Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. If I did, Hitsugaya and Karin would meet and become canon in manga :P

--

The senkai gate was opened as Toushiro and Matsumoto stepped out. A mixture of excitement and nerves filled both of them as they were walking to the familiar town.

'I wonder what she is doing' Toushiro thought, but quickly pushed it out of his mind. He had to focus on his mission, not her.

Matsumoto glanced at her captain and saw his troubled look. She was wondering what he was thinking; working with him for a long time, she knew he was probably thinking about Karin, even though he was the master of hiding emotions. He hadn't told her what happened between them last time he went back to the town, but she knew she would find out eventually after all the word 'give up' was never in her dictionary. And maybe she could try to fix their relationship. Yes, they were not together anymore, but they could end up being friends at least.

"So where are we going to stay? Are we going to stay at the same place?" She asked him gleefully, thinking of her shopping trip in the town.

"What do you mean? We are not staying at Kurosaki's place." He replied annoyingly. He knew he had no chance to distract his lieutenant's attention from his personal life; she had been trying to ask what was going on between him and Karin since he got back. But he hoped that she could catch his annoyance.

"Taicho, I didn't say anything. Why you think I'm suggesting that we are staying there? She smiled mischievously. She was right, he was thinking about Karin. "Does it mean that you want to see Karin again?" Well, she knew she was bringing this up again in their conversation, and she knew he was annoyed alright, but that just made it fun. Who wouldn't love his annoying face?

"MATSUMOTO!"

"Okay. We are staying at Orihime's place then." She concluded after seeing his death glare. "But taicho, we should say hi to Ichigo, don't you think? I mean Yamamoto soutaicho order us to work with him. It won't hurt if we go to their house and say hi."

"I suppose we can do that." He replied with a sigh. Deep down he was glad that his lieutenant found a perfect excuse for him to go to that house again, but of course, there was no way that he was going to tell her that.

...

"Where is Karin?" Matsumoto asked after awhile, pulling herself out of another hug from Kon annoyingly. "Please tell me she is alright, I miss her so much."

"Of course, she is alright," Ichigo replied. "But she is not here now."

"She is out with her friends from school. I don't remember their names." Rukia, who had been giving a permission to stay in the real world permanently, said while trying to read a japanese manga. "They are going to see a movie or something."

Matsumoto immediately glanced at her captain at this news, but he showed no sign of hearing it. He was sitting next to the window checking his phone. However she didn't know that her young captain hadn't heard the last few seconds of her conversation with Ichigo because he felt numb after hearing what Rukia said.

"Hey, I had a nice time with you guys tonight," All of them suddenly heard Karin's voice, which only meant that she was home. Toushiro immediately looked down from the window. Karin was with couple friends. He didn't know most of them, but he knew one of them was Kenji. He watch painfully as she waved her hand and said goodbye to all of her friends, except him.

"Thank you again for inviting me tonight, if it wasn't you, I would probably be bored to death with homework." Karin said to Kenji as she was walking up to the door.

"Anytime Karin." Kenji replied smiling back. "You know, I really like you. We can stay her and talk for awhile if you want, you don't have to go inside yet."

Most girls would have melted when Kenji said this, but not Karin. They were friends for a long time that she didn't consider him something else more than friend anymore.

"I like you too, but I'm not interested in a relationship with anyone right now."

"But I love you Karin" Kenji reached out grabbing Karin's arm, and before Karin could react or move away, he kissed her.

Inside, Toushiro began to feel a little confined in Ichigo's bedroom. He just stared at them as a surge of anger and pain shot to him when they kissed. He felt hollow, as his heart dropped to his stomach. A part of him wanted to go outside as beat the crap out of Kenji. Another part of him wanted to go outside and scream at her for doing this to him. But he didn't; he reminded himself that he no longer cared about her or what she did.

Outside, Karin was too shocked to move. She tried to open her mouth to respond, but it turned out to be a very bad move because it allowed Kenji to deepen the kiss. Finally she wrenched herself out of his arms and pushed him away.

"Get away from m-" She said but stopped immediately as soon as her eyes caught a movement in her brother's bedroom window as a curtain fell back into place. And for a second the figure in that window looked like...

