either side of his hips. By the time she hit the pillow, she was already asleep, but she would not let go of his shirt no matter how hard, albeit gently, he pried.

"Karin-chan," he scolded affectionately. "Let go."

But she would not, and for once, he carelessly thought, 'One night won't hurt.'

Karin woke up the next morning to the steady rhythm of Toshirou's breathing.

A/N: Aw... I'm kind of proud of this one! :3 "Karin-chan," he scolded affectionately. "Let go." was my favorite part. Anyway, thanks for reading!

-Amaya