Author Note: Hello again, our lovely readers! CrazyAce'n'PokerFace are here to proudly present Chapter 5 of Midnight Snow. WE ARE BAAACK! And yes, there are two of us, to answer a few of our inquisitive readers. I, CrazyAce, do all of the writing, brainstorming, replying to reviews, etc. PokerFace acts as a sounding board, gives a few ideas (mostly the humorous scenes, like the blackmail contract in Ch. 3), does the corrections, and generally helps make the writing a lot more fun. He's like my inspirational muse. :)
To find out more about us, just visit our profile! And if you have any other questions, feel free to PM us! :D
And now, on with the story!
WARNING: Upcoming warnings of RenRuki and IchiHime. Please feel free to criticize my writing, but not the pairings. Thank you.
Normal = prose, italics = thoughts or inner conversations
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. I also do not own any of the chapter titles. Cookies for anyone who guesses which poems they're from. :)
Chapter Six: When a Beggar Beholds You, He Forgets His Hunger
i.
With just three words, it was as if the last six months, one week, and one day were completely erased. It was just him and her again, the way it should be. All was right with his world once more.
"Miss me much?" Karin said with that grin of hers, the one that always made Hitsugaya want to smile back at her. So he did, smirking as he started walking towards her.
"Ha! As if, Kurosaki. I was way too busy to even think about you," he replied, mentally crossing his fingers. There was no need to tell her that he'd missed her so much that he actually counted down the hours until he was able to see her again. Matsumoto would probably overhear, take it the wrong way, and mercilessly tease him.
"Oh, yeah? Guess that means you were buried with paperwork again. Sounds like tons of fun," she retorted, casually perusing her fingernails. "So sorry I missed out."
He scowled. "Whatever. I bet you were bored to death over here. I mean, come on, do you even have anything to do besides study 'til your eyes bleed and play weaklings on the soccer field? I bet your game has gotten so bad that it'll only take me fifteen minutes to beat you."
Karin grinned again, and this time it had him itching to go against her one on one, each of them fighting to defeat the other. She stepped closer to him, digging one finger into his chest, emphasizing each of her words with a vicious jab. "You wish, Toushirou! You're going to have your ass handed to you on a platter by the time I'm through with you."
"You're on, Kurosaki," he replied, tilting his head to look down at her. Karin's grin widened, and he was close enough to distinguish the exact shade of dark gray her eyes were…
At this point, he was suddenly wrenched backwards as Ichigo grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him away from Karin.
"Not so close, you bastard!" Ichigo yelled. Hitsugaya scowled and shoved Ichigo's hand off his arm. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Didn't he see that it was Karin who was doing the bodily harm here? (He could definitely feel where a bruise would be forming on his shoulder. Not that he'd ever admit to it. He had his pride, after all.)
"Ichigo! Stop interrupting them!" Matsumoto said. "We were just getting to the good part!"
"Yeah, Onii-chan!" Yuzu seconded.
"What good part?" Karin asked, exasperated. "And Ichi-nii! Stop man-handling my friends!"
"Hey! He deserved it!" Ichigo protested.
"He wasn't even doing anything, Ichi-nii! Just talking trash!"
"Yeah!" Matsumoto and Yuzu chorused. "So stop ruining our entertainment!"
"Entertainment! How could you call that entertainment?" Ichigo yelled, gesturing at Karin and Hitsugaya. "Do none of you see what's wrong with this picture? First of all, he's a couple centuries older than her!"
"It's just one century," muttered Hitsugaya. "Plus a few decades."
"Whatever! Second of all, you're dead and she's alive! That's like combining pedophilia with necrophilia right there!"
"What are you talking about, Ichi-nii? Toush and I are best friends! Stop being such a hypocrite! What about you and Rukia, huh?" Karin shot back.
"That's completely different!"
"How?"
"Our relationship is platonic!"
"Well, so is mine and Toushirou's! Jeez, I'm sick of all the innuendos and suggestions everyone keeps throwing at us!" Karin said, rolling her eyes before turning to look at Hitsugaya. "What the heck are you laughing at?"
