AN: And I managed to do two fics and four smutlets this week! I am on fire! ;D

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone reading this fic. I hope you ate a lot, had a wonderful time with loved ones, and got great gifts. And for those of you who had less than stellar days, I'm hoping you have a wonderful end of the year.

I want to let you guys know that this is a fic for the HK Secret Santa on tumblr. There are plenty of other fics that were posted there so please, please, please check them out! They're absolutely gorgeous, with a special shout-out to my Secret Santa, the milliner's rook! She wrote the most adorable fic for me and I'm in love with it.

Thank you's for last chapter:

Guest: I actually adored the Lawyer!verse. I don't know what it is but these two would do great things in court. And together. Haha. I personally think Isshin would love Hitsugaya as his son and that he and Karin would have the cutest babies. There are my ideas and I believe in them 100%. Haha. Thank you for reviewing!

C. Lin: Thank you! :D

ChocolateMarshma: I'm glad you liked it. I honestly don't like the idea that Toushirou is some cold, unfeeling character because it's obvious that he's not but everyone tends to write him that way. I kinda don't get it. :/ Thanks for reading!

nureen: Aww, thank you. I just like Toushirou admitting that he likes Karin first because Karin lives on a little river called de-nial. LOL

Guest: Thank you so much! Yeah, I would love to see Karin and Yuzu as Quincy because they definitely need a little story arc for themselves. I'm so happy you enjoyed my stories so far. :)

Ris: That's every author's dream! I love knowing people will come back and enjoy whatever I write so thank you, that means the world to me!

Summary: For purpleswans1. My gift fic for the HitsuKarin Secret Santa 2014. AU. She falls in love with him, one color at a time.

Warnings: This fic was inspired by an older tumblr post. The style of this is reminiscent of Fighting Fate so if you enjoyed that fic, then I think you'll like this one too. :)

December 2014: Blindsided

It was hard to explain to the young what colors were.

That red was the color of the flower on a branch as well as the blood that flowed through their veins. That yellow filled the kitchen walls, and that the expanse of ocean came in various shades of blue. But children couldn't understand things that could only be experienced.

Her father had tried to explain it to her and her sister one day, 'tried to' being the operative phrase. He called them into the clinic just as she was about to go out with her friends. The constant scowl she wore matched her chopped short hair, ever the tomboy. In contrast, her sister had skipped into the room donning a frilly apron, right in the middle of prepping for dinner. Polar opposites and yet they knew each other better than anyone else.

"Girls, I wanted to talk to you about some things. Grown-up things," Isshin eased into it, sitting on a stool to meet them at eye level.

Put on guard, Karin crossed her arms over her chest suspiciously as Yuzu's eyes began to glitter. The latter always did love it when people treated her as an adult. She ate that kind of attention up.

"What is it, Old Man? I've got practice with my friends in like, five minutes," she griped.

"Don't be like that, Karin-chan," Yuzu reprimanded her gently before looking back at their father, "Go on, Daddy. What did you want to tell us?"

Patting her on the head, normally kind eyes turned serious. "Well, I wanted to ask… Do you two girls know about what happens as you get older and… well, fall in love?"

"Of course we do! You tell us about how you and Mama met all the time!"

"Yes, of course, but that's not what I mean," he smiled. Unsure how to continue, she watched as her father rubbed his chin and searched for words he didn't have. It was strange to see him without them. "Ya see, when you meet someone special, you begin to notice things changing. Things with your body but specifically your eyesight."

She couldn't remember the exact gist of the conversation because she was fairly sure Goat Chin had forgotten he was talking to grade school kids and not med students. But Karin never forgot the lesson, and it was only reinforced as she grew older, in school and everyday media. The incentive to find one's 'other half' played around them like a broken record, ingrained into them at birth.

They said that when people met their soul mates, their visions would be infiltrated by colors. And with it, the world grew in depth and vividness, painted in what could be wondrous pleasure or exquisite pain. It was a phenomenon one couldn't explain in words, though a number of text books had made valiant attempts.

But even now, Karin didn't really understand what they meant. At sixteen years old, it was the norm for her to see nothing but monochrome. The number of people she knew who'd gained full vision were far older than her, and they spouted on about how she was young yet. The problem for Karin was she wasn't sure she even wanted to find him.

The first time it happened she thought something was wrong with her vision.

Sitting in her seat, eyes glazed and straight ahead, the background noise was full of chatter and the scratches of metal legs against the floor. Another mundane school day, she mused as her eyes drooped to half-mast.

