Prompts: Crossover and Red

Rating: T

It was just her luck, getting stuck with the new kid. If only Yuzu had been in the same class as her this year. Then the teacher would never have volunteered Karin to be his partner.

She didn't have anything against the guy. But he was really pretty, pretty enough for the other girls in her class to be ready to kill each other over him.

(Maybe that was her downfall? Instead of ignoring him, she should have thrown herself at him. Reverse psychology on her sensei and all that)

Anyway, he was so attractive with his pale skin and pale hair that it had to mean he was a conceited asshole. And Karin had no time for that—she just wanted to finish the chemistry lab and go home.

Still, she tried not to hold her preconceived notions against him. "Hi," she said, what she hoped looked like a friendly smile plastered on her face. She hopped onto the stool next to his. "I'm Kurosaki Karin."

The new kid didn't look at her, every muscle in his body taut with tension. "Hitsugaya Toshiro," he pushed through gritted teeth. From the pained look on his face, he looked like he needed to take a shit.

(Damn. What's his problem?)

Karin cleared her throat, slightly put off by the way Hitsugaya was covering his nose with the crook of his arm, and how he was leaning so far away from her on his stool, it was a wonder he didn't fall off. Discreetly, she sniffed her armpits in case she forgot to deodorize that morning, but found she smelled fine. She frowned. "Well, let's get started."

Her new lab partner didn't move, so, sighing, Karin reached over him to screw in the Bunsen burner.

(She always fucking got the crazy ones, what the hell—)

Hitsugaya's eyes snapped to hers, startled, and Karin's fingers instantaneously dropped the cord.

They were blue, almost disturbingly so, with enough green in them to remind her of the obviously photoshopped color of water on vacation pamphlets. But it was the way he looked at her that made the breath stop in her throat.

Carefully, she picked the cord back up and screwed it in. "Maybe…you should eat something."

His eyes widened, and for a few moments, they just stared at each other. Then he abruptly stood, his stool making a loud screech as its legs scraped across the tiled floor, and booked it out of there so fast, Karin questioned whether she had imagined him in the first place.

~.~.~

For the next two days, her new lab partner was nowhere to be seen. But on the third day, Karin walked into class to find him waiting for her. She was livid.

(Who the hell did he think he was?!)

"Hello," Hitsugaya greeted as she climbed onto her stool. The crazy look was gone from his eyes, instead replaced by someone completely amiable.

(Oh, so he was talking to her now? Looking at her?)

She fixed him with a patented Kurosaki Glare, pulling her notes out of her backpack. "Have a nice vacation?"

He looked embarrassed. "I didn't go on vacation."

"Coulda fooled me. Seeing as I had to do all the work by myself," she said pointedly.

He shifted, but it wasn't away from her this time. In fact, it looked like he was getting closer. "I'm sorry about that."

"Yeah, well." Nope, his pretty face wasn't getting him out of this one. "I showered this morning, so you have no more excuses for splitting."

"You think—" he sputtered, looking frazzled for the first time that day. "You don't—"

"I know I don't, Hitsugaya," she replied cooly.

His mouth opened and closed a few times, before he merely stared at her like she was the most interesting creature. "Are you normally this much of a ballbuster?"

"It's kind of my middle name." She slipped her goggles on. "Now are you going to do your part or what?"

~.~.~

Over the next couple weeks, Karin found herself warming up to her lab partner. The first day that they'd met seemed to be a fluke; the jumpy, crazy-eyed Hitsugaya was gone, replaced by someone who was polite, dry-humored, and very interested in her.

Not even interested romantically, at least, not that she could tell. Just interested, fascinated, really. He asked about her family, her childhood, her favorite foods and colors and music—all very slyly, so that sometimes she didn't even realize what he was doing until after the fact. It made Karin a little nervous—

(What the hell was so interesting about her)

—but whenever she countered by asking about his life, he seemed to answer honestly. He had a sister that he was really close with. His favorite color was green. His family moved because they needed a fresh start.

So she ignored the creeping suspicion coiling in her gut. Toshiro seemed like a good guy, and he was kind of becoming a friend. Also, being friendly with him pissed off the bitches in her class, so that was an added bonus.

But then Karin began seeing him everywhere.

The first time, she was grocery shopping with her twin sister, Yuzu, when a flash of white caught her attention. She turned in that direction, but was met with empty air, so she shrugged it off. But then she would see flashes of his face in hallways. Feel his eyes on her when he was nowhere in sight. And it happened so often, that she knew it wasn't a coincidence, wasn't a trick of her mind.

