AN: Okay, I lied on tumblr. I couldn't wait until the end of the week. Haha! :) Anyway, you guys must know that it's HitsuKarin Week on tumblr so we're having a field day with posts of fics, art and graphics. Stop on by and if you want to, follow me there. ;) I'll probably have writings I'll post there and one day I'll open my page to accept prompts. (I want to try writing things that aren't HitsuKarin, if any of you guys are interested in submitting any. :p)

Thank you's for the last chapter:

Liliv00: Thank you~ If you want, check out Evolution of a Kiss if you want to read my first M-rated story. I'm pretty happy with it. ;)

Aoi. Kunieda-Karin. Kurosaki: Thank you! I'm glad you did! Haha. I hope you like this one too. ;D

nureen: Yeah, it's an odd choice, right? But I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it regardless. I'm pretty happy with this so I hope you'll like it. :D

Summary: A piece of Urahara's latest candy has left the group with a four-year-old Karin, who decides her favorite person is the man with white hair, green eyes and who's almost as cute as she is. Hitsugaya is not amused.

Themes Used: Soccer Ball, Snow, Scarf and Amanatto

Warnings: I'm using Karin's personality before Masaki died, which means she's pretty open about how she feels. I didn't want any confusion. :)

April 2013: Candy-Coated Mishaps

Sitting in the candy shop with its owner nearby, Karin picked at the floor as she glanced around the room. Even after five years it still had the same décor, styled with wooden shelves and bins that were surprisingly sturdy after years of use. Sometimes she wondered where the idea for it came from but never bothered to ask. In her experience not speaking to Urahara was oftentimes the safest way to communicate with him.

"Are you really going to camp out here and wait for your brother's return, Karin-chan?" the former shinigami asked, smiling that blank grin of his as he rearranged his stock.

Grunting, she rifled through the bowl of candy he'd left in front of her. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's been a few days and you said he's due back any second now. Might as well, right?"

"A simple 'yes' would've sufficed. There's no shame in saying you missed him," Urahara replied, watching her go rigid at his words. She'd never admit to her own weakness but the Kurosaki's were soft-hearted people, and no one knew that better than him. It was one of the reasons he liked them so much.

"Like I care if he disappears without a word for weeks and then pops back in like he didn't just fight a war to save the universe and finally gets to see the girl that he's obviously been pining for for the last five years…" she grumbled, picking out a pink-wrapped sphere and examining it carefully. When he didn't comment on her sarcasm, Karin abruptly changed the subject. "What kind of candy's in here, Urahara-san?"

"Ah, just a bunch of newly approved mixes. Only Tessai, Ururu and Jinta have tried them so far. Give 'em a taste."

"You made these?" Her horror wasn't as well hidden as she would've liked, as she dropped them into blue bowl hastily. The scooting backwards probably didn't help either.

"They're perfectly fine! See, watch me," Kisuka coaxed, opening a red and green wrapper before popping the white ball into his mouth. "There, no harm done. And it tastes like cotton candy."

"I don't know…" she trailed, eyeing the innocent-looking dish and all the temptations it held. It would be a lie to say she didn't want one, but it would be an even bigger lie to say she wasn't a little terrified of the consequences.

"Suit yourself," the blonde shrugged, reaching to take back the small saucer only to have Karin reach for one before he could safely secure it.

Smiling dumbly, he retreated to another room as his companion eyed her treasure. The cover was a teal blue with a small star across the middle, completely harmless. But the wariness didn't completely leave as she placed the small, red piece on her tongue, the tang hitting her twice as hard as the sweetness.

In the next moment, darkness consumed her.

Stepping through the gate, Ichigo brushed off his shihakusho and wiped at his brow. Beside him Rukia entered to his right, looking at the cavernous room hidden beneath the simple shop above. Quick to follow was Renji and Matsumoto, followed lastly by a perpetually grim Toushirou. His eyes didn't drift as they all moved towards a green-clad Kisuke, wearing that mischievous smile as always. No one noticed the slight worry in his gaze as he greeted Ichigo, hands hidden beneath his infamous garb.

"I see we have more guests than I was prepared for," the ex-captain sing-songed, nodding at the other shinigami.