While Ichigo and Karin had their argument, Hitsugaya had started chuckling, unable to help himself at the hilarity of the situation. But Karin was glaring at him, so he figured he'd better explain. "Nothing, sorry. It's just that everyone does the same thing to me in Soul Society."
Karin blinked. "Wait, they tease you, too?"
Hitsugaya nodded. "Yeah, they're always making weird assumptions and asking when you and I are going to make it official."
Karin's eyes widened. "No way! They say that to me, too! Hey, every time you look even the least bit depressed, do they ask if it's because you're missing me?"
Hitsugaya nodded, a smirk on his face. Karin shook her head, laughing. "I don't believe this! And here I thought it was just me! Honestly, what do you think is wrong with people? Even Pinta and the guys keep dropping hints. You'd think they'd find something else to gossip about."
Hitsugaya shrugged. "Beats me."
"Hey! Back to the conversation here!" Ichigo yelled, waving his arms. Hitsugaya and Karin ignored him, preferring instead to compare notes and catch up on things. Karin eventually bumped her shoulder against Hitsugaya's and tilted her head towards the still-open door, indicating that they should temporarily move their conversation outside.
Ichigo was two steps away from following them when four pairs of hands reached out and grabbed him.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" he yelled in protest. "Aw, come on, not you, too, Orihime!"
"Look, Ichigo, it's for your sister's own good," Matsumoto said. "She's already in deep denial about her own feelings. I mean, look at that conversation she just had with Taichou! Those two love-birds are about as oblivious as it gets!"
"Yeah! And I want to keep it that way!" Ichigo argued.
"Well, we want to see some progress," Yuzu said. "Letting them spend some time alone together won't hurt."
"Yes, it will!" Ichigo roared. "You're underestimating the white-haired midget! I know how guys think!"
"Ichigo, you fool! Don't go around assuming that everyone is as perverted as you, freak!" Rukia said.
"I'm not the perverted one here!"
"Neither is Hitsugaya-kun," Orihime contributed. "He's the perfect gentleman. Karin will be fine. Besides, they're still just friends, remember? Nothing to worry about. It looks like things will stay like this for a while."
As Yuzu and Matsumoto protested ("Don't say that, Hime-nee! Urahara-san said he was going to brew up a love potion for us if things get desperate!"), Ichigo sighed and stopped struggling. "You're right, you're right."
Rukia shook her head at his reaction. "You're so whipped."
Ichigo turned red from anger, embarrassment, or a mixture of both. "Shut up, midget!"
"You shut up, idiot!"
"I'm not the one that's getting married here! You're the whipped one!"
"No, no, Renji's the whipped one and—hey! You bastard! Does that mean you're not intending to make an honest woman of Orihime?" Rukia accused him, incensed.
"Eh?" Orihime said, at the same time that Ichigo spluttered, "When did I say that, stupid? Don't go making stupid assumptions about people's damned intentions."
"Aha! So you are gonna marry her, hmm?" Matsumoto interjected, a cat-like grin upon her face. "You're going to have to ask me, Tatsuki, and Taichou for permission, you know, so you better be nice to Taichou or we won't let you marry her."
"Dude, we are so not having this conversation again."
"I-It's okay, Rangiku-san. I don't want to marry Ichigo," Orihime said. The room went deathly quiet for a few seconds as everyone processed that statement.
"WHAT?" Ichigo eventually yelled, his expression one of surprise that quickly turned into dejection.
"Ooooh! Did you fall in love with somebody else?" Matsumoto asked eagerly.
"N-N-No! I meant that I don't want to marry Ichigo yet! Yet!" Orihime flailed her arms.
Ichigo instantly cheered up, and Rukia took one look at his expression and smugly stated, "You see? Whipped."
And the argument resumed.
ii.
Meanwhile, outside on Orihime's front balcony, Karin and Hitsugaya were finishing up their conversation.
"So, yeah, my life is pretty much packed between soccer and kendo practice, helping out at the clinic, and studying my ass off to get into Tokyo University," she said, leaning against the short wall.
"Guess my description was pretty spot on then," he said, teasing her.