So, steeling her resolve and not caring who saw, she found herself walking over to the lunch table he shared with a dark-haired girl and a busty blond. When she approached, they all stopped talking, looking up at her in interest, but Karin focused on Hitsugaya.

"Stop following me."

His bright eyes widened a fraction, but his face remained a mask. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not scared of you." Her fists clenched, hiding the slight tremor that betrayed otherwise. "And if you don't stop stalking me, I'm going to knock your fucking teeth in."

People were starting to stare now, and the blonde woman next to him looked like she wanted to laugh, her mouth a perfect O. Hitsugaya just stared, measured and calculating.

Satisfied, Karin turned on her heel.

"Is that your girlfriend?" the blonde stage-whispered. "I like her."

"Shut up, Matsumoto," he responded darkly.

Face red, Karin returned to her table, heart pounding, tongue suddenly too heavy to answer Yuzu's questions.

~.~.~

"Can I talk to you?"

He was there, at her locker, but she had seen him approach, casual and nonthreatening.

She turned her head. "We're talking now."

"You know what I mean." His eyes really were too intense sometimes; she desperately wanted to look away, but she didn't want to lose their unspoken battle for dominance.

"No I don't. Please explain." She didn't know why she was being so difficult; as much as she wanted to apologize, she wanted to push him away and keep her distance.

He ruffled his hair irritably. "I want to talk, alone." And then, because he seemed to sense her hesitation, "You can pick the place."

Karin bit the inside of her cheek. He didn't look like he was going to jump her and do unspeakable things. Of course, she had just accused him of stalking her in front of most of the school. She exhaled deeply. "Fine. Come on."

She led him out to the parking lot, ignoring the stares that followed them, and unlocked her car, climbing in and prompting him to do the same.

It was pretty clever, if she did say so herself. No one else would be able to hear their conversation, but there were plenty of students walking around that she felt slightly safer.

(Not that that could save her if he actually tried to do something)

"I have practice in an hour," she declared, compulsively smoothing down her uniform. "They'll come looking for me if I don't show."

Hitsugaya looked insulted. "Is that really how you think of me?"

"I don't know what to think about you anymore, Toshiro." She glared. "And can you really blame me? Why are we here?"

He huffed, still a little annoyed. But then his expression changed from affronted to reluctant understanding. "I just wanted to apologize."

"For?" she demanded, arms crossed.

He swallowed. "For following you. I'm sorry. I knew it was creepy when I did it, but I couldn't help myself, and I figured you wouldn't find out anyway so…" A pause. "Howdid you find out?"

Karin shifted in her seat. "I saw you."

Disbelief filled his features. "You saw me."

"Yes!" She cleared her throat, ready to move on. "Now are we done?"

He was really looking at her now, that familiar riveted expression in his eyes, and Karin struggled not to squirm under his scrutiny. "…Remember when we first met?"

"Vividly," she huffed.

"Why did you suggest I eat something?"

She froze, silent for a second too long. "Because you looked like you needed a fucking sandwich."

He tilted his head. "Really."

She opened her mouth and closed it, a vein in her jaw jumping. "Think about what you're doing, Toshiro," she said lowly. "Are you really sure this is the route you want to take?"

He just met her gaze challengingly. The ball was in her court.

"Fine," she retorted, eyes narrowing.

(If that's the way you want to play)

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answered, an eyebrow quirked in question.

She poked him in the arm. "BULL. SHIT. How long have you been seventeen?"

Pause. "A while," he conceded, still intently watching her.

"Well that settles it then," she said lightly. "Now I know for sure what you are."

"Say it."

Karin scoffed. "I'm not doing that. It's stupid. And we both know that I know, so what's the point?"

The corner of his lips quirked, but he regarded her carefully. "You're not afraid?"

"No," she replied, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel distractedly.

"Bullshit," he countered with a small smile. "You can't even be alone with me."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "How stupid do you think I am? You've kind have been stalking me. What do you expect me to do?"

"I said I was sorry about that," Hitsugaya muttered irritably. "Are you ever going to let that go?"

Karin grinned. "Prooobably not. I'm starting to like you, and teasing is how I show my affection."

He grumbled some more, but she could tell his heart wasn't in it.

(And he was clearly starting to like her too)

~.~.~

"I apologize in advance for my family," Karin told him, opening her front door. "Well, my siblings aren't that bad, but my dad is a nutcase."

