Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. I am just playing in his sandbox.
#93: Tears
Their fights had always been like tornados – destructive, fast, raging, and filled with lots of empty air.
Toshiro always used ice as his preferred weapon of choice, his demeanour getting progressively colder with each icy word that passed his lips. At the same time, he would retreat further into himself, distancing himself from the emotions that would cause him to hurt.
The ice was his weapon, and his shield.
But she always gave it as good as she got, because Karin was never one to take anything lying down.
Her preferred weapon of choice was of burning snark and sarcasm, and sometimes, if she felt like it, a good fiery glare that would torch him where he stood. Other times, she would simply hit him. Multiple times.
They could never stay angry with the other for long. It was simply a matter of who would be the one to lower their pride to make the apology first.
But as he bit out the last cold, bitter word in their latest fight, Toshiro knew that he had finally gone too far.
Her beautiful grey eyes had widened in shock and hurt, and he could see the glistening wetness of unshed tears.
His heart sank, and he opened his mouth to apologize, but she held out a hand to stop him.
She shook her head, her tears spilling over even as she brushed them away angrily. She only whispered one broken word. "Don't."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Guilt crept up like a vine and almost strangled him as he watched her tears pool and fall. In that moment, he absolutely hated himself. Because he was the one who made her cry. He was the one who caused the tears to fall from this strong warrior of a woman, this woman who loved him passionately with all her heart.
Dear Kami, what had he done?
He could not take the words back, as much as he wanted to. He could not turn back time to undo the hurt that he had caused her.
He had never felt more helpless than at this very moment, watching her tears, feeling his heart breaking at the knowledge that he was the cause.
Then she pressed a fist to her trembling lips, her slender frame shaking as she tried to stop her tears from falling, and failing miserably. A choked sob escaped from her as she turned and vanished with a lightning fast flash step.
Immediately, he gave chase.
Because he had to do something, anything, to make it right. To make this right. To wipe the tears from her eyes, and to make sure that they would never again fall because of him.