Rising Sun
Recollections
Thank you, guys, for reviewing and for your support. BlakValentyne, thank you. Lol, I wrote that part about the water bottle purely on a whim—thought it was pretty stupid when I read it through again. But hey, someone noticed it and pointed it out. D Thanks!
I have a feeling that to improve this story a little more I gotta work on simplifying my writing style and intensifying the plotline. Gah, this is gonna be something. Just to say, though, this second chapter is more like a bridging interval than anything else, so don't expect too much from it.
Okay, on we go, Chapter 2: Recollections!
Karin rushed through the door of the Kurosaki household and slammed it shut behind her, leaning heavily against the wood as if something terrible were chasing behind her. Her agitated breathing gradually slowed, and she willed herself to relax.
Relax, relax. It's okay, it's not like some new freaky happening is gonna come and hit you in the face—
"Daughter... senses... tingling... KARIN-CHAN! COME, COME TO YOUR FATHER AND ENVELOPE YOURSELF IN A DEEP EMBRA—" WHACK
The old man Kurosaki Isshin collapsed in an ungraceful heap to the floor, little fuming Karin faces dancing around his head.
"Huh. Well, that's that." Karin dusted herself off and walked over to the living room, dropping her soccer ball in the hallway. "Hey, Yuzu," she said in greeting to her sister, smiling in such a way as to mask her raging confusion of emotions.
"Karin-chan," Yuzu's returned smile brightened up the whole room. "You're home kinda late—what happened?"
"Huh? Oh, uh... nothing." Karin turned slowly. She had been gazing out at no particular spot, lost in her own thoughts. It took her a minute to dissect the question being asked. "I'm not home that late," she scowled a little. "It's only 6...-ish."
"Yes, but it's already dark out," Yuzu pointed out. "Usually you're home just as the sun sets. Because the other boys leave a little earlier, and you stay out just until you notice the sun beginning to set. And then you come home."
Gah. Sharp-eyed Yuzu. She never misses anything.
"It's already twilight now, Karin-chan. How come you're home so late?"
"YUZU-CHAN!" Isshin had found his feet again and leapt up, pushing his face into Karin's and inspecting her as a scientist would some interesting new species. Karin's eye twitched slightly as she threw a punch at her old man's face, but he ducked away, singing, "HAH! The same trick shall not work on me twice!"
"I believe, Yuzu, that our dear Karin-chan has just reached that age." The demented father spun around until he was pressing against their mother's memorial picture again. "Oh, Maaa-saki! What to do, now that our beloved Karin-chan is early turning into a teenager and drifting away from us—?"
"Huh...?" Yuzu's wide eyes were blinking slowly in confusion. "But I'm the same age as Karin-chan..."
Kurosaki Isshin got no further, as Karin's left foot swung down onto his head with her meanest soccer kick. She puffed a sigh, and then turned to Yuzu, asking, "Hey, Yuzu. Has Ichi-nii returned yet?" partly out of habit, partly because she wanted to know, and partly to drag the conversation away from the afore-mentioned topic.
Yuzu's entire figure seemed to sink in depression as she answered in a small, sad voice. "No, onii-chan hasn't returned yet." Karin immediately felt bad for bringing it up as Yuzu's eyes welled up with unspilt tears.
"Ah, well," she turned to the door and waved her arms in a resigning gesture. "I guess he'll just come back when he feels like it. He'll be fine." She had put on the false optimism and slightly uninterested attitude for Yuzu's sake. Truthfully, she was just as concerned for her brother as Yuzu. But if there was one thing Karin had learnt over these years, it was to hide her thoughts and emotions from the outside world.
Still... Ichi-nii doesn't seem to be the burning issue at the moment... Karin thought as she climbed the stairs up to her room.
She entered her room and closed the door behind her, leaning back against it just like she had done earlier. She was drowning in all her emotions, and needed to sort them out. Sighing, she flung herself back on her bed, and gazed out at the sky.