And then a burst of light flashes across her eyes so quickly she almost missed it.

"Whoa, what the fuck?" Karin cursed as she bolted up, looking around the room. The confusion must've shown on her face because a few crowded desks turned to look at her, eyeing her carefully as they whispered about her odd behavior.

"Hey, can I see that?" she asked the girls in front of her.

They stopped immediately, gave her another once-over, and then murmured among themselves. Karin could feel her temper rise but she held it in. Her father always told her she had her mother's moodiness.

"Umm, I guess so," one of the girls replied, just a hint of condescension as she hands over the magazine. Half of it was rolled as the other displayed the image of a man dressed in casual wear. Beside him was a short interview about university life and his future soccer aspirations, his handsome face smirking confidently from the glossy page.

Looking at it again, the picture didn't have the same reaction it initially had. Instead the blacks, whites, and grays were perfectly lined and filled in, shadows compared to the brightness she saw before. The sweater he was wearing didn't shine at her, and no matter how many times she blinked it refused to change into that warm, soft hue she'd just discovered.

"Hey, are you done, Kurosaki?" the girl asked as people began rearranging their desks. "The teacher's about to walk in."

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, sorry. Thanks for letting me see it," she responded absentmindedly as she memorized the name at the top. Hitsugaya Toushirou.

This was stupid.

She berated herself for the hundredth time as she slouched low on the bleachers and kept the cap's bill over her eyes. Sipping on her soda, she moved with the teams up and down the field, tracing unfamiliar jerseys and determined faces. Despite herself, her stare couldn't help but be drawn to one particular player.

His jaw was clenched, concentrated on taking another win home and moving into Regionals. She didn't need very long to notice how good he was. He could go pro one day, and immediately she liked him for it. It meant they had something in common.

Don't get ahead of yourself. You haven't even spoken to the guy, Karin scolded, watching as a penalty kick was awarded to the other team.

Although not a common occurrence, there were circumstances when predetermined pairs wouldn't sync up and would reject their partners. The development of colored sight was a biological trigger but it wasn't an absolute science. The heart was known to be fickle. Sometimes even sound research could be outwitted.

She had to brace herself for that possibility. The idea made her stomach churn as she watched both teams line up along the goal. The black and white ball—or at least, she assumed it was those colors—leaped over the team's heads but their skillful goalie was there to intercept it. The whistle for the first half of the game went off a second later, the team high-fiving each other as a time-out was called. The three-point lead was encouraging as they ruffled each others' heads and jogged over to their coach.

In hindsight, Karin didn't understand what possessed her to do it but she stood just as they were making their way into a huddle. Like a compulsion, her legs moved until she was standing at a staircase but her eyes never left him. As if feeling her watching him, the stranger tilted his head towards the stands and scanned them, expression twisted in uncertainty.

Hitsugaya locked onto her and it happened again. The world burned bright for a moment, as she recognized the color she first saw in that article and finding that his jersey was trimmed in it. It matched the sunshine as it traveled through the air and she realized that she was looking at the sky for the first time. 'Blue' was what it was called in her science text book, and she decided right away that she liked it. There was something inviting about the pale clouds against it, even as it swallowed the horizon.

It took her a while to focus again, only to appreciate the fact that he was still staring up at her, mystified. If he saw even a fraction of what she'd witness, Karin wouldn't hold it against him. But a sense of dread entered her, and she remembered that she hadn't counted on revealing herself to him.

When she bolted up the stairs, she knew she wasn't imagining the pull he had, willing her to stop and face him. But she couldn't be caught, not yet. She wasn't ready for all the changes his intrusion would bring.

No matter how much she tried to wipe her memory, Karin was caught in a constant playback.

She was still recovering from that unexpected reaction a week later. It shook her from the inside out. One little glance and everything around her had been transformed, like rainwater against the pane of a window. It dragged down everything in its path, leaving nothing but a faint trail in its wake.

Deeming Sunday a rest day, she was curled up on the couch in her pajamas flipping through a magazine while sports coverage played out in front of her. The clinic was closed so her father was sitting at the kitchen table. He half-listened to the TV and read the paper while Yuzu cut up vegetables for lunch. But all heads turned at the slide of the front door, not expecting Ichigo to drop by unexpectedly.

"Welcome back," she called as she delved deeper into a piece about her favorite player. The guy was relatively new but she knew promise when she saw it.

The voice that responded wasn't her brother's. "Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou, and I'm here to see your daughter."