"We're just passing through, Urahara. We'll be heading back soon enough," Hitsugaya filled in, shuffling to stand beside Ichigo.

"I see. Well that's too bad," he replied before turning back to Ichigo. The lightly amused tension in his eyebrows but determined downward curve of his lips was rubbing the Substitute Shinigami the wrong way.

"What did you do, Urahara-san?" The accusation was half-joking, half-not, as he pinned the older man with a suspicious glare. But the guilty smile he got in response was enough to set the alarms off in Ichigo's head, as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"Look for yourself." Gesturing behind him, five sets of eyes went indiscriminately big at the sight.

Sitting on a small boulder no more than ten feet away was a much younger version of Kurosaki Karin, bundled in borrowed winter clothes that suited the weather outside. Her hair hadn't reverted back to its old bob but hung well below her shoulders. Standing barely at three feet, her feet dangled as she sat, obviously bored as she swung them to and fro. The stunned silence continued as purple-gray eyes turned towards them, lighting up as they settled on her big brother's astonished face. Her high-pitched laughter as she launched herself at him only reinforced her transformation.

"Ichi-nii! Where have you been?" the four-year-old chided, grabbing onto his leg as she peered up at him. "I've been waiting forever for you. I mean, thirty minutes is a long time, y'know."

Kneeling down to pick up his—quite literal—baby sister, the scowl he directed at Urahara was enough to peel skin off bones with its intensity. In retaliation, the older man put up his hands, palms facing the brutish expression while trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. If anything it only darkened the carrot top's features.

"You've been here that long, Karin? You should've gone home," Ichigo replied, voice considerably kinder as he stared into large, gleeful eyes. "While you were here, what did you do?"

"Well. I woke up from a nap about fifteen minutes ago," she explained, placing her arms around her brother's neck as she smiled. The tired but happy one she got in return only made her grin wider. "Oh, but before that I got some candy from Urahara-san." Leaning in, she whispered conspiratorially in his ear. "That's what he told me at least but I don't believe him. I don't take stuff from strange men."

"So he said that, did he?" Nearly everyone in the room took a step back at the rise in reiatsu around Ichigo, licks of black flames that would've crushed a lesser being in an instant. But Karin only smiled brightly before hugging him around the neck as if she hadn't seen him in years.

And dammit if that didn't calm him down a little bit.

"You. Me. Now." Gesturing at Urahara, his face twisted even further into a black glower, as he left Rukia and Matsumoto to deal with his sister. If he was going to kill his old friend, then he didn't want to traumatize Karin any more than he needed to.

But first he was going to get some answers. "What the hell did you do? Depending on what you say you may get to live longer than the next five minutes."

"Now, now. There's no need to overreact, Ichigo-kun," the other chuckled, waving his distinctive white fan over his face. The spark he got in return made it shutter close, as he leaned in to whisper at the other. "Well, you see, it started out with a bowl of candy…"

"You offered my sister sweets from this deranged hellhole?" he interrupted, waving his arms at the cavernous room. "You train killers and hide portals to other realms here. What makes you think making candy would turn out any better?"

"I'll have you know some of my bestsellers are made here and with my own two hands."

"How many 'bestsellers' do you have? I mean, you've only got, like, six customers! And my family makes up three of them!" Holding back a groan and another outburst, Ichigo waved his hand. "Just… tell me why she's become a kid again."

"Well… some of my new, more experimental candy might have fallen in with the other treats I offered her—"

Less than a nanosecond was all it took for Ichigo to have his hands wrapped around Urahara's neck, as he squeezed until he was sure the other's trachea had collapsed. It was only with Renji and Hitsugaya's intervention did the store owner manage to take a large, gulping breath, coughing as everyone else watched the scene play out at a distance.

"You better fix this, Urahara-san, or I swear even Yoruichi-san won't be able to identify your remains when I'm done with you!" Ichigo swore, struggling against his two captors with everything he had. "Not even my father will help you once he finds out about this!"

"I was trying to tell you that all of this is only temporary," Kisuke finally spoke, rubbing at the invisible imprints on his skin. "All side effects wear off within a few hours of consumption, maybe even less considering that that new product hasn't been completed yet anyway."

