Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters, only the added characters I provide for the story
A/N: This chapter contains a few added characters but besides that, this chapter is a lot longer then the last chapter. It's the second part of the Toushiro and Karin romance! Yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Itz always nice to write this story, it makes me have butterflies and stuff. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Tell me if you thought it underwritten, but I thought this chapter was pretty well-written.
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Chapter Four: Our Story Part Two
Karin was breathing heavily.
She was currently at the biggest public soccer field in Karakura town, practicing and honing her skills after hanging out with kids she had coached over the past few months. For her required community service project in order to graduate-or own personal enjoyment-she had decided to instruct kids how to play soccer. The team she had ended up with had seven team members ranging from ages thirteen to fifteen. Five out of the seven team members were guys, but the two girls in the team were quite tenacious when it came to the sport.
The first guy on the team was Yui- European born. At age fifteen he had long, but short chestnut hair and big brown eyes. He was remarkably outgoing even though he talked different from the other members on the team. He was dating a girl named Riza on the team.
The second boys name was Ling. He had long, black hair tied back in a low ponytail with dark, brooding eyes. He was quiet; but when he spoke, people tended to hang on every word. He was fourteen.
The third guy was Minato. He acted goofy and looked goofy which made him and Ling best friends. He was quite tall and lanky, with pale skin, dark brown hair and a lopsided smile. He's the same age as Ling.
The fourth guy was nicknamed Aoi. Blue. He plainly lived up to his name. He always spiked his charcoal-colored hair up, the tips of his hair an electric blue. He even wore blue contacts, and pale blue sneakers. His real name was Atsushi, and he was closest to Yui and Kyo. He's fifteen, just like them as well.
The fifth and final guy was Kyo. Everything about him at first glance immediately screamed out to you: Punk. He had piercings all up his ears, eyebrows, lips, tongue and even on his eyelid. Besides his appearance, he was actually a warm, tickly softy inside.
The first girl was Nobu. She had tight, black curls that flew around everywhere due to the fact she cut her hair in odd ways every month. She was a strict tomboy and the younger sister of Kyo by two years. She also wore purple-rimmed glasses every chance she got-which wasn't much.
The last girl was Riza. She had thick, long ebony hair that was always in a high ponytail. She always looked serious, but besides that she was quite beautiful. She and Yui were in a relationship, so that was the only time you really saw her laughing or smiling genuinely. Nobu and she were pretty close as well, even if she was as old as Yui.
Today had been Karin's last day as their coach. She loved the team and believed they all had phenomenal potential as well as fantastic chemistry with one another. The team had decided to hold a goodbye party in Karin's name because she was leaving soon for college. At first she was surprised, but pleased as well. It helped her know that they cared as much as she did about the team and their skills-maybe even more.
(Flashback)
"My mates and I wanted to say farewell," Yui explained to Karin with a large toothy grin, although his eyes were sad and distant. He tapped his foot and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "You helped me-all of us fools actually-in so many ways…so it's a great pain to see you go."
They were all on a hill overlooking the soccer field. Clouds were drifting slowly in the baby-blue sky overhead, giving the sun a chance to emanate a golden, blanket of warmth over them. The grass was sparkling with dew and the Earth felt fresh, rejuvenated even. Karin loved that smell. It reminded her that everything and anything can always have a fresh new path, no matter what it was.
"Yeah," Aoi agreed. His voice was slightly huskier than usual and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. Nobu elbowed him and he winced slightly. The girl was strong.
"We hope we can become as good as you one day," Riza said sincerely. Her face softened. Just a little bit. Karin cracked a little smile at the sight.
Yui's brown eyes twinkled at Riza as he reached over, lacing their fingers together. He looked back at Karin with a nostalgic look on his face. "We've all basically become peas in a pod ya' know?"
Nobu snorted loudly and Minato laughed, putting his arms warmly around Nobu and Ling. He didn't notice Nobu's cheeks flaring up from the contact though. Karin smirked a little at the girl, while Nobu stuck out a cherry-red tongue.
Kyo stuck his hands in his jean pockets and grinned widely, glancing over at Minato from the corner of his eyes. "But first, Minato and I want to present the goodbye present from us to you-"
Karin raised a dark brow. "It's not water over my head again is it?" she smirked again. Everyone laughed from the fond, yet chilling memory.