It was the color of twilight. A beautiful gradient, with night at the top, brightening into a deep purple color, and then merging into the sort yellow-gold of the sun. But that was fast disappearing. There was already a faint crescent moon hung somewhere between the night sky and the endless purple sea. All the buildings and trees had merged together into one giant silhouette. Karin slowly released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She closed her eyes, and her mind swam back to those last few moments with Toshiro...
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"Who knows?..." Toshiro had spoken softly, gazing distantly at the twilight sky.
There had been a mutual understanding between them. Karin knew that now was the time to leave. She stepped back over the railing, stooping to pick up her soccer ball. She had felt Toshiro's gaze on herself, briefly, at some point, but when she flicked her eyes up to meet his, he was still staring at the sky. She sighed, almost in frustration, and then turned to go.
It was something incomprehensible. She felt a twang in her chest, and hesitated, glancing back at that oh-so-calm figure leaning against the metal barrier. From where she was, the light beyond him silhouetted his person, now only distinguishable by his wild, spiky hair, which glowed silver at the edges... and the way he stood there, without a care in the world... the way he held his arms, his head...
"Toshiro..." Karin reached out with her hand, dropping her soccer ball. It rolled a couple of meters before it was stopped by the metal barrier, but neither of them especially cared.
Her hand touched his bare arm lightly; it was just the barest of touches, but so gentle a touch was enough to make his skin prickle. He turned to look at her, and his eyes shone a deep sea-green color in the heavy twilight, whilst hears sparkled like obsidian gems. He turned a little, touching her wrist with his other hand, and before she knew what she was doing, Karin had pressed her lips to Toshiro's.
She had closed her eyes to the sensation, but his were wide with shock and confusion. However, he didn't pull away. Slowly, his own eyes fluttered shut, just as Karin's half-opened to gage his reaction.
It was a chaste kiss, innocent and sweet. She felt Toshiro's hand lightly grasp her wrist, and Karin suddenly came back to her senses. She pulled away and turned, refusing to meet his eyes. Snatching up her soccer ball, she ran up the steps and passed out of sight, leaving a very confused and bewildered Toshiro alone at the fence.
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Why? Karin struggled furiously as her emotions raged a war against her sanity. What on God's green earth had possessed me to do that? Toshiro... he's Toshiro, for God's sake! Even if I do like him, there's no... excuse...
Oh, God.
I did not just say that. Hitsugaya... Toshiro...? I...
Karin covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would erase the image of the young captain's face. His harsh, unemotional expression, and that soft voice... almost like an undertone. His stunning silver hair falling into its normal gravity-defying shape. And those eyes—those amazing sea-green eyes. Karin jerked up to a sitting position, and made a noise of frustration. Flopping back onto her bed, she rolled over onto her side, letting sleep overtake her.
Maybe then I can... find... an escape...
A little way away from where Karin was, a familiar snowy-haired captain gazed unto the night sky, trying to sort out his similarly confusing emotions.
What the hell was that...? He asked the sky, the stars, the moon dangling low in the sky. He couldn't understand it. This was something so completely foreign and new to him. In all his hundreds of years, he had never had any romantic contact with anyone. And in one night, she had ripped all his 'innocence' away from him.
Pah! Innocence... I can't believe I even thought that!
His fist pounded the window sill as he furrowed his brow in agitation. Captains were NOT supposed to have problems like this.
"Taaaiii-cho!" An orange-haired woman bounded into the apart, calling to him in a sing-song voice.
Great, Toshiro's mind supplied; even his thoughts were dripping in sarcasm. As if this could get any worse.
Before he could even reply, his esteemed vice-captain had enveloped him in a bear hug, squashing him for all she was worth against her ample appendages.
"Get off," he swiped at her half-heartedly. Matsumoto detached herself from him.
