Author's Note:
Good morrow, fellow HitsuKarin lovers! Here we go with chapter 5! I'll just say that I had fun writing the few interactions between Karin, Toshiro, Isshin, and Ichigo, lol. This is more of a fluffy, slice of life chapter, but an important event does take place. Who doesn't like a little fluff every now and again, am I right? :-D
Alright, on with the show!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo
Karin woke up around 8:30 the next morning; feeling refreshed after having slept for a solid 11 hours. Even though she'd fallen asleep facing Toshiro, she was now staring into her room; so, she assumed she'd probably rolled over at some point during the night. Even without moving, she could feel her entire body ache from the thrashing she took yesterday. 'Damn…I gotta give him props; he really put me through my paces.' She thought, before remembering last night's conversation. 'Oh yeah, that's right. Speaking of Toshiro, I hope he wasn't too uncomfortable with that request. It did work, though; I didn't have any freaky dreams last night.' She thought again; embarrassed, but happy she had been able to get a good night's sleep without waking up at midnight.
Suddenly, she felt a light breeze on the back of her neck, and turned her head to her right. There, lying next to her on the other pillow, was Toshiro's sleeping face.
Karin felt the panic and extreme embarrassment set in as her nose lightly touched his, and she finally registered the arm draped over her waist that was keeping her pinned down; along with the other arm that resided under her pillow.
Still panicking, but trying not to show it, Karin ever-so-slowly turned herself around; that way, she was facing him.
He seemed sound asleep, much to her relief. She didn't want him waking up while they were both still in this position…plus, she found herself oddly mesmerized by his sleeping face, and wanted to look at it for a few more minutes.
Toshiro usually only ever had two to three expressions on his face on any given day: a disinterested frown, an irritated scowl, or a smirk. She got the privilege of seeing a smile every now and again, but they were never big. So, seeing his face so peaceful and relaxed was a welcomed change.
She was so close to him that she could make out a few details she hadn't really noticed before. He had thick eyelashes, and flawless skin. She assumed that he'd had to start shaving when his body aged, and he just kept it very close-shaven; but, from this distance, she could tell he actually didn't grow facial hair. 'Come to think of it, he doesn't have any chest hair, either.' she thought; the (at the time) unimportant observation she'd made at the beach only now coming to mind.
Carefully, she reached up with her free hand, and gently played with the fringe of white hair that hung over his forehead. 'Wow, his hair is so soft.' she thought; a small smile on her face.
She wouldn't deny that when she first saw him at her school six months ago, she'd thought he was insanely hot. Even though she'd been a tomboy her whole life, she'd started appreciating a handsome man when she saw one as she got older…and Toshiro was definitely eye candy for pretty much every female in her school.
She'd had a crush on him back when she was eleven, but never thought it would go anywhere after discovering he was a Shinigami. She'd been quite content to have him as a friend, and enjoyed his company whenever they met up, or bumped into each other.
She'd missed him after the Thousand Year Blood War was over, and he'd stopped visiting the world of the living. Thinking she probably wouldn't see him again now that the conflict was over, she'd put her crush on him in the past, and thought of him as a childhood friend. So, when he'd showed up at her school, she'd been ecstatic to have her old friend back, at least for a little while. As they'd spent more time together, though, she'd discovered that the things she'd really liked about him all those years ago – his wit, his drive, his willingness to help and protect others, and his strong sense of justice – were still a part of him, which only reawakened her old affection for him.
The more time they spent together, the deeper her feelings for him were becoming. She loved his company, his conversation; his ability to make her laugh, and the playful banter they exchanged on a daily basis. She loved how he seemed to understand her better than anyone else she knew, and made her feel safe and at ease whenever he was around. She loved…well, him.
And that reality scared her more than she cared to admit. She knew he'd need to leave, and go back to Soul Society, at some point; he couldn't stay forever, however much she might want him to. She just couldn't face not having him around again; she'd be miserable, and miss him too much.
Her chain of thought was broken when Toshiro stirred slightly next to her, snapping her back to reality.
Quickly, she scooted back a little in the bed to put some distance between their faces, and watched those beautiful turquoise eyes blink open.
Smiling at him, she ruffled his hair playfully. "Morning, Toshiro. What happened, you pass out or something last night?" she asked; trying to interject some humor and levity into the situation.
Slowly, he came to; trying to blink away the drowsiness still weighing his eyelids down. Upon realizing he was still in Karin's room – no, in her BED – a heavy blush settled on his face. Sitting up quickly, he looked at his unintended bedmate. "What? – How? – I'm so sorry, Karin; I must have dozed off last night."
