Prompt: Skating

Rating: T

"You have got to be kidding me."

If looks could kill, Urahara Kisuke would definitely be a dead man. If the rage Karin was sending his way wasn't enough, the look he was giving that eccentric bastard made it feel like the temperature in the rink had dropped a couple degrees.

"I most certainly am not, Kurosaki-san," Urahara responded cheerily, not seeming to notice the hostility in the air.

Karin's teeth ground together. "How the hell do you expect me to work with him?"

The bane of her existence turned his cool gaze on her. "Stop talking about me as if I'm not two feet in front of you." He frowned. "I don't like this any more than you do."

She bit her tongue and took a deep breath before her Kurosaki temper got out of control and she made him regret the very moment he opened his stupid mouth.

Hitsugaya Toshiro, up and rising figure skater and the top male in their league. Also an arrogant, cold, self-centered son of a bitch with a stick perpetually shoved up his ass. Well, that was the Karin got from his interviews and her few interactions with him. He just rubbed her the wrong way, and she didn't want to be around someone who obviously thought he was better than everyone else and God's gift to women. Was he attractive? Sure. If you liked the pretty type. Which Karin did not. Obviously.

But if she wasn't sure before if her skating coach had a few screws loose, she definitely was now. Because there was no way in hell she would become partners with that white-haired bastard.

"Hear me out," Urahara said, holding his hands up placatingly. "Both of you are my best students, and the best I've had in a while. With a few more years, you each could be ready for the Olympics."

Karin felt slightly mollified by his compliment, but still crossed her arms. "So?"

"So—" he peered at her from under his stupid hat "—I believe that, working together, you have the potential to make it to the Olympics this year."

That got both of their attentions. Karin's mouth dropped open a little. "Really?"

"I don't do pair skating," Hitsugaya informed them cooly.

"That's because you're too short to lift anyone two feet above the ground," Karin retorted. "And because no one wants to deal with your attitude."

She knew she hit a nerve when she could see a vein pop out of his forehead. "Myattitude?" he snapped. His eyes, normally as bright and clear as the ocean, seemed to darken as if a storm was rolling in. And before she knew it, he had grabbed her hand and yanked her onto the ice.

"What are you doing?" she growled, trying to detach her hand from his as he took them in a circuit of the rink. But he only grasped her more tightly.

"Proving a point." He led her into a small spin, and Karin followed unconsciously. "Twist lift."

That was the only warning she got before she felt secure hands on her waist and she was tossed into the air. Alarmed, she let out a startled "Whoa!" before her body knew what to do and she twisted.

She felt it then, the connection they seemed to have. It was a sort of electricity in the air, the unexplainable attraction of opposite forces, and the feeling only seemed to get stronger when Hitsugaya Toshiro caught her in his arms without missing a beat.

She knew he could feel it too. She knew from the expression on his face—frown lines gone with soft blue—so, so blue—eyes in their place. She knew from the fact that he didn't let her down right away, and just kept skating with her in his surprisingly muscular arms.

She was wrong about him being too short to lift her, and was probably wrong about other things about him. But her reluctant apology died on her lips, and she could only stare back at him.

It was the sound of clapping that snapped them out of it. Karin scrambled to her feet, smoothing her skirt down unnecessarily. Hitsugaya coughed awkwardly, no longer meeting her eyes.

"See?" Urahara said gleefully, still slow-clapping, "That right there is going to win the gold."

A/N: I know absolutely squat about figure skating and idk what this even is. Whoops