"Why would you even create something like that?" he snorted, still upset but calmed by his reassurance. Not enough to forgive the old man but enough that he didn't feel the need to string up his intestines and pass them off as Christmas lights.

That creepy smile was starting to change his mind again, however. "Why, for fun of course."

"Don't go digging your grave now that Kurosaki has his temper in check," Toushirou chastised, his fifteen-year-old face a new development. But before Urahara could come up with yet another witty remark he put up a hand to stop him. "Yes, I'm older. You, me and everyone else sees it. No, I have no idea as to why other than the fact that I come here too often, usually to clean up yours or Kurosaki's messes."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Tell that to the accountants in my division. You spend more destroying buildings than it takes to train a hundred shinigami."

"Yah, you're pretty reckless," Renji chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest with a smile. However, Ichigo swallowed a curse as Karin came scurrying between them, drawing everyone's eyes as she tugged at the loose hakama around Ichigo's legs. Looking down, he smiled gently at her outstretched arms waving for him. Let it not go unsaid that Kurosaki Ichigo had the biggest soft spot for his sisters, as he acquiesced and settled her on his shoulders.

"So what do I do with Karin if she's like this? I have some stuff I have to finish up and I can't exactly bring her home," he asked, glancing at Urahara as he balanced her carefully on her shoulders.

Karin chose that moment to butt into the conversation. "I wanna go with you!"

"No can do, Karin. It's dangerous where I'm going," her older brother explained, ruffling her head as she leaned forward, making eye contact as she hung above his face. "I'm gonna have to leave you here with Urahara-san a little longer, okay?"

"No way! That old guy looks really weird and shady. You'd trust him with my safety?"

"The girl's got a point," Renji chortled, a shit-eating grin fitting onto his features. "I mean, look what happened right now. For all we know Urahara-san might make this shit permanent."

"Language, Renji!" Rukia yelled, shoving him until he coasted right into a mountainous rock. "Karin-chan is only a child! We can't be exposing her to such language."

"It's weird that she's acting like a child but she seems to recognize Ichigo just fine, even though he's already twenty," Matsumoto observed, looking at the openly affectionate kid sister pulling at tufts of her big brother's hair. "Shouldn't she wonder why he's so much bigger than her?"

"Perhaps she's seeing the world through the eyes of her younger self," Urahara explained, tapping his chin. "She didn't recognize me at first nor does she seem to know anyone else here, and she's taken on a personality that's much more suited for her physical age. But since she knows Ichigo she probably just latched onto the fact that she can identify him and not how much older he is."

"Either way she can't stay here," Rukia sighed, moving towards the Kurosaki pair. Holding out her arms, she offered the little girl an unobtrusive beam. "C'mere, Karin-chan. Let your brother do whatever he needs to while we play together. I can show you my drawings of Chappy the Bunny while he's gone."

Feeling her recoil, Ichigo noticed how she tightened her hold on him, shaking her head in disagreement. Knowing that convincing her was going to take more than good intentions, he set her down and had her look over at his friends.

"I'm gonna take care of something really fast, Karin. But while I'm gone you're going to need a babysitter, okay?" She nodded reluctantly, a pout making her cheeks chubby and getting Rangiku to squeal at her cuteness. "So who out of my friends would you like to watch over you for a little while?"

A jovial Matsumoto immediately began pointing at herself while Rukia pulled out her sketch pad, presenting her masterful sketches with pride. Renji was too busy laughing in the background, loving the fact that Ichigo had been reduced to such a sickeningly sweet state by his sister. On the other hand, Hitsugaya just snorted at the absurdity of it all, rolling his eyes and hoping for it to end quickly.

He wasn't prepared for the stab of a child's finger in his direction.

"I want him," Karin chose decisively, dark eyes fixed on a pair of stunned green ones. Everyone else swiveled their heads in disbelief to Toushirou, who was too busy sputtering a protest and choking on his spit for anything intelligible to come out.

"Are you sure about that, Karin?" Ichigo inquired worriedly, looking between the two of them.

"Oh my gosh, it's so cute I could die!" Rangiku gushed, running over to sit beside the little half-Quincy and prod her with questions. "Why did you pick him, Karin-chan? Do you like Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Matsumoto!"