"Nah, we are way better than that," Minato replied with his infamous lopsided smile. A dark strand of hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it away quickly. "Like I was really immature then ya' know? Now I'm a full grown body builder-man in the flesh."
Aoi coughed loudly. "…sure you are."
Everyone laughed again.
"Aoi's such an arse," Minato said goofily, trying to mimic Yui's accent while failing quite terribly in the process. He crossed his eyes at Yui, and started doing a weird dance while pulling his pants up high and singing 'London bridge is falling down-'
"You better watch it mate," Yui teased.
"Anyway," Nobu interrupted, cutting off the two boys off with a fierce eye roll. She glared over at Kyo with thickly made up eyes. "Go get the gift idiot!"
As Kyo went off to get the present, Ling slowly opened his mouth. It grew deadly quiet, as everyone turned towards him with anticipation. "I'll become better than you one day," he challenged confidently. "Just you watch Karin."
Karin grinned widely. "Call me up and we'll have a scrimmage. Just the two of us. That way, I can know for sure."
Ling nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.
Then Kyo came back presenting a long box to Karin. The paper was a deep Azure blue, with an ice blue ribbon planted firmly on the top. Regarding the color scheme of the gift, it reminded her of Toushiro for some reason.
"Open it!" Minato yelled, jumping up and down wildly.
Karin tore into it quickly, anxious to know what hid inside the box. Pulling out various colors of tissue paper, she found a golden colored cleat with the teams' names etched onto it. Her heart lurched painfully and she felt the familiar burn of tears coming into her eyes.
She flashed them all a watery smile. "Thanks," she said softly, willing herself not to cry. She wiped her eyes self-consciously.
"No, thank you," Ling corrected. It grew quiet again and his cheeks flushed.
"Come on. Mates, I initiate a group hug," Yui yelled with Minato loudly. They all laughed and enveloped Karin in a heartfelt, loving hug. That's when Karin lost it. Tears began to overflow, and barge out of her eyelids trailing down her cheeks.
(End Flashback)
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The goodbye party was over now. All of her ex-teammates that she had coached had all gone home hours ago, near the afternoon. Although, right now it was nearly evening. Now, it was only her and the ball and the net, stopping her from going home to Yuzu and Toushiro.
Toushiro.
After their talk on the roof, he had started to grow a little more distant from her. She had consented to him where he could find Ichigo…but she still demanded why he was here. With her. He hadn't told her. Karin, being persistent hadn't even given up yet. She had facts to go on of course. Why was Toushiro still over her house, when he could be with Ichigo? Why did he spend so much time with her if he had something vital going on? And, why weren't his squad, or comrades with him? From what Karin knew, this was an odd sort of things. Not that she minded Toushiro spending time with her of course.
Since he was over Ichigo's a lot, she had decided to spend some extra time doing soccer. It was the one thing that she could take out all of her emotions on-like confusion and anger-on the sport.
She didn't like the way her body reacted towards Toushiro, from one small touch or glance. Or her heart for that matter. Every time she was in his presence she felt uncomfortable and slightly shy. Karin Kurosaki never felt shy.
Her heart race would speed up radically and all she could think about was him at the moment. Like: When is he coming back home today? Is he safe? Does he feel these weird suffocating emotions towards me like I do him? She thought about his soft looking snow white tendrils framing his strong jaw line. She thought about his hard teal eyes ringed with thick lashes. Even the luscious curve of his rose-colored lips. His sexy body. She didn't want to think about what she wanted to do to it.
The other night she had went downstairs to get a class of milk, dressed in her usual night attire: a sports bra and spandex. Her ebony hair was tied up messily and she was pissed. Ever since Toushiro started to ignore her, she got even more frustrated. As soon as she closed the refrigerator door frowning, she saw Toushiro standing directly behind it.
They just stared at each other for a few moments, feeling the odd tension rising again. A weird look passed in Toushiro's eyes and he muttered something incoherent, turning away before rushing up the stairs in a dignified, professional manner. Damn, that pissed her off too when he was all professional. Karin stared after him, slightly sad but more confused than before.
But that was the past. Now, Karin was looking at the field in front of her, below her in newfound determination. She loved the feel of rain as it drenched her hair, face and neck. Her white tank top was turning translucent on her pale, slim body while her spandex clung to her lean-muscled legs.