Karin burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. He looked like a deer in headlights, and she found his confused and flustered state rather adorable; the deepening red of his cheeks only adding to it all. "It's a-alright, Toshiro! I'm no–not angry!" she managed to get out in between laughing fits.
Watching his best friend almost laugh herself off the bed made Toshiro feel slightly less self-conscious; the red on his cheeks starting to diminish. Gradually, he cracked a smile, and relaxed completely once more. "Alright, Karin, calm down, or you're gonna asphyxiate yourself. We've got a day out to get ready for, remember?" he said as he put his hands on her shoulders to try and stop her shaking laughter; a smirk on his face, and humor in his eyes.
Slowly, Karin's laughter subsided until she was finally quiet; breathing heavily, and wiping a small trail of tears from her eyes. "Oh man, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Thanks, Toshiro; I needed that." she said; a bright smile on her face.
Toshiro returned the smile with a small one of his own before getting up off the bed, and making his way over to the textbook that had fallen off his lap the night before. "Glad my embarrassment is good for something, at least. I must have passed out mid-chapter, or something. I don't even remember falling asleep." he said; bending over to pick the book up off the floor, and return it to its bookshelf.
"Yeah, you must've…" Karin replied; trailing off as she watched the young captain move about her room. She hadn't noticed the night before due to being so tired, but Toshiro had emerged from the bathroom last night without a shirt…and he was still shirtless now. 'Damn, aging was definitely kind to him' she thought, taking in the sight. Everything about him was chiseled and toned, from his abs to his shoulders. His build now was actually quite similar to her brother's. He was buff, but not bulky; a fact she very much appreciated. Toshiro had always been lean and lanky, but his muscles weren't defined in his child form…his adult form was a completely different story. 'I could get used to this.' she thought again; not ashamed that she was openly checking out her teacher while he wouldn't notice.
Turning around after putting her book back in its rightful spot on the shelf, Toshiro gave her an inquisitive look. "Karin, are you okay? You look lost in thought."
Snapping back to reality, Karin forced herself to look normal once more. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some other things we could fit into the day before sunset." She replied quickly, hoping he wouldn't see she was lying.
Toshiro nodded in reply, seeming to accept the explanation. "If you want to get dressed, I'll head back to my room, and change, too. We can grab some breakfast from Yuzu, and head out after. Does that sound good?" he asked.
Karin nodded her head in reply, relieved he hadn't noticed. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'll see ya in a few minutes, Tosh!" she said as she watched him make his way over to her door before nodding to her once more; opening the door, and closing it behind him.
'Alright, time to snap out of it, and get ready for the day.' She thought to herself as she got out of bed; every bone in her body protesting the motion. "Man, I feel like I got run over by a bus; I'm gonna be hurting today. Hopefully I'll feel better after I move around a little." She said to herself as she made her way over to her closet. "Now…what should I wear, is the question."
EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F
Karin emerged from her bedroom a half an hour later dressed in a black form-fitting long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, accompanied by a lavender zip-up vest. With it, she wore grey stonewashed skinny jeans, and black and grey sneakers. She also had a purple and grey checkered scarf looped around her neck, and her hair was in a high ponytail. She's done a little extra work, and applied some basic makeup as well: foundation, powder, cheek color, just a touch of silver and smokey dark grey eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. She didn't usually wear makeup, but figured, since they were planning on making a day of it, she'd put a little more effort in than normal.
Upon looking down the hallway, and seeing Toshiro's door open with the room itself empty, she figured he was already downstairs.
Making her way down to join him, her suspicions were confirmed when she heard her dad giving his old third seat a stern fatherly lecture. 'Really, Dad?' she thought; already exasperated by his antics, and she wasn't even down the stairs yet.
Walking into the living room, and heading towards the kitchen, Karin couldn't help chuckling to herself at the scene before her: Her father trying (and now failing) to tower over Toshiro for intimidation's sake while wagging his finger in the young man's face; and Toshiro, leaning on the edge of the kitchen table, munching on a piece of toast with a look on his face that screamed. 'I can't believe you're actually doing this right now, you idiot. You do realize it's not gonna work, don't you?'