Not missing a beat, Karin peered over at the older woman and her expansive bust. "He has pretty eyes," she revealed honestly, her face an open book.

"I see. What else do you like?"

"His hair is the color of the snow outside. It reminds me of Christmas."

"And?"

She pinked here, looking away to play with her fingers. "He's kind of cute too…"

"That's enough, Matsumoto. You're making her uncomfortable," Toushirou admonished, ignoring the slight flushing of his own skin. Coming to kneel before her, he saw how even as a child Karin didn't cower or fold under his stare. The fact that she could see him at all without his gigai spoke volumes in her favor. "Karin, I really think you should reconsider."

"But I want you," she said helplessly, frowning as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I need to help your brother, and while I completely understand not wanting to be anywhere near Urahara or Matsumoto—" he ignored his lieutenant's affronted cry and the old man's scoff, "—they're much better options than me. Do you understand?"

But even though she nodded, a rush of guilt hit him as he saw her eyes turn glassy a second before she dropped her head. What he wasn't expecting was the flash of lightning she let off, a strip of blue that forced him to step away. His concern reflected back at him when he looked at Ichigo while the raven-haired Kurosaki did her best to unnoticeably wipe away her tears.

"I'm pretty sure none of us did that as kids," Ichigo pointed unapologetically, as Karin's soft sobs lit a barrier around her. Although possible to penetrate there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it would be a painful endeavor.

"The candy might be making her Quincy blood more active," Urahara supplied, fascinated by the light show. "She was always more like you, in-tune with her powers and all that, so perhaps she's tapping into them because she's upset."

"So how do I make her stop?" Toushirou hissed, wincing as her power bit into his skin.

"Comfort her. She'll stop when she regains control of herself," he shrugged, observing with all the interest of the scientist they forgot he was.

"Just babysit her, Taichou! It's not like we can't handle the job without you," Matsumoto scolded, wagging a finger in his direction. "I can't believe you'd make poor Karin-chan cry just because she wanted to spend some time with you!"

Already riddled with shame, he let out an exasperated exhale. A proclaimed genius and sitting at the top of the Gotei Thirteen's hierarchy, Toushirou was being forced to put away his pride for a slip of a girl he'd only seen a handful of times in his long afterlife. Even he found his downfall as tragic as it was pathetic.

Ignoring the searing ache, Hitsugaya grumbled out a reply as Karin's self-made prison disappeared when he patted her head. "Alright, alright. I'll babysit you, but only if you don't cry anymore."

When she launched herself into his chest with a hug, he told himself that he was definitely not smiling about it, not at all. Because there was no way in hell he could be pleased with the fact that Karin liked him so much more than everyone else.

Running along the busy main street of Karakura was hard enough without bumping into people doing holiday shopping. Doing it with a hyperactive four-year-old was pretty much impossible, as Toushirou busied himself by tracking her energy while she ran from one window to the next. Shaking his head, he readjusted the green scarf around his neck as he pushed through the crowd to get to an awestruck Karin staring into a toy store.

Sensing him, she didn't even look up as she pointed towards the display. "Don't those toys look awesome?"

Filled with electronic gadgets and fashion dolls, he immediately ruled out the latter and assumed she wanted the former. But being rather old-fashioned, he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "I'm not a big fan of those sorts of things."

"Then what are you interested in?" And again those endless eyes looked up at him, childlike in nature but with the uncanny ability to make him feel naked. They were definitely her father's eyes, Toushirou mused, as he nudged his head in the direction of the door.

"Why don't I show you?"

With a smile breaking across her face, he followed the excited preschooler in, all jumps and gallops instead of steps. It brought a fleeting curve to his lips, as Hitsugaya realized that although she was certainly different from the Karin he was used to that same girl was definitely there, hidden somewhere beneath that naivety and excitement.

As they made their way towards the sports' gear, neither noticed the small group of high school girls not too far away, gossiping as they watched the pair move down the aisle. Taking in long legs and a face that looked far too exotic to come from their hometown, Hitsugaya caused a stir amongst the female shoppers. Not that he noticed, as he extended a hand to Karin before she wandered off on her own again. The act only made a few more hearts race and pretty much every female, regardless of age, swoon at the obvious affection he had for his companion.