"Toushiro..." She whispered.

"Karin, what's wrong with you?" Kenji asked her. "We 're good together. We are good friends and we hang out. What's your problem? It's not like you have a boyfriend or something." He said and took a step towards her.

"Kenji, I think I need to make it clear that I'm not interested in a relationship with you. I think we are friends and that is it. I'm going to go inside and I suggest you take this as a strong hint to leave." She replied with calmness that she didn't feel; she deperately hoped what Toushiro didn't see anything.

"You can't be serious!" Kenji tried to protest. "You don't have anyone, why don't you give me a chance?"

"I will see you at school and I will forget what happen tonight."

And with that she opened the door and walked inside leaving Kenji alone.

...

Karin made her way quietly to the roof where Toushiro was. The incident earlier made her feel antsy and impatient; she didn't know if he saw Kenji kissing her or not, but if he did, she was willing to explain everything to him.

"Hey," She said timidly.

Toushiro turned to look at her, but he kept quiet. He felt dreadful knowing that they would eventually meet. He couldn't help wonder how she would react. Would she act like nothing happen? Would she feel guilty about it?

"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked, his voice shaking with anger.

"I didn't do anything. He just kiss me. It was an accident and you have to listen to me Toushiro."

"STOP!" He yelled at her. "I don't think we should be together anymore. Apparently you already find someone." He continued icily.

Karin was utterly stunned. She didn't know what to say at this and she had no idea how to explain herself to him when he didn't even want to listen to her explanation. She had been waiting for him for eight months. Hearing this, she felt like the entire world was crashing around her. And she just couldn't help feeling angry at him. If he was planning to break up with her why did he make her wait? Why now?

"What do you mean?" She shouted back angrily. "I'm waiting for you to come back, and now you are telling me that we should break up? Do you have any ideas how I feel? What am I Toushiro? We already break up once because of some stupid war and now you are telling me that you want to break up with me again. Because of what?"

"Because you are already with someone else!" He spat. "And don't you dare say that it was a stupid war, I was trying to protect you."

"Oh! really?" She screamed at him. She was the verge of tears now. But she made up her mind; she would never cry because of him again. Never.

"You know I feel like you come here just to break up with me. You're going regret this Toshiro." And with that she stormed off the roof leaving him behind.

...

Three days after Toushiro and Matsumoto was back in the real world. Yuzu took Karin out for shopping. She insisted that Karin needed to new clothes.

"Karin!! This doesn't look good. Look at the holes." Yuzu exclaimed after checking her sister's clothes. "You need new clothes for your soccer practice."

Karin groaned as she heard her name. "She is crazy if she thinks I'm going with her. There is no way I'm going to let her pick a skirt for my practice." She told herself before returned to her soccer magazine.

However, an hour later Yuzu managed to drag her out of the house. Both of them made their way out of the house. Everything went relatively well at first as they were walking to the shopping mall in the town. But soon, there was smoke anywhere, and the next thing Karin saw was her sister laying unconsciously on the ground, blood seeping out of a cut on her forehead.

"What the heck is going o-" She didn't even have a chance to finish her sentence as she felt devious reiatsu appeared behind her.

Toushiro who had been watching them closely since they left the house decided to make an appearance when he saw that an arrancar appeared and was holding a struggling Karin.

"Are you the 10th squad captain, Toushiro Hitsugaya?" The monster asked him.

Toushiro nodded.

"I believe I've got your girlfriend right here." Toushiro didn't say anything at this, but he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Nothing to say?" The monster continued, running his hand across Karin's stomach "You know I can see why you like her, this girl does have spirit. She is a fighter, like you and her brother. And I really want to know what will happen if I eat her soul you know. Will I be more powerful? She sure have a decent reiatsu for a human."

At these words, Karin who had been standing still, trying to listen to the whole conversation, started to struggle desperately.

"What do you want?" Toushiro asked the ugly monster in front of him, a fury shown prominently in his eyes.

"Let's say you need to pay back to someone and I figure that taking something important to you will get your attention. I'm sure you will be willing to do anything to save her, so I... ouch!"