The baritone in his voice had the pit of her stomach jumping, making her sit at attention. But Karin refused to look over at the newcomer. She knew the astonishment was written all over her face, most likely mirroring Isshin's and Yuzu's. She had no doubts he'd forced Ichigo to take him to his home since no older brother would willing give his sister away. How he'd found out they were related, Karin wasn't sure.

"Ah! Uh, o-o-okay… Which of them is that?" Goat Chin stuttered, standing up to assume a strange crouch. He looked as if he was deciding which daughter to dart towards and present the boy with. The image made Karin snort.

"The dark-haired one. Karin, was it?" The newcomer looked at her and she turned towards him instinctively.

As if on cue, her vision came in flashes and she clenched. Pressing the back her hand to her eyes, Karin could see splotches of light in a pallet of indistinct shades. It began to hurt at the back of her eyeballs so she took a cleansing breath to calm herself down. Her readings had failed to mention this little detail.

When she was brave enough to gaze at him again, Toushirou was wearing a concerned frown and that bothered her. He didn't even know her yet.

"Don't act so familiar with me. I haven't given you permission to use my first name," she replied haughtily, standing to her full height in a show of confidence. Never mind that she was probably only at his shoulder. Or dressed in clothes littered with snowflakes. In any other situation she would've laughed, but her future was anything but funny.

"You're right, I apologize," he said easily. Already she knew he was far more mature than she was. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this, our first meeting I mean. But I was wondering… do you remember me? From that soccer game last Friday."

Of course I do. I went to see you personally. "Maybe," she shrugged. "There were a lot of people there. I can't be sure."

"You locked eyes with one of the players on the field. There was something there that day, between the both of us…" He paused for a reaction he didn't receive. "That person was me."

"So? What do you want me to do about it?"

She knew she was being difficult on purpose, and immediately Isshin recognized the self-defense mechanism. He also saw how Toushirou's certainty suffered, his glare finding the ground. But she was a pistol, his little girl. Karin would never be happy with someone who couldn't handle her at her worst.

"Hey, Karin, does Ichigo look any different to you?" The innocent question startled her, pupils dilating as she looked at her brother.

For the first time in her life, the light shade of gray she'd always associated him with was replaced by a loud, unapologetic color. A complete turnaround from hers, she realized as she grabbed a stray lock to compare. Isshin gauged her response before rubbing at his eyes tiredly. So it was true; his babies were growing up fast.

He offered the boy a weak smile. "Why don't you stay for lunch? Hitsugaya-kun, was it? Let's get to know each other a little better."

She'd never forget the day she first saw pink.

A couple of senior punks were picking on a freshman on her way home from school that day. There were a bunch of no-good delinquents, the kind that didn't get better even once they left high school, and she knew the world had written them off long ago. But that didn't mean she was going to sit back and let them mess with someone else.

"Hey you punks! Leave that kid alone!" she yelled, dropping her bag to the floor as the boy in question slid down the wall in a pained pile.

They ignored her until Karin threw a punch in someone's face, sending him reeling as his buddies froze stock still. But it was only for a dazed moment because they fired back a second later and a real brawl broke out. They shoved her one way and then dragged her another, landing blows she knew would bruise later. When they understood that she didn't want to let them off the hook, they decided to retreat because they were still within the schools vicinity. There were too many chances for them to get caught.

"We won't forget this, Kurosaki! We'll settle this next time!" one yelled as they charged down the hill.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try!" she called back, rubbing at her cheek when they were out of sight. It was going to swell and her family was going to have a fit. No matter how many fights she got into, they just wouldn't accept that her sense of justice would always get her into trouble.

Karin cradled her cheek, touching it gingerly and hissing when it stung. Great, she was going to be in lockdown for the next few days at least. Not to mention the shitty rumors that were going to hound her. The few friends she had would stick beside her through anything but it didn't mean the words wouldn't sting.

High school. She couldn't wait to escape it.

Staring at her feet, she scrubbed at her skin with cool fingers as if she could will the warmth away. Not noticing where she was going, Karin collided with another person and her body jolted at the contact. His scent hit her hard, a masculine spiciness that made her tingle all over. She was almost afraid to look up.

"Kurosaki," the voice broke her reverie, sounding as confused as she felt, "What're you doing here?"

Embarrassed about her appearance, she made careful movements to keep herself from looking at him head-on. "This. I. Ah… I'm going home, just taking a longer route."

Inwardly she wanted to throttle herself. She'd wanted to prolong the confrontation with her father and had gone to a distant grocery store for a few things to cover up the swelling. It had yet to discolor and she thought maybe hiding in her room tonight would give her enough time to cover it.