Karin also took a moment to see what Toshiro had on. She had gone for casual and slightly sporty, but nice. She knew she looked really good in purple, so she'd chosen that color for the day. She was happy to see Toshiro had similar thoughts on attire as well. He was dressed in denim jeans, and a light grey long-sleeved shirt that had two black stripes along the front, running from his right shoulder to his left hip; his signature turquoise scarf around his neck. He wore black sneakers on his feet, and his black hooded jacket was hanging off the back of a nearby chair. 'Looking good, as usual, Toshiro.' Karin thought; a satisfied look on her face. 'Alright,' she thought again, 'time to put an end to this.'
"…and make sure you have her back by 10. I don't want my precious daughter out at all hours of the nigh-" Isshin's tangent was cut short as Karin came through the kitchen entryway, stepped in between her father and Toshiro, and kicked him with enough force to send him flying into the living room.
Isshin landed unceremoniously on the couch, almost tipping it over upon impact; pillows flying haphazardly in all directions.
Sighing, Karin turned to her teacher with an apologetic and frustrated look on her face. "Sorry about him, Toshiro. I'm 25; you'd think he'd realize I'm an adult by now." she said exasperatedly.
Unable to help the smirk that had made its way onto his face at seeing Karin launch her father into the other room, Toshiro merely shook his head. "It's alright. He's your dad; I expect him to be worried about you. Don't forget, he was my captain once; I'm used to him." he replied; slight humor in his voice.
Karin smirked in reply, grateful that he didn't seem to be bothered by her ridiculous father and his antics. "That is true. Sometimes I forget that you're actually over a hundred years old, and worked for my dad back in the day. Kinda crazy, huh, old man?" she said, her smirk growing.
Toshiro glared at her for a moment, slightly irritated by the remark, before sighing, and deciding to drop it. He wanted to have a nice day with Karin, so he didn't want to get into an argument first thing in the morning. "Yeah, yeah, very funny, Karin. Now, come on; grab something to eat, and let's head out."
Karin dropped the sarcastic façade, snagged a toasted bagel, walked into the living room, and grabbed her old soccer ball from the closet. "Okay, Toshiro; ready when you are!" she hollered; standing at the front door.
Toshiro's smirk reappeared as he walked over, and joined her at the door. "Great. Let's get going, then."
With that, Karin opened the door, and the two of them headed off to start their day of adventures while Isshin hollered after them from the door to be careful, and enjoy themselves.
EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F
The day flew by for the youngsters, and they enjoyed every minute of it. Their first stop of the day was the soccer field, where they played two one-on-one games before coaching a game between two middle-school teams that had shown up. The kids had asked them for some pointers, so they'd agreed to coach a game, and give guidance along the way.
After devoting the first three hours of their day to soccer, they grabbed lunch in a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in town. They were pleasantly surprised to find the food was delicious, and made a mental note to come back again in the future. They enjoyed each other's company and conversation while they ate, and ended up spending over an hour and a half slowly eating their food while they talked.
When they'd finally finished their lunch, they walked over to Karin's old middle school so she could show Toshiro a bit of her past. They walked around the grounds for a bit as Karin pointed out the classrooms she'd been in as a child, and what subjects were being taught at the time.
After their tour of the school was over, they walked all the way over to the remains of the Sukari building on the outskirts of Karakura town; spending quite a bit of time there poking around, and taking a few photos. They even found some old apple trees nearby, which they picked, and enjoyed an early evening snack by the old railroad tracks.
They talked for another couple of hours while enjoying their apples, until they noticed the sun was beginning to make its descent. So, they packed up, and began their trek back to the place they wanted to end the day: their railing.
They ended up getting there just in time to catch the sunset at its best. Sitting down on the grass on the other side of the railing to enjoy the view of the setting sun over Karakura, they both agreed that it had been an awesome day of just hanging out, and relaxing; something they hadn't really taken much of any time to do in the six months Toshiro had been there. Sure, they chatted for a half an hour or so every night before bed, but it was nice for them to leave the strain of training behind for a day, and just enjoy each other's company. They had talked about anything and everything they could think of throughout the day, and were now quietly watching the sun slowly disappear over the horizon; the evening sky painted in hues of yellow, orange, pink, and purple.
They sat quietly for a while, with only the rustling of the trees in the fall wind making any noise.
After they'd sat in silence enjoying the view for a while, Karin decided to speak; catching Toshiro's attention.
"Hey, Toshiro?" she began, her eyes fixed on the scenery in front of them; looking contemplative. Toshiro also kept his eyes on the orange-tinted town below them as he replied. "Yeah, what's up?"
Taking a deep breath, Karin continued speaking. "Can I ask you a question?"
The young captain merely nodded for her to continue, knowing she could see him in her peripheral vision.