His little speech was interrupted as Karin punched at his face as hard as she could and immediately ran away out of his grasp. 'I didn't hang out with boys for nothing.' She thought.

Toushiro smirked at this; Karin was a fighter and this is Karin he knew. He was glad that she didn't just stay still and did nothing like last time she saw her. He waited for her to get out of the way before unsheathing Hyourinmaru.

"What do you want?" He asked again. He wanted to know the reason why this arrancar attacked Karin and Yuzu. He was sure Karin's growing reiatsu was a problem and Yuzu was just unlucky to be with her, but he knew this wasn't the reason

"I serve someone who wants to meet you. And I'm going to take this girl with me as an insurance that you are going to show up."

At this Karin began to laugh slowly. Both Toushiro and the arrancar turned towards her.

"I'm sorry to tell you," She gasped between her laughter. "That you have made a big mistake."

"What do you mean human?" The arrancar asked her roughly.

"I mean," Karin replied with a chuckle that sounded like an odd mix of pain and sarcasm. "I'm not his girlfriend anymore. Apparently you miss it, we break up and we aren't even speaking to each other. I'm sorry to say that you brilliant plan doesn't sound so brilliant at all."

"I'm not his girlfriend," She turned to Toushiro as she was saying the word 'girlfriend'. "And I'm sure he will do nothing to save me."

Toushiro narrowed his eyes again, trying to read her thoughts. He caught sarcasm in her voice, but what the hell was she thinking? His girlfriend or not, he had to help her anyways; it was his job.

"Is that so?" The arrancar asked. "Then I see that you have no use to me."

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Toushiro shouted before the monster in front of him could attack her.

Karin was on the floor when Toushiro approached her. He knelt beside her and started to put this hand out, trying to help her get up. But soon, he drew it back, not sure if he wanted touch her. He had been furious when that arrancar touched her and hurt her. But her sarcasm still echoed in his heart that he didn't want to show her the satisfaction of knowing that he still cared.

"So are you okay Kurosaki?" He asked, using her last name. It just felt too weird to say her name once again, so he called her 'Kurosaki'. She didn't move when he called her, and he decided to put his hands on her shoulder.

Karin jerked at his touch. She immediately glared up at him.

"I'm fine." She told him monotonously, not making an eye contact.

"What the hell is this supposes to mean? You know it's not my fault. I have nothing to do with the arrancar that attacks you," He shot back. "And excuse me for wanting to know if you were okay."

Karin didn't reply. She tried to steady herself as she got up. Whatever he said to her three days ago, still stung her heart deeply that she felt like she hated those shinning blue eyes that were looking at her. She tried to walk away, but her legs crumpled and he caught her as she fell. This was the first time that they had touched and this was the closest they had been since he got back from the Soul Society.

"Who said I want you…I…I don't want you to help me." She said after a second, realizing that their faces were inches apart. She felt terribly uncomfortable at their close proximity.

"Fine." He spat, let go of her, and walked away.

'She is annoying. I can't stand her.' He thought darkly as he was walking. He told himself not to think of her, but even so, he couldn't bring himself to do it; his heart was hurt from her harsh words. He didn't expect it to hurt that much when she said that she wasn't his girlfriend anymore but it cut his heart deeply when he heard her saying it out loud...

...

Hidden in the shadow, a figure stepped out slowly as the breeze swept against his silver hair. He saw everything, and he was lucky that nobody noticed his reiatsu.

"I cannot believe someone like you will break the law of the Soul Society and fall in love with a human. You really shouldn't do it Hitsugaya taicho."

--

Yeah, there is a villian in this story!! And next chapter, Hitsugaya will know everything. :)

ShikallllTema: I agree with you that last chapter is kind of hearbroken. And I think this chapter I make it quite clear that he is still in love with her... :P

By the way could you guys please review?? I try not to whine about it, but I see people add it as favourites and put it on alearts... and the numbers of people reading it is increasing each day... I can't help but feeling a little depressed at the numbers of review. So please take time to review, okay? At least give me a reason to continue writing this.