She scowled. "Hey, it wasn't completely boring, 'kay? There were a few Hollows to kill, that sort of thing." And the dreams. Always the dreams, she thought to herself. Should I tell him about them now? They've been getting worse, but it's so…private. And he just got here anyway, Better to wait until later. So thinking, she plastered a smile to her face, only to be met with a pair of concerned blue-green eyes.
"What?" she asked.
Hitsugaya shook his head. "It's nothing. You can take care of yourself." The way he said that last sentence was full of confidence, but it also had the slightest sound of someone trying to reassure himself.
Karin's grin widened, and she smacked Hitsugaya on the arm. "Toush, were you worrying about me? I can fight off Hollows just fine, you know. I don't need you to come to my rescue." Oh, look, she thought. There's that little line he gets between his eyebrows when he's mad. I must've really annoyed him…
"I know that! Didn't I just say so? You're strong enough to take out most Hollows. Only—don't do anything reckless, okay?" That last sentence was nearly a mutter, and Karin wanted to laugh at the way he said it while pointedly staring off into the distance. But she understood. Talking about feelings was uncomfortable for the both of them. They found it easier just to show them than to say them.
"Hey, you're talking to the most sensible of the Kurosakis. You've got nothing to worry about. I'm more worried for you, what with having to keep Yachiru in check here in the Living World," she said, trying to lighten the mood, and sure enough he started scowling, his expression comically ominous.
"Someday I'm really going to murder Matsumoto. You just watch. Honestly, did you know what she did this past month?"
"Burned your paperwork, blackmailed you into coming here, and saddled you with baby-sitting the Women's Association?" Karin asked, turning the tables and teasing him instead.
"Yes. And to top it off, she didn't even get enough rooms at the inn, which is why we're stuck here at Inoue-san's place, throwing ourselves on her hospitality." Hitsugaya made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "It probably would've worked out fine, except for the fact that your idiot of a brother's here, and there's only room enough to take Kuchiki in."
Karin cocked her head to the side. "So where are you guys staying?"
Hitsugaya sighed. "Who knows?" He could always make do with Inoue-san's roof, he supposed…
"Why don't you guys crash at our house?" Karin suggested.
Hitsugaya blinked in surprise.
"What?" Now it was Karin's turn to scowl again.
"Nothing. It's just that your brother actually told us to do that, and Matsumoto was all for taking him up on his offer, right before you guys walked in."
"Hm. So Ichi-nii approved?" He nodded, and she continued, "That makes it easier, then. It's settled. You'll stay with us."
"Well, actually, your brother rescinded his offer…"
"Please. As if he has the right to do that. I said his approval would make things easier, not that it was necessary. He doesn't even live with us anymore. You and Matsumoto can share his room." Catching a glance at his horrified expression, Karin hastily amended, "Or you can sleep on the couch and Matsumoto can have the room to herself."
"That's fine. Thank you." Relief at not having to share living quarters with his fukutaichou was written all over his face.
"No problem. That's what friends are for, right? Come on, let's go inside and pry Rukia off of Ichigo. Then we can get your stuff and get going, otherwise we'll be late and Goat-chin will complain that we let his culinary masterpiece go stale."
"Wait, your father's cooking?" Hitsugaya looked apprehensive. He didn't put it past Isshin to slip some sort of "love potion" into his serving.
"Grilling, and Yuzu had some sort of pot roast with mushroom sauce simmering when we left the house, so it's not like we'll starve." That being said, Karin opened the front door and walked back inside, Hitsugaya close on her heels.
They walked in on what appeared to be a wrestling match between Rukia and Ichigo. Ichigo was flailing on the floor, Rukia digging her knee into his back and choking him in a headlock.
"Admit defeat, idiot!" Rukia said gleefully.
"Never, you midget!" Ichigo wheezed, trying to loosen her grip around his neck. It wasn't working.
Behind them, Matsumoto and Yuzu were acting as the avid spectators, while Orihime resembled a worried referee.
"Woo-hoo, Rukia-chan! Show 'im who's boss! Take that, Ichigo! This is divine punishment for kicking us out!" Matsumoto said.
"Come on, Onii-chan! Try your best! You can do it! Oh, but make sure you don't hurt Rukia-nee-chan!" Yuzu said.
"Umm, p-please stop fighting," Orihime said, fidgeting with her hands. "I'm sure Ichigo-kun would be happy to admit defeat, right?"
