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Complicated
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Chapter Two: Dilemnas
"Enter. Hitsuguya-taichou."
Toushiro reached out a confident hand and pushed open the bamboo doors, leading into the room. As the doors spread open quickly, they hit the wall and rattled silently; as if a small hum were being heard. The light in the room was oddly dim, making Toushiro's teal eyes narrow even more than what they were before. A cold feeling emanated towards him from the open space, making the cold seem distant instead of near and genuine. As he stepped one foot on the sparkly, well-polished wood, his footstep echoed faintly, dissipating after a few moments.
Then Toushiro glanced up, finding Head Captain Yamamoto smiling down at him. The smile graced upon the elder man's lips seemed fake and strained upon his emotionless, angular features. The Head Captain's long, opal-white beard hung from his face neatly, entwined with the dark, satin-like ribbon. The long tendrils moved in the air loosely, wisps of it flailing around mindlessly. As Toushiro stepped fully into the room, the doors slammed behind him heavily, stirring odd emotions in Toushiro.
"You needed to see me, Head Captain Yamamoto," Toushiro said formally, his eyes boring heavily into the Captain's. He stood there, still; one cold and clammy hand on the hilt of his sword protectively.
The silence stretched on; long and deadly unnerving. Yamamoto's pasted smile on his face, not going unnoticed by Toushiro. The intimidating weight, falling on Toushiro….but Toushiro wouldn't buy into it. Not now. Ever. Never, would he fall into a trap so transparent and clear, nipping away at him so quietly, yet strictly rapid.
"Yes."
Toushiro didn't say anything else, waiting for the head captain to continue on with his words. But the silence continued on, making the situation awkward. The young prodigy knew what this was about. Karin. But he didn't speak up now, to reiterate and say what Yamamoto wanted him to say. The path he was walking on now was only broken glass; once he fell and stumbled, there would never be a stable foundation again.
"Hitsuguya-taichou," Yamamoto continued, obviously constricted. Both of his eyes opened now, barely, showing the unreadable hazel depths. "I've noticed that you've been taking more frequent trips to the living world." Yamamoto licked his chapped lips calmly, impressed that Toushiro didn't flinch. "Tell me…why is that?"
Toushiro stiffened noticeably, but his face was still impassive. He tightened his fingers on the hilt of his sword, but his emerald-blue eyes stayed cold and bitter. His mind was whirling with thoughts, having to do with a strong foundation, concerning his reply. There was no point evading the question; after all these years of being a captain, he knew what to do.
Toushiro opened his mouth, his lips straining and full of unbridled emotion. He knew Yamamoto wasn't stupid, and he probably knew anyway…it was his job after all. "Yamamoto-soutaichou," Toushiro began, narrowing his eyes even further. "I've visited the living world, in order for me to talk over things with Kurosaki."
"Ahhh," Yamamoto said, amusement beginning to fill his eyes. He chuckled a little, and brought his hands behind his back, clasping his bony, pale fingers. "Karin Kurosaki, I presume?" He opened his eyes even wider, the amusement still prominent on his face.
"Correct," Toushiro answered.
"Hitsuguya-taichou…" Yamamoto started, twiddling his fingers and frowning a little, the amusement wiped clean off his face. "What business do you have with a woman from the living world?"
Toushiro's eyes widened a little bit, and his heart began to speed up rationally. "I've…asked her to marry me Head Captain Yamamoto."
Yamamoto didn't show much reaction, only nodding a little; the small bubble of amusement, rising up once again in him. He could tell Toushiro was telling the truth; by the way he situated himself. "You know Hitsuguya-taichou…" He looked up at him, his eyes fully open now. "That's quite unfortunate."
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It's been a week since Toushiro asked Karin to marry him, and Karin's been nervous, although very happy. All week long, the days in Karakura had been dark and gloomy, no sun poking from the gray, overcast clouds. The rain was heavy and dense; huge raindrops falling against all surfaces emitting loud, constant sounds. The sky was a deep gray, entwined with a murky blue; a few golden rays of sunlight protruding from the sun, down into the sky, barely noticeable. Overall, Karakura town was overcast and rainy, no hope of sun shining in the next few days.
Karin was heading towards her brother's house, the second consecutive time that week, her visage was serious and her usual warm charisma flat, because of the rain. She forgot her umbrella at her apartment, so her deep ebony locks clung to her face, damp and heavy. Water ran down her face, dripping off her chin and landing on miscellaneous, crystalline puddles.
Walking a little further, she could see her brother's house. It was small and compact, painted a light baby-blue color, with white trim around the windows and door. The grass was a deep emerald, sparkling as the rain grew heavier and heavier. Realizing the rain wouldn't clear up anytime soon; Karin shivered a little and brought her raincoat to her chin, fingers closing around the collar. She looked at her fingers and saw the moist, rough flesh pruned ever-so slightly. Steadily, she picked her pace up to a sprint, as she ran to her brother's house.