She also looked down at the soccer ball in front of her, turning a pale shade of green from the wet grass. The ball was wet and slippery, but she was ready to play. The inside of her right foot connected with the ball as she sprinted towards the net, blowing wildly in the wind. She began to dribble the ball perfectly down the field, feeling her anger replaced with even more thoughts of Toushiro. Her legs ached, but she didn't care. She kept running.
As she brought up her leg and kicked the ball, watching it soar in the awaiting net she finally realized…
…she was attracted to Toushiro. She liked him. A lot. She loved him, and that was satisfying enough for her.
After that, she walked home; the precious gift of her students in her hands with gentle care. The rain was finally receding, while being replaced with a buoyant rainbow. When she finally got to the clinic she received the key from their "hiding place", and opened the door shouting,
"Yuzu! I'm home!"
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Ichigo fixed Toushiro with a hard gaze. His lips were contorted in a hard frown, and frown lines were forming on his forehead and eyebrows. Over the years Ichigo had grown out his deep orange hair, making it a little shaggier so it framed his face better, accentuating his cheekbones. He said he was doing it for himself to try a different look, but everyone knew they were doing it for a pretty gray-eyed beauty. It was only a matter of time before Ichigo made a move. They hoped at least. "I called you here Toushiro-kun hoping for some answers," Ichigo said, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees. "Is she doing well? I hope staying over there for the meanwhile isn't much of a problem."
Toushiro shrugged a little, leaning against the couch with a scowl prominent on his handsome face. "No, it's not a problem at all. And...She's the same. I'm positive she doesn't suspect anything though…I've kept my lips shut the whole time she annoyed the hell out of me." He closed his eyes calmly for a second, opening them a millisecond later. "But, remember I am a captain. If I need something done, I expect you to be there no matter what the consequences may be."
Ichigo sighed, running a bony, masculine hand through his shaggy locks. "I know but…" he trailed off, shutting his eyes painfully. When he opened them, Toushiro saw a clear sadness showing brightly. "…I'm worried about Karin. This is really odd and probably not healthy for her with all these spirits near her. I want someone to protect her. And right now, frankly…that isn't me. It's you."
Toushiro nodded professionally, crossing his arms over his chest thinking. His eyes were brooding, but his voice was clear when he said, "I'll protect her." His eyes met Ichigo's and Ichigo saw genuine feelings pouring from his teal eyes, as well as something else…
"Good," Ichigo replied, cracking a smile and leaning back on the couch. He closed his eyes once again, thinking about what emotion he just saw from Toushiro's eyes. Nah, it couldn't be, he thought. It'd never be like that… "So you're not doing anything funny with my sister are you?"
Ichigo popped an eye open inquisitively just in time to see Toushiro groan tiredly. "No," the captain answered, trying to suppress his annoyance. The white-haired boy put a hand in his pocket, and checked his watch impatiently. He turned to Ichigo and said, "I have to go. I'll contact you later OK?"
Ichigo nodded. "Sure. See ya' soon. I'm pretty busy."
Toushiro smirked, a weird glint shining in his eyes. "With Inoue right?"
Before the Strawberry could reply, Toushiro disappeared.
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Karin went into the kitchen after changing her clothes and taking a hot, refreshing bath. She felt fantastic, compared to what she had been feeling before. Her longish hair was tied up in a ponytail with her side bangs hanging over her eyes. Her skin felt warm and finally, she felt at peace. As she grabbed an apple, and rinsed it off on the counter she found a note near the stovetop. Karin's eyebrows furrowed and she picked it up gingerly, setting down her apple.
Karin,
I won't be home tonight. I prepared some casserole and put it into the freezer, so heat it up for you and Toushiro-kun OK? Have fun tonight and talk to Toushiro-kun, it'll be good for you and him-I just know it. I'll be back tomorrow, late in the afternoon so you can order some food tomorrow, even though there's still leftover miso soup in the fridge. Love you, and see you later.
Yuzu
Karin blinked, not surprised. Yuzu had been working non-stop at the most prestigious culinary institute in Karakura town ever since the very beginning of senior year. She had applied to a program that started early and she got in, therefore Yuzu wanted to start early. She had the most passion in culinary arts that Karin had ever seen, even if she was gone a lot. Karin wouldn't admit it but she was starting to miss her sister's antics.