"Admit it! Admit it! Admit it!" Yuzu and Matsumoto chanted.
"No! I would definitely not!"
Rukia smirked. "You might not be happy about it, but you will say it, because it's Orihime who's asking. You'll say it 'cause you're whipped."
"Whipped! Whipped! Whipped!"
"Please, Ichigo-kun?" Orihime begged.
"Come on, Ichi-nii, just say it already so we can go to dinner," Karin stated. "We're gonna be late."
Matsumoto perked up. "Ooh! Welcome back, Karin-chan! How was your lovey-dovey chat with Taichou? Did he confess?"
"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya yelled. He could feel himself blushing. It was one thing when she made comments like that in Soul Society—another thing entirely when Karin was right there next to him, laughing hysterically.
"He better not have!" Ichigo yelled.
"Shut up, Ichigo. Nobody asked you."
"Goddamnit! Get off of me, Rukia!"
"Not until you say it."
"Please, Ichigo-kun? Pretty please?"
"…"
"He's gonna say it! He's gonna say it!"
"The hell I am!"
"Please, Ichigo-kun?"
Absolute silence, except for the sound of avid anticipation.
"...fine! I'm…I'm whipped!"
Matsumoto, Yuzu, and Rukia started cackling like madwomen.
"We knew you'd say it!"
"Oh! Oh! Now make him say he's a whipped bunny who lurves his princess!"
Karin rolled her eyes at Hitsugaya and decided to step in before this went any further. Torturing Ichigo was always fun, but they had a deadline to meet.
"Hey! People! I said we're gonna be late! Let's get going!" she commanded.
"But, Karin-chan!" Matsumoto complained.
"But nothing. Get your things and get in the car. You and Toush are riding with me and Yuzu. Rukia can ride with Ichi-nii."
Matsumoto opened her mouth, undoubtedly to argue or whine, when she registered something.
"Get our things? Does this mean we can stay with you?" she asked excitedly.
"Duh," Karin said at the same time Yuzu replied, "Of course!" and Ichigo said, "Over my dead body!"
"That can be arranged," Rukia said, tweaking his ear threateningly from her position on his back.
As she and Ichigo argued, Orihime and Yuzu helped Matsumoto grab her multitude of bags, dumping at least half of them into Hitsugaya's arms. Somehow, they all managed to make it down to the cars without anyone breaking their necks.
The car ride itself proved largely uneventful; Yuzu and Matsumoto chatted happily in the backseat of Karin's truck, while Hitsugaya rode shotgun and gazed idly out the window, a smile playing about his lips as he stayed silent and Karin hummed along to the radio.
This was exactly what he needed.
iii.
Any sense of peace he felt was immediately shattered upon arrival at the Kurosaki household.
"HITSUGAYA-KUUUUUN!" Isshin exclaimed ecstatically as he ran outside to greet them, his arms flung wide as he tried to hug Hitsugaya. The Tenth Division taichou neatly side-stepped him as Karin's fist came out of nowhere to sock her father in the jaw.
"Stupid Goat-chin! Stop acting like a maniac. You're embarrassing me!" she yelled.
Isshin stumbled back into the house, sobbing wildly as he flung himself onto Masaki's poster. "Masaki! Our daughter hates me now! She's as possessive of Hitsugaya-kun as Ichigo is of Orihime-chan! It's not fair! Just because they're dating, she won't let anybody else hug him! We raised such selfish children!"
"A-ano, that's not true," Orihime said, patting him on the back while Karin shouted in the background. "Ichigo-kun is very good at sharing."
"Really? Then I'm glad," Isshin said, wrapping his arms around Orihime instead.
"Get off her, you perverted old man!" Ichigo raged, kicking his father off of his girlfriend, proving that he was, in reality, very bad at sharing.
Matsumoto clapped her hands happily. "It was a great idea to come here! Now we'll have live entertainment 24/7, ne, Yuzu-chan?"
Yuzu sighed. "If this—" she pointed at the brawl currently taking place on the living room floor, "—is what you count as entertainment, then yes, Rangiku-san. It's on 24/7."
iv.