When she got to the steps, she leaned down and put her hands on her knees, breathing raggedly. She smirked a little, when her thoughts sent her, Damn, I really am getting old. Ha! Her eyes went to her beat up converse on her feet, smirking a little wider as she saw the fabric fading a little. The black spandex she wore on her legs were soaked, and pressed even tighter to her legs, making her legs tremble a little. But then, she stood up and reached a shaky hand, knocking on the door.
"Wait just a minute please!" A chirpy voice yelled from inside the house cheerfully. Karin smiled a little, and wiped her forehead, happy to be at least under some shelter.
Soon, Karin could hear a clatter of footsteps in the house. The footsteps got louder, and soon the handle to the door was turning, making the door widen. Karin looked up and saw a head poking from the door, with a bright smile. There was Orihime, blinking down at her with wide, innocent gray orbs, ringed with long, thick eyelashes. Her long, auburn locks were in a high, loose bun, a few strands of hair falling over her heart-shaped face. Orihime's smile widened when she saw who it was and she ushered Karin in with a feminine giggle.
"Karin-chan," she squealed, wrapping her arms around her with a friendly hug. "It's so good to see you again! I really missed you when you left yesterday," she said, giggling a little once again.
But when she saw what state Karin was, her eyes widened and her lips formed a 0 shape. She squeaked, and took off Karin's jacket, leading her into her house. It was warm and comfortable in the house, with a nice, welcoming environment. It was oddly quiet though, the soft vibrations of the washer and dryer machines running. Once they got settled on the couch, Karin in sweats and a large t-shirt (courtesy to her Orihime, finding clothes in her husband's room), Karin felt a lot better..
Karin grinned mischievously, and rubbed her hands down her thighs, trying to get more warmth going. "Oi, Orihime-chan," she said, leaning in closer and laughing a little, more to herself, "Where's the little squirt and Ichi-nii?"
"Oh!" Orihime smiled gently, and turned her gaze away, while her cheeks warmed prettily. The woman grabbed the end of her skirt with her fingers, grasping the fabric tightly. "They went out somewhere actually. Just a little bit before you came…it seemed that Ichigo wanted some time with his son." Orihime rubbed her large stomach warmly, and her smile grew even brighter.
Karin leaned back on the couch, glad that her brother wasn't around. Over the years, she had learned to respect Orihime, and she also learned to love her as well. She needed to speak to her about Toushiro; and if Ichigo knew what was going on, he wouldn't have the same reaction. "Um, Orihime-chan…" she said, feeling the blush spread across her cheeks.
"Y-Yes?" Orihime asked, cocking her head to the side innocently, while long, auburn locks began to frame her face.
"The thing is…" Karin began, glancing down at her lap, and then looking up at the woman with a serious look on her face. She gulped a little, and began to scratch her head, looking away sheepishly. "I came over today…to ask you about some stuff that just happened recently. I can't tell Ichi-nii, or that idiot would do something stupid and protective. If that's OK with you or anything…"
"O-Of course Karin-chan," Orihime said, nodding her head a little, and bringing her hands to her chest with a small smile. "I'm…I'm open to listen to whatever you wish to tell me."
Karin nodded, and looked Orihime in the eyes once more, no longer feeling awkward. "Do you happen to remember Tou…um, I mean Hitsuguya-taichou from soul society?"
Orihime bit her lip, and nodded slowly. "Um…Hitsuguya-taichou?" she asked, looking over at Karin. The ebony beauty nodded. "Well…" Then Orihime shook her head and laughed a little loudly, bonking her head with her palm. "Yes! I…I do remember him. Matsumouto comes over her a few times, so when she comes over, we always get into a conversation about him."
"Oh," Karin replied softly.
"What about Hitsuguya-taichou?" Orihime asked.
"Well…we…um," Karin said, rubbing her head again and blushing a lot more. "We've actually been in a relationship for a while and…the midget just asked me to marry him."
Orihime blinked a little, and opened her mouth, soon to close it once more. Karin laughed when she saw her reaction, and brought her hand behind her neck with a wide smile. "Yeah…it was a definite surprise for me too Orihime-chan."
The two women's gazes locked, and they both smiled; mutual in understanding.
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"What do you mean by unfortunate?" Toushiro asked; his voice a lot more gruff and straightforward then what it was before. One of his white eyebrows raised high inquisitively, while his eyes still remained cold. "I don't seem to understand."
Yamamoto frowned and began to pace around the room, still not turning his back to Toushiro. His face grew compact and serious once more, his eyes closing peacefully, although his eyes were slightly troubled. Toushiro kept looking at him, ready for an answer. The long silence and awkward pauses were getting very agitating. He still kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, loosening his grasp for a few moments. It seemed the intensity of this situation, had descended a little bit.
"What I mean, Hitsuguya-taichou," Yamamoto spoke, stopping his pacing. He looked up, and flicked over his gaze to the white-haired boy. Toushiro kept quiet, licking his lips a little. "It's unfortunate that…someone who lives in Soul Society, works as a captain, with a higher rank than most…would ask someone living, who is in a whole world entirely, to marry him. I'm afraid that the rules say, someone who is in Soul Society, can't marry a human."