"Oh-ho, someone's in a bad mood," Matsumoto commented, rather vigorously, scrunching her face up to some unrecognizable expression. "What happened, what happened? Tell Auntie Rangiku!" she bubbled at Hitsugaya, who ignored her and walked into the kitchen.
"Oh yes, taicho, I got some food for us! You hungry? Hmmmm?" she swished the plastic bag in his face, alight with glee.
Hitsugaya could take no more of this. He swatted the bag away and glared at her. "And why are you so happy?"
"You say that like happy is a bad thing," Matsumoto whined, and then shrugged. "No particular reason. You're just always so grumpy all the time so I gotta be happy for the both of us!" she clapped her hands together and sauntered out of the room.
Well... just great. Hitsugaya lifted the carrier bag that Matsumoto had left on the table, and warily peered into it.
"Red bean paste... Spring Onion... Noodles... and Fish," he counted off, as he pulled each piece of food out of the bag and gazed at it with a disgruntled expression. "MATSUMOTO!" he yelled, despite her being in the next room. She poked her head in the doorway with a questioning look. "What the hell is this?" Hitsugaya asked her, waving the fish around in the air.
"Oh." Matsumoto ginned brightly. "That's our dinner, taicho. Now if you'll excuse me, I must dash," and with that, she was gone.
"Hey—Matsu—WAIT!" Hitsugaya sighed, staring at the fish in his hand. "What the hell am I meant to do with this?" he asked himself.
Not reaching a conclusion, he simply stuffed the interesting selection of food back into the bag, and then wandered into Inoue's room. He eyed the massive, suspicious-looking monitor that they had carried up here, octopussing its way over half her room.
It won't be there for much longer... he mused. Call it a hunch, but all of Hitsugaya's intuition and reasoning concluded that their time here was rapidly drawing to a close. They were fast approaching winter; every day a new layer of fallen leaves covered the streets in a glorious orange and red blanket, and the sunlit hours were shortening. Aizen would waste no time commencing the war as soon as he felt he was ready. They had less than four months. It was a frightening thought.
And he needed to get stronger. Toshiro shook his head at this new bizarre kind of want. Yes, he needed to get stronger. It was a strange thing for him... for any captain. But just with his power at this stage... he could not even beat a lowly arrancar. And to beat Aizen... probably all of the nine remaining captains together would not be enough. This would need a miracle...
Hitsugaya growled in frustration, and then shoved all those inconvenient thoughts to the back of his mind. Though truthfully, he had only started concentrating on that matter to shield himself from his current uncontrollable emotions.
He closed his eyes as his mind swam, displaying a weak attempt to clear his head. However, all he could think about was the soft sensation of Karin's lips against his...
He jerked involuntarily and his eyes snapped open, his face contorted with tension.
Stupid girl... Why did she have to do that?
And why... did she have to pull back...?
He was sitting down, back leaning against the wall, resting his elbows on his knees. He tilted his head back to hit the wall, and blinked, slowly, his large, sea-green eyes adjusting to the bright light. He closed his eyes again, this time in an entire turmoil of emotions... and in hurt.
He could still feel his bare arm tingling slightly at Karin's touch. He could still remember every detail, every shadow of her figure... her face, as she leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his.
He could still feel the warmth she gave him with this act of tender affection.
His hands tightened to fists. This will not do...
I need to take a walk.
No part of his consciousness seemed to disagree with this, so he stood quickly, shedding his gigai with a colorful force. He checked his empty shell of a body briefly, and then headed to the window, pushing the sliding glass open and leaping out of the open window with a gentle push against the sill. Hitsugaya's black-and-white robed figure flew like a preying eagle owl into the night sky.
"KARIN-CHAN DINNER'S READY!
Karin rolled over in her bed, still lost in blissful sleep.
"Huh...? That's strange..." Yuzu mused to herself. "Karin-chan's usually the first one down for dinner... Where is she? KARIN-CHAN!"