"So, where is it?" she demanded, head swinging from the bikes to the roller blades to an assortment of sports equipment.

"This one, right here." Plucking the white and black sphere from the jumbled container, he kneeled down to present it. "I have a feeling you'd do well with one yourself."

"You're good at soccer?" Karin inquired with glee, eyes lighting up at the admission. "I love soccer! I'm not very good yet but I've been practicing ever since I watched a championship game on TV."

"You will be very good at it, I promise," Toushirou replied, having the utmost confidence that she'd take to it if he set it down in front of her. But the mischief she could get into was what he was trying to avoid so he stood up instead, tucking the sphere under his arm.

"Are you gonna buy it for yourself?" she asked, scampering beside him as they made their way towards the register.

"No," he shook his head, falling behind an older couple with a cart full of gifts, "this is for you."

"What, me?" The honest amazement nearly had him smiling again, so unused to the myriad of emotions she gave off. The Karin he knew only did annoying, sarcastic, smug, angry and occasionally kind (though that last one was hardly ever directed at him). Who knew the little tomboy had been unbearably charming at one point in her life?

"I know you'll get good use out of it. More than me, at least," he explained, trying not to dwell on the fact that doing these sorts of things wasn't like him at all. But that guileless smile made him want to look out for Karin, take care of her when he knew she didn't need it. Then again, this particular girl had a way with cajoling him into things even as an adult so it shouldn't have been a surprise she could bend his will without trying.

"Excuse me?" A feminine voice called their attention, as a girl dressed in a pretty knitted sweater and dark brown boots stood in line behind them.

"Yes?" Seeing how Karin narrowed her eyes distrustfully at the stranger, he ruffled her hair before looking back at the girl. "Is there something you need?"

"I was just wondering, um…" she began, voice turning sweet, almost seductive, as she fiddled with the end of her crème cover. "I couldn't help noticing you and I was wondering if you weren't busy sometime later."

"I'm a little busy now," he said in kind, not noticing how Karin rolled her eyes heavenwards. Men were the most oblivious creatures when it came to flirting, especially the cute ones.

"Oh, I can see that you're out with your adorable friend here," she continued, giving a half-hearted smile to Karin, "But if you're free tonight I'd love to meet you somewhere. Maybe coffee?"

"Toushirou can't because he's with me," Karin interrupted, drawing their attention back to her. "He's not interested in you." Turning away, she faced the counter to wait patiently for the couple ahead to finish. When the teenager didn't step away immediately, she looked up at her over her shoulder and raised a delicate brow in defiance. "You can leave now, y'know."

"Karin!" As the frustration rubbed the back of his eyes, Toushirou rubbed at them before facing the openly offended girl. "I apologize for her outburst. She's a bit protective, I guess."

"It's no trouble. She's got good taste in men at such a young age," the woman smoothed over, earning a glare from the little troublemaker and an uncomfortable cough from her guardian. "If you'd really like to make it up to me, dinner tonight—"

"I'm sorry but I can't," Hitsugaya cut in, shaking his head as he noticed a spike in Karin's energy. Lifting Karin to calm her nerves, he cast a sideways glance towards the miffed high schooler before turning back at the halfing. "I'm spending the day with my favorite girl."

Although it was only meant to be a white lie, something to keep her from burning the place down, it didn't feel as untrue as Hitsugaya thought it would when he set Karin back down to pay for their purchase. Handing his card to the cashier, he noticed the pair ahead of him coddle a widely grinning Karin, her hat falling off when she moved to tuck her arms behind her head. Toushirou picked it up and made sure it was secure before taking her hand in his again.

"My, you have a way with her, don't you, young man?" the elderly woman praised, eyeing their linked limbs with delight. "Not many men know how to handle children, especially at your age."

"Thank you," he murmured, unsure how to respond.

"You should marry a man like this one, my dear. He's one of the good ones." Winking at a giggling Karin, Hitsugaya felt himself heat at the words but chose to say nothing. Instead he let the little girl nod on her own behalf, grinning brightly in agreement.