Once Karin bit into her apple, she put the note down and wiped away the dribble of juice trailing out of her mouth. Soon after she wiped the juice off her mouth she heard the door open slightly, signifying no one was coming inside of the house. On instinct Karin walked towards the front door, finding the door slightly ajar like she predicted. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and concern as she saw no one coming in the house. Timidly, she began to walk outside wrapping her robe tighter around her waist. Once her feet hit the cold pavement, she looked up and found Toushiro leaning against the clinic quietly.
When Toushiro heard her steps, he looked up at her with that familiar scowl etched upon his face. She didn't catch his eyes roaming over her slightly exposed body- from what his eyes saw, he only saw the flimsy thing covering her body. Nothing else. Not that he cared or anything…he snapped his eyes back on hers.
Karin crossed her arms over her chest, exposing more of her cleavage then expected. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Hey Toushiro," she greeted, hopefully with a warm smile. What do I say to him? She thought sadly.
Toushiro nodded his reply, looking up into her eyes intensely. Their eyes lingered on each other longer than planned and the pause between them grew more prominently pregnant. Neither liked it. Karin raised an eyebrow but looked away.
"So…how was your day?" Karin asked, interested.
"Good."
"Is your work doing well?" He looked up and found her voice surprisingly soft. But he wouldn't be fooled just from the tone of her voice.
"Yeah." Once again, a short response, Karin thought. The ebony beauty felt her becoming frustrated by the lack of his thought in the consideration. Sometimes she felt as if he didn't care; about her, or just in general. Although, in her heart she knew that wasn't true. Hiding his emotions was like second nature to him, and he did it to protect the individuals he cared about.
Toushiro pushed off the wall of the clinic calmly, putting his hands in the pocket of his gray jeans. He glanced up at her, signaling he was going into the house. Once he glanced down, he walked briskly into the house passing her quickly. A cold feeling washed over her as he passed her and she gasped, bringing a hand to her chest. What was that? She quickly followed him in the house, locking the door securely behind her.
"What?" she snapped, as she sat next to him on the couch he was sitting. He kept studying her with his eyes, and it made her feel…weird. Flattered, but at the same time…it seemed as if she saw worry flashing in his eyes.
Toushiro frowned, leaning on the palm of his hand, still studying her. "Nothing."
Karin snorted, even though her eyes grew concerned once again. She leaned towards him slightly, not noticing the faint tinge of red growing on his cheeks. "What is it Toushiro?" she asked softly, making his heart lurch.
He cleared his throat slightly, centering his eyes on her. You're not incapable of making small talk Toushiro, he thought. "I'm worried about Matsumouto," he lied, making his voice devoid of emotion. "I know what she does, and how her work ethic is. By the time I return, I'll be lucky if I have one stack of papers on my desk."
"Oh," she replied. She gave him a skeptical glance but said nothing more, leaning back to her normal position. She brushed a strand of hair from her eyes then looked back at him, almost expectantly. "So how's Ichi-nii? Is he doing well?"
Toushiro searched her eyes with his own, quiet. He remembered a situation like this a long time ago, when she was almost frantic to know how her older brother fared. He hadn't known the answer then, but at least he did now. Seeing Karin Kurosaki vulnerable and openly worried was…endearing. He felt a sudden urge to touch her but held back. His eyes softened a little, crinkling adorably at the edges. "He's doing well," he smiled.
Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch in relief. Her eyes began to water and she grinned. "That's good," she breathed, blinking her eyes a little.
He watched her, brooding. "Where were you today?" he asked, hoping it sounded casual.
She grinned once again, putting her arms behind her back. "I was with a soccer team I'd been coaching for a little while now. But since I'm leaving and stuff, they all wanted to say goodbye. So, we held the party over where I…I first met you." Her eyes grew slightly sad.
"Hm."
When there was silence for a few moments Karin decided to have some fun. "You really are a quiet person Toushiro," Karin observed, a mischievous glint in her eye. Toushiro didn't reply, but looked at her, slightly annoyed. She laughed heartily saying, "Still a midget though."
One of his eyes twitched with anger. He looked at her, the anger spewing furiously from his eyes. "Who are you calling a Super-Mega-Tiny-Bean sprout Midget!"
Karin sighed and chuckled at the same time. "I didn't say that much Toushiro but-"she smirked "-that could work too."
Toushiro cooled down, his pride still hurt even if a small smile tugged at the side of his rose-colored lips.
"It's OK to smile Toushiro," Karin teased.
Toushiro smiled genuinely at her, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "Yeah, whatever dummy." His smile broadened and Karin couldn't help but smile back, her eyes softening as well. He should smile more often, Karin thought.