Karin kept her eyes fixed on the horizon; nodding in reply, before speaking again. "Do you believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and that you should always tell the truth; even if it ends with a painful result?"
Toshiro was quiet for a moment as he processed the question; an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach. "Personally, I would say yes; but do you have an example?"
Karin didn't dare look at him as she answered; keeping her gaze locked on the town. "Sure. This might sound strange, but just go with it. Theoretically, if you fell in love with someone you knew you couldn't be with, would you still tell them how you felt?"
The uneasy feeling in Toshiro's stomach turned into a knot as his eyes widened slightly, and his face showed just a flash of panic before settling back into its typical deadpan look. "That would depend on the context. If, theoretically, this person was already married, I obviously wouldn't say anything. Other than that…I don't really know. Probably not, because I wouldn't want to hurt them." He said, carefully watching her from the corner of his eye.
Karin shook her head slightly in response, still looking straight ahead. "No, not married; other reasons. Personally, if I were on the receiving end of that situation, I'd want to be told the truth; regardless of the circumstances, or if it was going to be painful in the end."
At that, Toshiro finally looked over at her; a slightly surprised and puzzled look on his face. "Really? Even if you knew it would only hurt you both in the end?" he asked; probing curiosity in his eyes.
She was quiet for a moment, and Toshiro was struck by the way the setting sun lit up her face, and cast her in an almost ethereal glow. The golden hue of the evening sky reflected off of her silky black hair, and accentuated her already long eyelashes. This was a very different Karin than he'd first met at this spot twelve years ago. The person he'd met was a brash little tomboy who was just as tough and stubborn as him; now, he was sitting with a grown young woman. She was still tough, and still stubborn, but she now had maturity and wisdom that had been lacking all those years ago. At that moment, he could really feel the years of change that had occurred during the time he'd been away.
When she finally turned her head to look at him, her grey eyes were shining from the glow of the orange sky. To him, she'd never looked more beautiful, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. 'What the hell is happening to me?' he thought to himself; surprisingly not bothered by this change in him. 'I don't really mind, though…which is even more unnerving.'
Finding his deep turquoise eyes, Karin replied. "Yeah, I'd want to know something that important, even if it would be incredibly painful in the end. If it happened, then there was a reason for it; so it shouldn't be ignored, or pushed aside. I've always been a serious, no-nonsense tomboy, but…at the end of the day, I'm still a woman. I'm not like Yuzu, who lives off of romance and fairy tales; but, even if I don't show it, these things do matter to me. If the other person could forget about the eventual hurt, grow a spine, and tell me, I'd want to know." she finished; her eyes locked on his, and a serious expression on her face.
Toshiro searched her face for answers; knowing from the beginning that they weren't talking about a theoretical situation at all. He was no idiot; he knew she was looking for something from him. He figured she'd probably suspected his hidden feelings for her for a while, but didn't know for sure.
What he saw in her eyes was a challenge; the unsaid final sentence hanging in the air: Tell me the truth. He knew she was waiting for him; waiting to see if he would make a move, or if he'd choose to keep things as they were. They both knew that whatever response was given now would permanently define their relationship going forward…as well as the consequences of either answer.
A moment of silence passed; each of them examining the other's face as if they could see through the eyes that stared back at them, and into each other's souls.
Finally, steeling himself, and preparing for the repercussions of what could be a really bad decision, Toshiro decided to accept her challenge. 'Consequences be damned.' he thought. Before his better judgement got a hold of him, he leaned in; closing his eyes, and capturing Karin's lips with his. He wasn't sure what to expect, since he'd never kissed anyone before; but when he felt her relax, and kiss him back, he felt a happiness and relief he'd never experienced before.
Acting on instinct, he brought one hand up to gently cup her cheek; feeling Karin move closer to him in response. For once in his life, he felt completely at peace; perfectly content to stay in that moment forever.
After a few more moments passed, they separated; deep turquoise meeting stormy dark grey. Toshiro could see the light blush on her face, and knew he was probably sporting the same look on his own. Wanting to lighten up the atmosphere a bit, he gave her a small smirk. "I grew a spine; happy now?"
Karin couldn't help but crack a smile, appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood. "Once again, you surprise me, Toshiro. I honestly wasn't sure you'd have the guts…or if you even wanted to, to be honest."
Toshiro watched her expression shift from playful, to vulnerable and unsure as she averted her eyes to her lap; her smirk changing into an unsure smile, and insecurity in her eyes. In that moment, he realized she'd just let down all her walls so he could see what she was really feeling behind all her bravado.