"You live in a madhouse, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said to Karin, setting a plate down. They had retreated to the kitchen, and he was helping her set the table.
She scowled in response as she grabbed extra chairs. "Shut up. It's not my fault that my father's insane. Otou-san is uncontrollable."
"I can see that," he replied, smirking.
"Yeah, yeah." She smiled in turn as she watched him align each pair of chopsticks in the exact middle of the plate, as opposed to leaving them where she'd haphazardly thrown them. It was nice to see his OCD, neat-freak tendencies were still the same. She plopped herself sideways in her usual chair and watched him as he similarly rearranged the placemats and napkins. As soon as he finished, she pulled out the chair next to her and patted the seat.
He calmly ignored her—and sat in the chair across from her. "If you think I'm going to sit next to you and let you dump all the things you don't want to eat on my plate, you're sadly mistaken, Kurosaki. I'm your friend, not your garbage disposal."
"Why? Can't you be both?"
"Can't he be both what?" Matsumoto asked eagerly, entering the room from the kitchen while wearing oven mitts and holding a platter of pot roast. "Be both your friend and boyfriend? It's completely possible, you know!" She set the plate in the middle of the table and sat down next to Karin, scooting her chair in as close as possible and grabbing the surprised girl's hands. "Love and friendship were meant to coexist. Look at Renji and Rukia!"
"I have, Matsumoto, and she beats him up on a regular basis," Hitsugaya stated dryly. "That's not exactly your typical friendship. And stop with the innuendos. I want to be able to keep my dinner down."
As Matsumoto opened her mouth to object, Isshin barged in, sporting a black eye and holding aloft something that resembled a hunk of burnt charcoal. "I bring us dinner!"
"Otou-san!" Yuzu cried out. "You promised me you wouldn't burn it! Honestly, I leave you alone for one hour, and this is what happens." She came rushing in from the kitchen, bringing the mushroom sauce. Orihime was right behind her with the bread rolls and water jug. Yuzu set the sauce on the table and ran over to her father, taking the…meat…from his hands and scolding him.
"Come on, Yuzu, how could you expect him not to burn it?" Ichigo groused, rubbing his swollen knuckles. He stopped when he caught sight of where Hitsugaya was sitting. "Hey! Get out of my chair, midget!"
"I'm not in your chair, idiot!" yelled Rukia, who pushed Isshin out of the way to smack his son.
"I wasn't talking to you, midget, I was talking to the other midget!" He pointed an accusing finger at Hitsugaya, who simply raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't see your name on it, Kurosaki."
"It's my house! And that's my chair!"
"Technically, it's not your house anymore, Onii-chan. You moved out, remember?" Yuzu said patiently. "Now sit down here next to Hime-nee-chan so we can eat."
Grudgingly, Ichigo sat down, but he continued to glare at Hitsugaya throughout the meal, even as everyone else started to eat. It was rather disconcerting for the young taichou.
It ceased to be as disconcerting when a mushroom hit the side of Ichigo's face.
"Knock it off, Ichi-nii," Karin drawled. "I'm starting to think you might be gay after all, what with the way you're staring at Toush."
Rukia choked on her drink, Matsumoto and Isshin started howling with laughter, and Ichigo turned redder than a tomato.
"Atta girl! Teach him not to stare at your man, huh?" Isshin said, winking.
Karin and Toushirou started simultaneously rolling their eyes when their gazes met, and they burst out laughing instead.
Isshin, Matsumoto, and Yuzu exchanged worried glances. It was worse than they thought; annoyed denial at least acknowledged the fact that there was something to deny. Outright laughter indicated that the thought of them being a couple was so ludicrous as to be funny.
"Maybe we should take Urahara up on his offer after all," Isshin murmured to Yuzu. "The side-effects can't be that bad."
Orihime just watched the two friends laughing and smiled quietly to herself.
Things were progressing just fine.
v.
"Psst! Hitsugaya-kun!" said Isshin in an overdramatic whisper. He beckoned to him while casting furtive glances down the hallway to where Ichigo, Orihime, and Rukia were preparing to leave.
Puzzled and a little apprehensive, Hitsugaya nevertheless made his way over to the man. After all, he was their host, and it would be rude to ignore him.