Toushiro, who had been expecting this, smirked a little, removing his hand from his sword entirely. "Yamamoto-soutaichou," he answered. "I understand that, so I looked into the written documents of Soul Society; it said that, but if I can work around that, using other rules…would that be permittable?"
Yamamoto smiled a little at this. "I see Hitsuguya-taichou," he replied with a nod. "If you can prove to me, that you can marry a human, using the Soul Society documents and history, then…it will be exceptional that you can marry this girl." Toushiro relaxed a little. "But," Yamamoto warned. Toushiro's eyes widened a little bit. "If you cannot prove to me that you can marry this human, then I will have no choice but to not allow you to the living world. And…that may mean execution, since you defied an important rule in Soul Society."
Yamamoto and Toushiro looked at each other for a little bit, understanding what was at stake. Then Toushiro nodded, and exited the room briskly, leaving the door open.
Yamamoto stared after him, with a genuinely sad look in his chestnut brown eyes. He clasped his hands harder behind his back, and then turned away with a knowing smile, releasing the hollow sadness from his eyes. "That is really…unfortunate, isn't it?"
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"So…what did he say?" Karin asked Toushiro later on that day, sitting on her bed and looking up at Toushiro with a curious look. Her eyebrows were knitted together in worry, and she had her arms crossed over her chest.
Toushiro leaned against her wall, placing his right foot on the wall for balance. He turned away, and ran a hand through his snow-white locks, making them tousled and sexier then what they were before. His mouth opened slightly, and that one, single lock of hair fell over his eyes making the teal color mysterious and dark. "I have to look over things, and find a way that we could be married. It will take a while but…there's no other option right now."
Karin looked down, quiet and thoughtful. Her dark hair shadowed her face, and she bit her lip, not even bothering to push the hair back. But then, a cold hand trailed her cheek and she shivered slightly, glancing up and seeing Toushiro, crouching down and staring at her. Her cheek tingled where his hand lingered and she bit her lip, feeling her heart speed up a little.
Toushiro smirked a little, and moved his hand to her hair, pushing it behind her warmly. Their gaze locked intimately, and he hesitantly pulled his hand away with a rare softness in his usual rough gaze. "It's OK Karin," he assured, smirking a little bit more. "We'll figure this out."
Karin nodded, feeling a blush rising on her cheeks once more. His smirk broadened, and he grabbed something from pocket, hiding it behind his back. She raised a black brow and smirked a little. "What's that Toushiro?"
He turned his gaze away from her, pink dusting his cheeks faintly. But when he turned his gaze back to her, it was serious, holding that confidence she wished she had. "Hold out your left hand Karin."
Karin gulped a little and nodded, holding her left hand out shakily. He watched her fingers tremble; the bony, long feminine fingers showing her nervousness, and slight curiosity. Toushiro smirked a little, and brought the small box from behind his back. It was a deep violet color, shining in the bright lights of her room where they were. Karin's eyes opened in realization. Then he opened the box and took out a ring gently between his index finger and thumb, putting it on Karin's ring finger. Karin gasped, and she raised her hand staring at its inhuman beauty. The ring was a light blue band around her finger, with small, rough fragments implanted inside the band with so much detail; it looked like tiny crystals dominated inside of the ring. On top of the band were three ice crystals, pristine and clean cut, so that they gleamed magnificently.
"Toushiro…" she whispered, tears filling her dark eyes. She put her hand down, and fingered the ring, treasuring its familiar coldness, and slight warmth.
Toushiro smirked up at her. "I'm glad you like it dummy," he said affectionately, still staring up at her. "This finally makes out engagement official."
Karin wiped at her eyes and sniffled a little, with a happy smile on her face. At this moment, she could feel their feelings merging together once more. Just as she opened her mouth, she felt Toushiro put a finger on her mouth. Her cheeks warmed again, and he pulled his hand away, leaning in closer. His eyes became half-lidded, and he reached out his hand once more, touching the curve of her cheek, leading down slowly to her collarbone. Her deep gaze met his, and he leaned in more, placing his lips tenderly on hers. Karin closed her eyes, and responded to the kiss adamantly.
"Turn out the light Toushiro," she murmured against his lips, short of breath.
He smirked against her lips and pulled her body closer to his, keeping their lips in sync. She leaned back on the bed, and he did too, watching Karin's body crumple up the comforter's beneath them. Her eyes widened slightly, as did his. "Idiot. That will happen soon enough."
Then he planted his lips on hers once more.
A/N: Hey, I wanted to say thank you for all the people who reviewed the first chapter of this story! It really made me happy and glad...so i will put what you said into consideration. This was a quick update for me...hopefully I can update as soon next time! Please read and tell me what you thought of this chapter! It means a lot to me!
Also, here is a thanks to all the people whor reviewed:
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Please Read and Review! Thank you for reading Chapter Two of Complicated! Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or any of the characters!