'This is new. I saw something similar to this yesterday, when we finished her first day of Shikai training, but this is different…" he thought to himself, before it suddenly dawned on him. 'She thought I was going to reject her.' That realization was painful, so he gave her a small smile to reassure her.
Slowly, Karin looked back up at him; finding his eyes once more. "I didn't want to ask you outright, 'cause I didn't want to risk our friendship, but…I needed to know, Toshiro. I figured if I did it this way, you'd catch on, and be able to choose which way you wanted to respond without having to say anything specific."
The young captain nodded in understanding; appreciating how Karin chose to go about broaching this topic. "I wasn't planning on telling you. Even just last night, I'd decided I'd come and go, and leave it behind. I didn't want to hurt you, Karin." he said; his eyes reflecting the care and concern for her that his face kept hidden.
Karin gave him a soft, affectionate smile. "Yeah, I figured that was the reason. Typical Toshiro; extremely old-fashioned, and noble as ever." she said; slight teasing in her voice.
That caused him to give her a small smirk in reply. "What can I say; old habits die hard."
They sat in silence for a moment, until Karin glanced quickly at the ground; a blush reappearing on her face. "So, are you ready to tell me directly now?" she asked; glancing back up at him.
For a moment, Toshiro looked at her confusedly, before understanding set in. Feeling his own face get warm again, he glanced down; taking her hand in his, before intertwining their fingers.
Taking a deep breath to center himself, he looked back up at her again; a small smile on his face. "I love you, Karin Kurosaki."
No sooner did the words leave his mouth, than Toshiro traded his small smile for a teasing one; cocking his eyebrow in mock-inquisitiveness. "There, are you satisfied now?"
Karin gave him a teasing smile in return; feeling braver now. "Almost." she replied, before bringing her hands to the back of his neck, and pulling him in for another kiss.
While it took him off-guard at first, Toshiro wasn't going to complain. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close to him; not wanting to let her go. He found her intoxicating, and addicting. She was sexy, but innocent, and he found that incredibly attractive.
As one kiss became two, and then three, they very quickly lost track of time; not noticing as the sunset gradually gave way to an inky black sky; illuminated by a full moon, and dotted with stars.
When they finally came up for air, and realized that night time had settled in, they reluctantly untangled themselves from each other to head back to the clinic. Toshiro helped Karin up off the ground, and back over the railing as they began their journey home; walking hand-in-hand.
Their trek back was quiet, both of them enjoying the comfortable silence, until they were just a couple of minutes from the clinic. At that point, Karin spoke. "I know you didn't want me to get hurt, Toshiro, but I was going to, anyway; regardless of whether or not you told me. So, when the time comes, I don't want you to feel guilty, okay? It would've happened, no matter what." she said as she stopped to look at him; concern on her face.
Toshiro stopped as well, turned to her, and nodded in understanding. "I'll try not to, but I probably will, regardless. Either way, though, I'd make the same decision again, if given the choice." he replied; an affectionate smile on his face.
Karin returned his smile with one of her own; letting go of his hand, walking up to him, and looping her arms around his neck.
His hands found her waist, and held her close to him. She could see the moonlight reflected in his beautiful eyes, and she wondered how this man had caused her to go from a tough-as-nails tomboy who couldn't care less about things like romance to the love-struck puppy she was now, all in the course of just six months. 'I guess when it's 'the one', that's just what happens.' she thought.
Toshiro cocked a curious eyebrow at her, enjoying the dreamy, far-away look on her face. "Karin, are you alright?" he asked in slight amusement.
"Mmhmm. Just thinking." She replied, a contented smile on her face. Toshiro smirked slightly at her in reply. "About what?"
Karin offered him a smirk in return. "I just realized; I actually owe you something."
Now, Toshiro was perplexed; still amused, but perplexed, none the less. "What exactly do you owe me?" he asked, clearly confused.
Karin chuckled slightly, before responding. "I love you, Toshiro Hitsugaya." she said, her eyes shining with a happiness the young captain had never seen before.
Toshiro smiled back at her affectionately; meeting her halfway as she pulled him down for one more kiss before they got home.
After they separated, Toshiro gave her another smirk. "This, I can get used to. Just don't try to use it as a bribe, because it won't work." he said sarcastically.
Karin merely rolled her eyes in response; a teasing smirk on her face, and humor in her eyes. "You gotta stay in my good books to earn those, Toshiro; just keep that in mind." she said with a wink.