"Yes, Kurosaki-san?" he inquired politely.
Isshin slapped him across the back. "Don't be so formal, my dear boy! Why, it'll be confusing if you call all of us Kurosakis by our last name, so you can call me Isshin-san! Or better yet, Otou-san, since you're going to be my son-in-law in the future."
"Mm-hmm," Hitsugaya noncommittally replied, slightly distracted. His eyes strayed to where Karin stood laughing, exchanging a hug with Rukia. Did she do something to her hair? It looked a little different, somehow…
"Hitsugaya-kun, did you hear what I said?" Isshin looked at him knowingly, glancing at Karin, then back to Hitsugaya and raising his eyebrows.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, I didn't get that last bit." Hitsugaya mentally slapped himself. For Kami-sama's sake, he couldn't afford to lose his concentration around Isshin, of all people. The man was more devious than his fukutaichou, and that was saying something.
"Oh, no! I'm perfectly happy to repeat myself." Isshin's eyes twinkled merrily. "I will castrate you if you go near my daughter."
What? Hitsugaya shook his head. He could have sworn Isshin just said—
"To be more specific, I've set up a trap that will take care of it for me, should you get any ideas during the night. Several traps, in fact. Very complicated ones, set here, here, here and here," Isshin said, pulling a diagram of the house from somewhere and pointing out the specific spots. "Now, I have set them so cleverly that there's only one way you can avoid these traps. So I suggest you take this route here," and he walked his fingers along the paper, "except you have to be careful of where you step, especially around this one, if you ever plan on having children, which I'm sure you do. Lovely raven-haired children, yes? Oh, by the way, to disable the alarm, you just have to smack it three times. You can find a flashlight by the foot of the stairs, and an extra map nearby. But of course, you still won't be able to get into Karin's room without this key!" He pulled it out and waved it around.
"I…see." What was the point of this? "Kurosaki-san—"
"Otou-san! Call me Otou-san!"
"…Kurosaki-san, I don't understand. Isn't it defeating the purpose of setting the traps if you tell me where they are?"
"I very specifically did not tell you there were traps here and here and here!"
Hitsugaya blinked. "Ye-es. Even so, isn't it defeating the purpose of telling me where they are if the door is still locked?"
"Oh? So you want the key?" Isshin dangled it in front of Hitsugaya's face.
He scowled. "No, of course not. I don't plan on going anywhere near Karin tonight."
"Of course you don't!" Isshin winked in an exaggerated way. "Not tonight, at least! If you do, be sure that I will force you to marry her."
Hitsugaya stared at him.
"Well, if the idea of sneaking into her room strikes you in the future, rest assured that I, her wonderful Otou-san, will do my very best to thwart your dastardly plans! I shall hide this key somewhere you shall never find it!"
So saying, Isshin walked over to the couch and dropped it between the cushions. Then he pranced over to the front door, sobbing his heart out as he bid farewell to his "beautiful, radiant adopted daughters" and dodged the fist of his "mean, awful son."
Hitsugaya walked over to the couch, dug the key out, and put it in his pocket.
Somewhere he'd never find it. Yeah.
He'd give to Karin as soon as—
"Hey. Midget. I want to talk to you."
—as soon as her family members stopped bombarding him with unwanted conversation.
He sighed. "What do you want, Kurosaki? And if you call me a midget again, I swear I will kill you."
Ichigo scowled, then looked over his shoulder to make sure his sisters were out of earshot. "Look, I know you and Karin are just friends—"
"Finally, someone who believes us." He placed his hands in his pockets, feeling the key there.
Ichigo's scowl deepened. "Whatever. Anyway, I know I have no right to tell you to stay away from her. But my point is, if you try and take advantage of her friendship, I will castrate you."
"No need to threaten me, Kurosaki. Your father has already done that."
"I mean it, I will literally—wait, what?" A look of pure shock crossed Ichigo's face. "Tou-san threatened you? I would've expected him to give you the key to her room!"
Hitsugaya abruptly took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest. He would not feel guilty. He would not. "Believe me, the conversation was equally unexpected on my end."
"Hmm. Well, then. Just listen to whatever my dad said, okay? And multiply the threats by ten."