But Toushirou saw right through her.

"What happened? Why's your face swollen?" he asked, an edge to his voice she hadn't expected. It was like trying to fix a break in a dam with one's bare hands, futile as water slipped between the tiniest breaks. She felt her insides twist as he reached for her.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," Karin dodged him by taking a step back. She'd never been comfortable with contact with strangers. And he was one, no matter what her father said.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"I said, it's nothing," she snarled, finally meeting his gaze. She expected the anger there, saw it coating his expression with a light sheen, but there were other things there too. But she was too afraid to name them.

Karin gripped the plastic bag in her hand a little tighter as she squared her shoulders and stomped past him. Well, attempted to. Hitsugaya placed his hands on her, grip firm but loose on her wrist so as not to scare her. Vaguely she realized she came up to his chin, meaning Karin had to tilt her head up at him. She didn't know why she found that significant.

"Come with me," he urged, leading her in another direction. His face was cold, irritated, and she wondered if this was how he handled his responsibilities, all force and little tact. She decided she didn't like it.

"No. Why the hell should I listen to you?" Brushing him off, her eyes flashed dangerously but he didn't flinch. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You need to take care of that before it gets worse. And I'm guessing you don't want your father to see it," Toushirou replied in kind, crossing his arms over his front authoritatively.

It was like he could read her mind and Karin didn't want to admit that she might be so obvious. Accepting his help was one step closer to accepting him and she wasn't prepared for that. Whenever she saw him her heartbeat stuttered against her ribs and sometimes her hands began to sweat. Just the turn of his head played tricks on her.

But in the end Karin had to trust him. She'd promised Goat Chin that she'd keep out of trouble and this was definitely trouble. Apparently Hitsugaya lived in an apartment nearby, though he didn't speak a word of anything else as they made their way in silence. She wasn't sure if it was because he was put off by her resistance or he was a man of few words.

They arrived at an older housing complex not too far from her home. Hitsugaya was situated on the third floor, and she couldn't be sure but she thought the building really was gray. Her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the introduction of a palette other than black and white. The few new hues she did know fluctuated, coming and going as they pleased.

Most days the brighter colors would remain fairly permanent, lighting up her pencils and whatever color ribbon her classmates wore in their hair. But the darker ones spiked, coming together in moments of great stress and streaking across her world with a staunch contrast to her current one. Only when he was nearby did everything stabilize, her body trusting Toushirou implicitly.

Although tempted, Karin didn't dare inquire about his experience, if it made his head hurt with the sudden crash of light or sting his eyes. She kept quiet as he led her to the living room, telling her to make herself at home. The space was small and sparsely furnished. Good enough to live in but nothing to brag about, she mused as she settled at the little table and on top of a cushion.

By now she wondered if she looked as bad as she thought. The pain was now a steady ache and one side was definitely fatter than the other. She winced when she brushed against it, pulling her fingers back to check for blood. Luckily there was none.

"Stop that. You're doing more harm than good," Toushirou commanded gruffly. He reentered holding a first aid, scowling softly at her inquisitive nature.

She opted for a polite smile but could only flinch. "Sorry. Bad habit."

"I'm sure," he nodded and she pouted in response. He was annoyingly straightforward, and while she usually appreciated the trait he could be a little less uncouth. They weren't going to be strangers forever.

"Close your eyes," Toushirou commanded, a little more gently to placate her.

Either she was too obvious or he was getting better at reading her mood. Karin didn't really like either option.

Distrustful, Karin did what he said, feeling herself go tense as he pressed an ice pack to her skin. He worked in silence, giving her directions in a voice that wasn't quite soothing but kinder than what she expected from him. And she followed the orders, peeking out of her opposite eye as he rubbed antibiotic ointment over her knuckles. Karin memorized the length of his lashes, the exact white of his hair, the curves and ridges of his face. She thought he was good-looking the first time she saw him in that magazine but his attractiveness was much more potent in person.

"Thank you," Karin finally mustered up the words before he noticed her appraisal. "You really didn't have to do this."

"I couldn't let you get chewed out by your father. For some reason I don't think he'd be too excited to see you in such a state," Hitsugaya spoke lightly, surprising her. He wore a shadow of a smile at the edges of his lips as he began to reorganize his kit. "Do you want to tell me why you're so beat up?"

She rolled her eyes, settling back with an exasperated sigh. "Why do I have this feeling you're not gonna let me walk outta here without you butting in?"