The young captain cocked an eyebrow in amusement; slight mischievousness in his eyes. "Oh really, Karin?" he said, before bending down, and stealing a quick kiss. He felt her respond almost instantly, and smirked to himself as he pulled away. "I think you're bluffing." he said; a victorious smile on his face.
Karin huffed slightly in minor irritation. 'Damn hormones' she thought, before looking back up at her teacher; defiance in her eyes. "We'll see about that." she replied.
Toshiro smirked at her before another thought came into his head. "Oh, and also: don't expect special treatment in training now, just because our relationship's changed. I'm still going to push you as hard as I can."
Karin responded with a smirk of her own; that usual Kurosaki fire back in her eyes. "Oh, trust me, I didn't. Now I'm even more determined to kick your ass."
Toshiro chuckled in reply; enjoying seeing the Karin he was used to make a reappearance. "Good. Now, come on; let's get back, and get to bed. We've got morning classes tomorrow."
"Ugh. That's right, it's Monday tomorrow." Karin said; groaning unenthusiastically.
Smiling amusedly at her reaction to the reminder that the weekend was over, Toshiro started walking the remainder of the distance to the Kurosaki Clinic; Karin at his side with a disgruntled look on her face.
When they got to the house, they made sure to open the door as quietly as possible. It was midnight, and they didn't want to risk waking anyone up. Upon entering the building, however, the living room lights switched on, and both Isshin and Ichigo stood by the door; frowns on their faces, and arms crossed over their chests.
Glancing confusedly between each other, and then at the two elder Kurosakis, Toshiro and Karin shared an unamused look before Karin asked, "What's going on, and why are you both still awake?"
Isshin and Ichigo responded in unison. "There's no way we'd go to sleep, knowing you were out late with a boy!"
Karin and Toshiro both sighed in exasperation at the two adults. 'Man, I'm glad I don't have siblings. Matsumoto's bad enough.' Toshiro thought to himself; not envying Karin at the moment.
Isshin shot Toshiro a look that the young man recognized from when he was a third seat; it was Isshin's scolding look.
Cocking an inquisitive eyebrow, Toshiro remained silent while he waited for his old captain to begin his fatherly rant while Ichigo took Karin aside.
Right on cue, Isshin started in. "I told you to have her back by ten at the latest! What were you two doing all this time?! Do you have any idea how worried we've be-"
Yet again, Isshin's tangent was cut short when, out of nowhere, Ichigo came slamming into his father; both of the elder Kurosakis plowing into the wall.
Surprised by the unexpected scene, Toshiro looked to his right to find a fuming Karin walking over to him, but keeping her eyes on her brother and father who were currently trying to separate themselves from the drywall. "Both of you, shut the hell up! I'm a grown-ass woman, and I can stay out as long as I want without having to go through an inquisition when I get home! We had a fun day of hanging out, and we're back safe, so leave us alone! Come on, Toshiro, let's get to bed; we have school in the morning." Karin said; looking from her family to him, taking his hand, and pulling him towards the stairway.
Watching as the two Kurosaki men detached themselves from the wall, Toshiro just closed his eyes, and shook his head. 'How does this family function as well as it does with this dynamic?' he thought as he let Karin pull him up the stairs.
Sighing once they reached her room, she looked at Toshiro apologetically. "Sorry. It's just what they do."
The young captain merely shook his head in reply; a slight smile on his face. "Yeah, I know. It's alright." he responded before glancing over his shoulder. Seeing no one, Toshiro bent down, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight, Karin. See you in the morning." he said; smiling affectionately at her.
Karin returned his smile with one of her own. "Goodnight, Toshiro. See you in the morning." she replied as he turned, and walked down the hallway to his own room.
Closing their doors, they both got into their Pjs, crawled into their beds, and fell asleep with thoughts of the day's events transferring into their dreams.
Alright, how did you all like chapter 5?! As I've stated before, romance is where my brain tends to gravitate toward naturally, so this chapter was relatively easy for me to write. Since it's hard to picture just how Toshiro would behave if he fell in love, though, it was kind of tricky to keep him in character as much as possible, while also introducing this new side of him that we haven't seen. He's probably going to seem OOC from this point on, but I'd love to hear what you guys think, and if you feel I'm doing a good job with him and his evolving character. The same goes for Karin, as well. She'll be portraying a softer and slightly more girly side of her own from here on out, with her new relationship; so, let me know how I do with that transition, too.
Next chapter, we get to see more of Toshiro's changing mindset, and desires for the future; as well as introducing something interesting about his and Karin's connection.
See you next time!
EF-F