Hitsugaya nearly choked.
Ichigo, oblivious to his reaction, just thumped him on the shoulder before moving to the door. Hitsugaya followed him shortly after, and mechanically waved goodbye along with the other inhabitants of the house as Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime finally left.
Today had definitely proved…interesting.
He supposed it was only to be expected since the Kurosakis were involved.
vi.
"What'd he want?" Karin asked as she tossed a pillow at him.
Hitsugaya looked up quizzically. "What'd who want?" He turned his attention back to the couch, where he was currently setting up his bed for the night. He'd already changed into a T-shirt and boxers, despite Matsumoto's ridiculous suggestion of just sleeping in the nude. What was wrong with the woman? Shaking his head, he waited for Karin's response.
"My idiot of a brother. What did he want?" Karin replied, clarifying her question.
He coughed into his fist. "Nothing."
She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I see. Let me guess—castration."
He blinked in surprise.
She laughed. "Don't worry, I didn't suddenly learn to read minds. I just helped him read the riot act to Jinta, and he had on the exact same expression." She sighed. "If it makes you feel better, he said it to Donny and the other guys, too."
"Did your father give them a 'talk,' too?"
"Goat-chin? No. Why?"
"Because he gave one to me, and it was way more disturbing than the one Ichigo had prepared."
"Really? What'd he say?" Karin looked at him curiously.
He shuddered. "You don't want to know."
She studied his expression. "You're probably right. I don't want to know."
He let out a short breath. "Yeah. Oh, before I forget…" He dug his hand into his pocket, pulled out the key, and tossed it to her.
Karin looked down at it, then back at him. "Why do you have the key to my room?"
"Your father gave it to me."
She stared at him silently for a few seconds. "You know, I definitely don't want to know what that conversation was about." She looked down at the key, then smiled wryly. "Better put this in a safe place, huh?"
"Yeah."
She tipped her head to the side. "Hmm. Well, if I ever needed proof of your completely honorable, completely friendly intentions, I have it in my hand." She dangled the key from its chain.
He laughed in response.
Karin laughed, too. Then she glanced at the clock. "Whoa! It's nearly twelve. Huh. Well, I guess it's good night, Toush." And there it was again, that devil-may-care grin of hers that made him want to grin back.
His expression softened as he looked at her. "Good night, Karin." He spoke as he moved to the side while she walked past him. She stopped at his words, turning to face him.
"What is it?" he asked, slightly distracted by her nearness. She was standing so close that he could catch her scent when he breathed in. She smelled like…vanilla? Something sweet and unexpected. And beneath that, he could make out something a little deeper, something familiar. If he just leaned in, he could—
"You called me Karin that time." She half-smiled. "It's been a while. I just—I guess I—" She paused, then sighed.
Meanwhile, Hitsugaya took a step back and shook his head to clear it. "Ah. Well, it would've been a while. It has been six months, one week, and one day since I've last seen you."
Karin went still before looking up at him in perfect silence. Hitsugaya wanted to hit himself. Now he sounded like some crazy stalker. Hastily, he tried backtracking, "I mean, well, maybe not six months exactly, but—"
He stopped as she shook her head. "No. It's been six months, one week, and one day. Exactly. I've been counting, too."
"Oh." He chuckled nervously. "Glad it wasn't just me, then."
"Mm-hmm." Karin nodded once before speaking. "Toushirou, don't take this the wrong way, okay?" And suddenly she was moving, throwing her arms around his waist and squeezing tight.
Hitsugaya froze, holding his arms stiffly at his side while his brain short-circuited. They stayed like that for five seconds before Karin stepped away.
"Sorry," she said. "I just—I missed you."
He coughed into his fist. "Yeah. I-I missed you, too."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Toush, are you blushing?" she asked, her smile widening.
"No."
"You are, you are!" She started chuckling. "I don't believe this! The calm and collected taichou, the icy Hitsugaya Toushirou is blushing because a girl hugged him!"
Scowling, he immediately walked away and threw himself onto the couch. He ignored her as she made her way to the stairs. Stopping at the first step, she turned back and said, "'Night, Toush! Don't let the couch bugs bite." And laughing, she ran up the steps.