"Maybe because I won't." He shut the case with finality before turning to face her. "I think I have a right to know why you were hurt. You're not really the type to that that kind of thing lightly."

"Damn straight. But it wasn't s big deal. Some kids were picking a fight with an underclassman, is all," Karin shrugged. She purposely dragged her gaze elsewhere, becoming restless all of a sudden. "I tend to get caught sticking up for the underdogs."

Instinctively she braced herself for the lecture to come. And it always did, regardless of who was the one to deliver it to. Last time it had been Ichi-nii. While he dressed her wounds he was telling her not to do anything too careless or be too much like him, while not even trying to hide the curses beneath his breath. Safe to say that was the first and last time she let Ichigo see her dirtied and hurt. He was far worse than Yuzu's coddling and Isshin's mix of understanding and consternation.

However, she was surprised when Toushirou did nothing of the sort. Instead he nodded and stood up, asking if she wanted some tea. Not sure what else to do, she nodded and followed his movements until he disappeared around the corner. When he came back it was with a tray of warm tea and some snacks, still silent as he set them on the table.

"Are you not going to get mad at me?" Karin blurted out and immediately wished to retract it. "I mean, everyone else does. They say I'm irresponsible and that I should work on my anger issues. That my kind of meddling is gonna get me seriously injured one day."

"Do you regret it?" Hitsugaya interrupted suddenly.

"W-what?"

"Do you regret it? Helping that boy, I mean."

She considered her answer carefully. Honestly it was the first time anyone had ever asked. Her family tended to run their mouths off before she even got a chance to butt in and she'd gotten so used to the dynamics that she just sat there and took it. But now that someone wanted to know what she thought…

"No. I don't." How could she? That went against everything she believed in.

"Then I'm not going to judge you," Toushirou replied easily, cupping his drink to warm his fingers. Stunned, her mouth fell open as she looked at him. "I'm not here to change you, Kurosaki, nor judge you for your choices. I'm here to support you, patch you up when you get injured, and listen. That's all."

From where she was sitting, it felt like her entire world swung upside-down. Was that what love was? She wouldn't know. Her mother had died when they were young but she recalled bits and pieces of her parents' marriage, how it was bright and happy and just a little bit exasperating. But it had been equal and so full of vitality, she never imagined that the thing that fed it was as simple as unconditional support.

Karin showed some of her own kindness and ignored the flush that was beginning to crawl its way across Hitsugaya's stoic face. Instead she smiled and considered her repaired hands thoughtfully. She fingered the bandages, remembering the warmth Hitsugaya had showed and thinking it was endearing how the shade matched his embarrassed cheeks.

"Pocky aren't that pretty, are they?" Karin blurted out as she slipped a stick out of its package.

The fall wind was brisk, fluttering the skirt of her uniform as she fiddled with the foil. On a mission to get to know each other better, she and Hitsugaya made plans to meet up when his schedule permitted it. The chocolate was a bit of an apology for being late as well as a gift.

"There's nothing wrong with brown," he chided. As he stole one from her pouch, she nearly growled at him. Taking food was the fast track to having her hate him.

"I didn't say anything was wrong with it. I just think it's boring," grumbled Karin. She reached over to break the stolen stick, smirking as she slipped the other half into her mouth.

Knowing better than to get angry, Hitsugaya adjusted the dark-knit beanie that covered most of his hair. A bad haircut was her only explanation when she asked about it, and he'd forced her to promise that she wouldn't try and see what was underneath. Such a tragedy. She wanted so badly to laugh at Toushirou's expense.

"That's awfully short-sighted. Take a look around you and then say that to me."

Taking in the scenery, Karin had to admit that her words didn't make any sense when they were situated this deeply in the city park. The roads had disappeared behind old oaks, colored by their age. The leaves had stopped being green and were shifting to russet and gold, littering the cement beneath their feet. Like a living paradox, brown perfectly embodied life and death at the beginning cusp of autumn.

Outwitted, she chomped particularly hard on her next Pocky. "All right, you win. God, how can you make me feel guilty about preferring certain colors over others?"

"Have you always been this aggressive or am I a special case?" Toushirou asked no one in particular. When Karin stuck her tongue out at him, he had the gall to smile back.

They sat in silence until Hitsugaya dusted himself off and told her he'd take her home. Of course Karin rejected the offer, explaining that she was old enough to know how to get back. He chose to ignore her, and she was quickly getting used to his habit of only sometimes listening to her. Didn't mean she wasn't pissed off every time she did it, as she launched into a tirade about how he had to stop doing that.