Still no response. Yuzu set down the ladle in her hand and climbed up the stairs, looking for her sister. Her room door was, oddly enough, shut, which usually meant that Karin didn't want to be disturbed.
And, as of now, Karin really didn't want to be disturbed.
"To... shiro..." she mumbled quietly in her sleep, before turning over again. She was restless. Her arms kept moving and her hands would clench, unclench... she was tense, and lightly sweating. Some may have thought that she was sick, but it wasn't that. She was caught in an intense dream.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The sound of someone knocking on her door shook Karin half-awake. Her eyes jerked open, but they weren't really seeing, as her mind was still lingering on a certain snowy-haired, icy-eyed young man.
"Karin-chan!" Yuzu pushed air into one cheek, which was her signature frustrated and impatient face. She knocked again, and then pressed her ear against the door, listening for movement.
Karin had already woken up now, rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes, although not succeeding in banishing her emotions and Hitsugaya's face. "Hey, Yuzu! I'm coming!" she yelled a quick message to the door.
"About time. I've been calling you for ages..." Yuzu's voice faded as she walked down the stairs.
Karin sighed softly as she stood up, and leaned against her door. Sleep hadn't done much for her—she was once again wide awake, and that dream just then had now thrown another wrench into her forget-about-Toshiro plan.
But then, I guess there isn't much I can do about it...
With that, Karin pushed open the door and headed downstairs, shoving all her confused emotions, memories, thoughts and dreams right to the back of her mind. She would deal with them later.
Hitsugaya was sitting apparently relaxedly atop a nearby roof. His eyes were fixed on the window of Kurosaki Karin's house. Though it wasn't that much help to him, as the outside-facing bedroom belonged to Ichigo. The downstairs light was on, but he wasn't about to fly down there and watch Karin eat dinner or whatever. That would be very... un-captain-ly.
He sighed, and stood. He leapt from his place, vanishing from sight of the naked eye and then reappearing on a lamppost, balancing perfectly. He continued to soar through the night, using graceful leaps and flash-steps, making his way through Karakura Town. Eventually, he reached a suitable-looking place. It was a small mound of grass in the park where Karin would always practice her soccer. It could, perhaps, barely pass for a 'hill'.
He landed gracefully down onto the slightly-damp grass, and gazed around intently for any casual passers-by. Seeing none, he slowly unsheathed his Zanpaktou, and that familiar metal scraping sound of a sword being drawn rang through the night air. He pointed it skyward, both eyes fixed steadily on the moon, as if it were his unreachable and unbeatable opponent.
Softly, so softly, Hitsugaya spoke. Yet his voice, barely above a whisper, carried through the darkness and echoed in the air.
"Ride the winter sky... Hyourinmaru."
:)
That turned out, good, I think. I like it, anyway.
I'm not really sure if Karin and Yuzu share a room, or if they have separate rooms. I think they have separate rooms, 'cause in the Arrancar arc they put Rukia in with one of the sisters, I doubt three people could fit in one bedroom. Though, of course, it's possible, and I think there was some point in the anime where it said they shared a bedroom. I really can't remember though. If anyone knows, please set me straight... or whatever. Heh.
To Baxter. Yeah, this is my first fic. I have written and posted before, but they were rubbish, so I took them down. Only two stories, one when I just started Fanfiction and I had no idea what I was doing (that lasted 5 chapters), and a second when I thought I knew what I was doing but didn't really... that story, I wrote 2 and a half chapters for but never actually posted.
But yeah. I'm glad you like it, and... wow, people actually think I write good. Heh, I think I'm kinda happy now.
Next chapter will be up... soon as possible. Give it 'til the end of the week, so, Sunday? Hopefully before then, 'cause I'm dying to write this next chapter. Unfortunately, it will be the last... pity, I kinda enjoyed writing this. Maybe I'll do a longer HitsuKarin in the future.
Sorry, I ramble far too much. Please, do review. Thank you, all.