He waited until he heard her bedroom door close, and then pulled the thin blanket over himself. He was not blushing. He was not!
Grumbling, he settled himself more comfortably on the couch, digging out a TV remote, a spoon, and a rabbit plushie, all of which he set on the floor next to him (was the Kurosakis' couch some sort of black hole for random debris?). And then he was left lying on the couch in silence, staring up at the ceiling.
Which gave him rather too much to remember exactly how it felt when Karin hugged him, her head right under his chin, her arms squeezing tight, her breasts—
Alright, imagination, I think that's enough for tonight.
He turned over abruptly, clenching his eyes closed and commanding himself to go to sleep. Burrowing deeper into the couch, he breathed in deeply—and caught the lingering scent of vanilla and something deeper, something familiar.
And that's how he fell asleep, with Karin's scent following him into his dreams.
Endnote: And there you have it—chapter six of Midnight Snow, more than a year after we first published this (we're really sorry for that, by the way).
First off, we'd like to thank everybody for reading this, both new readers and the faithful fans who've been tearing their hair out in frustration, waiting for us to get off our butts and write the next chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with us!
We'd also like to give special thanks to those who have also alerted, reviewed, or added this story to their favorites. The following is a list of these wonderful people, to whom we owe much gratitude: Spockie, anna1594, Turtle-chan in Blue, strawberryfishcakes, Tharrow, ticking-clocks8, XX825N12319W, oOoHKoOo, Red-Haired-Jack, NarayaEdea, ichilover3, Revanent, Life is Full Of Regrets, Tasogare X, Gray Tasare, Ash-chan13, Shizuku700, lilithchild, Auditory Eden, irsistort, Soul-Searcher16, ScienceAngel, xkaleidoscopex, Sparanda, ReaperDuckling, Reiuko, BlueNekoChan, Thelanblossom, Maii04, lazyguy90, omnipotent Porunga, Switmikan74, WinterMission, louisewattis, spinachmuncher, StuffedLion, fanofanime, Ginevra1988, fluco99, ero-sama 8669, meggie-moo s, DeathMeetsLife, myrrdinowl, Quiet Moon, lavenderfire, tichtich2, Azaria Stromsis, Shinku no tamashi, MoOmOo753951, Memys, Holographic Imaging, darkness surrounds me, blackpanther340, Lady Drama, HiyoriSarugaki731, Ziya Hitsugaya, Bloomer123, Akichan12, xxIciclebloomxx, thornedsunflower', Autumn Amber, Etiena, pinkfire101, Virivie, anniabella, KittyRiotLuvsYew053, Sangheili Knight, ThePeopleStillSleeping, Falling through the Snow, Selenay of Antioch, sweetcove, MarietheNeko, Cereza2000, bleach-gurl-katie, wowwowcom, Grim Wolf, GOdNevErSaIdLoVeLiFe, McIntyre, knightlygirl, MisplacedWit, misskarolinax, Photophobic, marife7, puma1sunfire, Nyxtolouloudo, SkyDancer101, Crazy4Ever, KyaKayToneRouko, TWI-hard kristine101, JustPlainDontAsk, Ryfee, Cor-chan, Star Fata, btstfn, Eye of a Hawk, thepenultimatefailure, HitsuKarin Lurver, ObsidianPhantom, FairoNeko, MeteorLeopard, unityatwork, matthias86, SweMiKi, HitsuKarinluv, Goku's Halo, Alexmommy, UnwittinglyInLove, gaaralover1989, and paws-bells.
(If we've forgotten you or spelled your name wrong, PLEASE TELL US! Seriously, I feel so guilty when I notice I forgot somebody or got their name wrong. T_T)
Note: Certain pen names, namely those with a period in the middle, have been spelled wrong so that Document Manager will not erase them. We apologize to anyone who is offended by this.
Additional Notes: Tokyo University, the school Karin wants to attend, and the one that Uryuu is attending now, is a real university, and is considered to be the considered to be the best in Japan. It is intensely difficult to get in, hence Karin's studyholic tendencies.
And finally, the last chapter's title was from the poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth. Congratulations to everyone who guessed it right!
Thank you for reading, and please review! :D