"Tell me about your home," she prodded, feeling better than before.
Toushiro groaned inwardly. How many questions did this girl have to ask? He thought. "Well," he began thoughtfully. "It's…different from here."
"Oh," Karin answered once again. "Sometimes Toushiro, it's like you're an adult stuck in a teenager's body. Loosen up a little."
He scowled. "Whatever dummy."
Karin frowned, feeling anger rising in her. "Shut up midget!"
"I'm not a midget!"
"Yeah you are idiot!"
The two glared at each other heavily until they realized the situation they were in. Karin was on her knees, yelling into his face making her breasts the main view he was seeing. His face turned red as well as Karin's, and they leaned away from each other, clearly awkward.
Thoughts of Karin began to appear in his mind, thoughts and feelings he'd been trying to conceal. He wanted to touch her, taste her, feel her, and be with her and even more. The thoughts, the feelings…he didn't know what to do with them. But he didn't want to cast them aside at the same time. Ichigo's warning resounded in his head but he didn't care. Not at this moment with Karin.
Karin met his gaze, just looking at him. The way his eyes looked so deeply into her right now, made her heart beat even faster than usual and she felt ready to make a move. She could feel her face getting hot, and it felt…nice. "Toushiro."
His stopped looking at her like that and he sighed, running a hand through his hair agitatedly. "Yes Karin?"
She suddenly leaned towards him again, surprising him a little. His mouth grew slightly dry as he noticed the close proximity of their bodies. He forced his eyes on hers, as she leaned closer to him. He backed up against the couch, and she leaned closer her eyes resting on his full, rosy lips. He soon found his eyes on her lips too, feeling slightly dazed now. He soon began to mirror her actions, leaning towards her slowly, shyly even.
Soon, he couldn't take any more of it. The tension, the patience awaiting a kiss…it bothered him. So he took charge of the situation, leaned up and captured her sweet awaiting lips in his, bringing her body closer to him and molding their bodies together. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he took her breath, keeping it in him. Her lips moved hesitantly over his, making her even sexier in his opinion. Her hands ended up in his hair, making it messier. She couldn't help it- she adored his hair.
Soon, their lips grew more frantic on each other's as well as their hands. Their bodies reacted in ways they didn't know they could. His hands began to tighten around her waist, then soon escalade down to her hips. Karin opened her mouth slightly, letting his tongue enter the warm, moist cavern. They both moaned, making the kiss faster and hotter until the situation finally hit Toushiro. Her ripped his mouth from hers, and pulled his body away with a frown.
Karin shook her head, slightly dazed and looked over at him, confused. She had finally got Toushiro…until he pulled away from her once again. For some reason anger began to rise in her again and she asked, "What is it Toushiro?" Tears began to fill her eyes slightly and he began to feel guilty.
Toushiro shook his head, and looked at her. Her lips were slightly swollen, and her robe disheveled as well as her deep, black locks he had come to cherish over time. Her cheeks were a rosy color, making her even more alluring then he had thought. But he couldn't do it again. No. "I…can't Karin," he said hating the way he saw her eyes swell up with tears. "I just…" he trailed off, hating how pathetic he sounded.
"Why do you always pull away?" she demanded. Her voice grew softer, heavier with pain. "Tell me Toushiro."
"You know why," he said calmly. Their eyes met, and he saw the turmoil growing in her eyes. He knew that she loved him, and that made him feel elated since he mirrored her emotion. But…it was wrong. He couldn't do it again, no matter how much it killed him inside.
Karin turned away, feeling her heart constrict painfully in her chest. She fumbled with the band in her hair, and tied her hair back in a neater ponytail standing up. "I'll make some dinner," she said, her voice a low, dead monotone. Toushiro winced, scowling. "Yuzu prepared some casserole so you can get freshened up OK?" She turned to him with a fake smile, tears brimming in her eyes.
Toushiro's eyes saddened slightly, and he turned away from her scowling even more. He couldn't see her like this, not right now- it hurt too much. "I'll be back before dinner," he informed tersely, walking towards the door and exiting the house.
Before Karin could reply, he was gone.
A/N: Here is the special thanks for the reviewers of this story. You guys always make me smile, so thank u soooooo very much! I never knew this story would be as popular as it is now! Just wanted to add, hope u enjoyed the chap! Please review as well! I'd like to know your thoughts on what's happening in the story!
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