Waving off the couple, they filed out the door as well, the blistering cold meeting them as a fresh coat of snow began to fall. It was then that Hitsugaya noticed how underdressed she was, frowning at Urahara's carelessness. While the coat and boots were fine, her neck had been left exposed, save for a thin curtain of hair running down her back.

"Aren't you cold?" he inquired gently, as she made her way over to a less crowded street filled with novelty items and less conventional wares.

She paused in her scampering, as if contemplating the possibility. "No, not really. Why?"

"Because it's far below freezing and you're not wearing nearly enough layers," Toushirou frowned.

"You're not either," she pointed out, coming up to stand beside him as they made their way down the side street at a more sedate pace.

"Yes but I don't get cold and I rarely get sick, unlike you," he tsk-ed. Stopping, he knelt down to pull her beanie off her head, sending a chill down Karin's spine.

"Hey! Give that back!" she crowed, jumping as she went to retrieve it. But all it did was dangle above her, as Toushirou held it out of reach before untangling his scarf from his neck. "What're you doing?"

"Making sure you don't catch pneumonia," he drawled, smirking as he looped it around her small frame several times before knotting it at the front. "There, all done."

"Now I feel like I'm wearing a neck brace," she grumbled, mouth almost hidden by the muffler.

But a few readjustments and it fell into a more natural line. It dragged a bit and later on that would probably bother him but it didn't right then. Not as Karin carefully bundled up the ends and watched where she stepped, making sure to never let his token hit the frost beneath her feet.

"I can get you a new scarf if you want," Hitsugaya offered, amused as she stomped around carefully rather than run about aimlessly like earlier. Watching as a bit of her tongue stuck out in concentration, he finally stopped to let her catch up to him.

"But I want yours," Karin whined, puppy dog eyes meeting his as if he threatened to take away her favorite toy. Chuckling, he decided to put her out of her misery and picked her up, continuing their journey with ease.

They didn't speak a word after that, as they wandered a little longer while the fresh ice nipped at their cheeks and made them red. He didn't say anything as she wrapped the other half of his green scarf around him, securing them together. Nor did she say anything when he bought a bag of amanatto for himself, though he didn't miss the disgusted grimace she made when he ate the first few. And neither chose to comment on the cursory glances they got, admiration for the handsome boy and the adorable little girl he never let out of his sight.

Seated in the cold park on an icy bench, Toushirou watched the sun go down as Karin leaned against him, half-asleep. She remained tucked beneath his arm, her new soccer ball on her other side, as she cuddled up to him for warmth. And somehow he knew what was going to happen before it did, purposefully untangling his muffler from her to give her space.

Moments later Karin reverted to her older form, her clothes accommodating thanks to Urahara's invention and foresight. If only he used that particular skill of his more often, Toushirou mused, feeling the heavier body shift against and then off him. And for an instant, he almost missed her heat.

"Hey, what happened?" Karin asked groggily, holding her head as if it was new to her. Getting a good look at who was playing her pillow, she shuffled back in surprise. "What're you doing here, Toushirou?"

"It's a long story," he answered easily, knowing it would aggravate her. All he got was a pained grunt and half-formed glower in return, as she managed to get herself into a standing position.

But the details of his appearance could wait until later when Karin's head wasn't pounding, as she felt Hitsugaya come up behind her to steady her. He reached for her hand out of habit, forgetting that it was no longer a child's but no less tender, as she squeezed his right back. Because, deep down, a four-year-old Karin knew what he'd done for her and had fallen a little bit in love because of it.

THE END

OMAKE

"Hey Toushirou, I know this is gonna sound weird but… why do I have the strangest urge to marry you?"

"That's just, um… another really long story. Let's leave it at that."

He did his best to hide the warm blush on his cheeks from Karin's confused expression.

AN: And that's all folks. :) If you guys enjoyed it, please leave a review. Every single one really makes my day, no matter the length. Thank you guys for your support over the last year and a half. I shall keep writing and hopefully not disappoint. I have on more one-shot that I'll be posting this weekend and I did a collaboration which I will post later as well. I hope you guys like them (when I get around to posting them, of course)~ :D *runs off to work on Go Against the Grain*

Until next time, everybody~