Toshiro gave her a look that said he didn't believe her and went inside, slipping off his shoes.

(If only he knew)

Well, he was about to find out. Karin had wanted to delay this for as long as possible, but an English project had her reluctantly agreeing to bringing him home with her. Oh well, it was now or never.

"Welcome home~" her father sang, bounding towards her with the clear intention to bowl her over with a bone-crushing hug. Karin sighed.

But Toshiro froze, eyes widened in what she could only describe as fear. She halted her father with a well-timed uppercut and turned to Hitsugaya confusingly. "What's wrong?"

He looked way too pale, even for him. "That's your father?"

"Unfortunately, yes." She frowned. "Do you know him or something?"

He watched as Isshin rubbed his jaw, crocodile tears trailing down his cheeks. "Yeah," he said quietly. "He's the pureblood that turned me."

Karin's jaw reached for the floor, but she quickly snapped it shut. She turned towards her father angrily. "What?"

Isshin's tears abruptly stopped, and he looked at them with one of the most serious expressions Karin had ever seen him make. "I knew you looked familiar. Believe me when I tell you that I am so sorry, son."

Toshiro just looked at him warily.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies. I know that there is never a valid reason for what I've done to you." He paused. "But in my defense, it was the seventies, and there were a lot of drugs."

"Dad," Karin snapped. "You blame everything on the seventies."

"A lot," he reiterated.

(like she hadn't heard this a million times)

"And I was on all of them."

Hitsugaya sighed, accepting. And when Karin turned her incredulity in his direction, her merely supplied, "There were a lot of them."

Karin walked away, hands in the air, praying for guidance. "Damn hippies."

~.~.~

They were in her room, books out, but Hitsugaya was staring at her, clearly fitting the pieces together. "It makes sense now. Why I was attracted to you initially."

Karin's blood hummed at initially, at the promise it foretold. "Why?" she humored him.

"You're the daughter of the one that turned me." He frowned. "Why didn't you tell me that you were a vampire?"

"It's not like that's something I throw around willy nilly," she countered, eyes on her book but mind not registering any of the text. "I didn't know you. And besides, I'm only a halfsie. And your kind looks down on atrocities like me."

"I don't," he said softly enough to make her meet his eye. He swallowed. "Is that how you knew I needed to feed?"

She smiled. "Yeah, my brother gets like that sometimes. Though he's never looked as crazy as you did. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I've been trying to wean myself off of human blood," he replied, ruffling his hair agitatedly. "That day was particularly bad. And then you showed up—"

"Hey," she interrupted, "I was here first. You showed up, looking like a lunatic. And why would you try to stop? You can drink off of people and not kill them, you know."

He exhaled slowly. "I just feel bad doing it. Don't you?"

"Not really." Karin shrugged. "I mean, I don't have to feed as often as you do, and a lot of times I can ward off my thirst by eating a rare steak. But I don't feel bad for the cow either. We're predators, Toshiro. It's the circle of life and all that shit."

He raised an eyebrow, not convinced.

"Look." She swallowed. "Would it make you feel better if you fed off of me instead?"

His complexion darkened, eyes practically bugging out of his head.

(What was his problem?)

Karin shifted self-consciously. "What? Is that weird or something? My sister and I do it all the time."

Hitsugaya cleared his throat. "Vampires don't usually feed off each other unless—" He cleared his throat again. "Yeah, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Oh, come on," she urged, pushing her hair aside and baring her smooth, pale neck. "We can't have you going on a hungry rampage and terrorizing my town. I grew up here." And when he still hesitated, "Come on, just a little nibble, to see if it'll work."

Cautiously, he scooted over to her, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Tell me to stop at any point," he said, voice gravelly, cool fingers trailing across the hot skin of her neck.

She tilted her head in response, ignoring her body's natural spike of fear as his canines elongated. For a moment, his fangs merely scraped the surface of her neck, sending a thrill through her whole body. But she was wholly unprepared for her reaction when he finally sunk his teeth into her.

She squeaked as pleasure shot straight to her groin.

(This was nothing like when Yuzu fed…)

She suddenly felt too confined by her clothes—her nipples straining against her tshirt, her skin rippling with desire, every inch of her begging to be touched. And the longer Toshiro fed, the more heat built in her belly, and the harder it was not to squirm beneath his teeth.

She was just starting to realize what she had gotten herself into.

(She should tell him to stop)

But instead, she sagged against him, her teeth's ironclad grip on her lip the only thing keeping moans from escaping.