She hardly noticed him slipping his hand into hers as he argued back, ever the perfect diplomat as he led her down the street.

Karin learned that jealousy burned bright red.

She'd been standing outside of his university, silently debating on whether to stay and catch him or just send a text. A text was easier, more efficient, and certainly better than all the stares she was earning. What, had they never seen a high school girl before? Were these people born on campus? Karin did her best not to sneer but she could feel her aura blacken with each passer-by that examined her.

Her home ec class had them baking cookies, a first for Karin. Any kitchen business was strictly Yuzu's territory and she liked it that way. It was the talk going on around them that made her change her mind, the girls in her class discussing who they were going to give theirs too. Some to upperclassman, others deigned to keep them for themselves. And then it made her wonder, who could she give hers to?

Fast forward three hours later and Karin was ready to just turn tail and run. Not her proudest moment and so she squashed the instinct as fast as she could. They were just cookies, a thank-you gift for making time for her last weekend. Not a big deal.

That was her train of thought as she swallowed her pride and whipped out her phone, typing a short, curt message asking where he was. If she started acting too nice he'd get suspicious and frankly she felt like she was hardly being subtle as is.

When she looked up, Karin knew exactly what color she was seeing.

Dainty arms wrapped around one larger one, the familiarity burning a hole in her common sense. The girl wore a pretty red sweater and an even sweeter smile, laughing easily as she clung to Hitsugaya shamelessly. But the real kicker was how he let her, appearing untouchable even to her discerning eyes.

When they stepped outside of the gates, he honed in on her immediately and his icy features melted into bewilderment. Suddenly Karin had very little interest in him, turning on her heel just as he called out to her.

She didn't run. That went against everything she was. Instead she marched, picking up speed as her emotions grew and her heart went haywire in her chest. But if she thought she could outgun him with anger alone then she was sorely mistaken.

"Karin, wait!" he called out to her, managing to grab onto her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," she growled, baring her teeth in a snarl.

Not wanting an audience, Toushirou steered her to a gap between two shops, careful not to grip too tightly. From previous experience he knew Karin could use force and put some distance between them. He didn't want to provoke her.

In Karin fashion, she attacked first. "Go fuck yourself. I don't wanna hear your excuses, Toushirou," she cursed, pulling out of his grip. She took a few steps back for good measure. "It must be nice having a fan club."

"It wasn't anything and you know it. Not everyone finds their match at sixteen, Karin. Sometimes girls don't find them for a very long time so people act... strangely," Hitsugaya reasoned, hands up in surrender.

"Oh, so did I happen to slip your mind somewhere between her flirting and pressing up against you?" The tedious pulse in her temples echoed in her ears, while her voice played traitor with each modulation. Was she even a priority? She didn't feel like it, squeezed between school and practice and his job. The dawning realization that Hitsugaya was becoming more and more permanent, more hers, had her mind spinning.

"Of course you didn't. It's trying to get you to leave that drives me crazy!"

They both stopped for very different reasons. Realizing he'd said that out loud, Toushirou pressed his lips together and cursed. Any jealousy Karin had drained out of her, leaving behind amazement. But that soon transformed into a smug smile, eyes crescent, and Toushirou immediately regretted his hastiness.

"Please don't."

"You like me."

"I didn't say that..."

"You might as well have," Karin singsonged. The muscles in her face were beginning to hurt, she was smiling so wide. It was made better by the resignation Hitsugaya was emitting, praying under his breath for strength.

"I'm leaving," he griped, turning on his heel. She was pleasantly surprised that a person could turn red as well, seeing how his ears managed to catch fire. She wondered if she brightened when she was embarrassed, Karin pondered before jogging to catch up with him. She now had no doubts that he'd accept her homemade cookies, no matter how unappetizing they were.

Her embarrassment was all Yuzu's doing.

Pulling her coat closer, Karin did her best to hide what his underneath. Dresses had never been particularly her style but her sister had forced her into it.

'A Christmas date deserves at least this much,' her sister touted wisely. At least she'd been spared the shopping trip that went with the troublesome thing. It'd been left on her bed with a simple note saying Merry Christmas and the tension headache started.

Brushing off a piece of invisible lint, she grew more and more anxious as time ticked on. All around her couples were linked by the arm, heading in different directions in dresses of various colors. Looking down at her own, she scoffed at the dark grey in her vision. Yuzu would manage to find the one color she had yet to decipher.

As ten minutes past the meeting time went by, a spike of fury shot through her nervousness. If that jerk was planning to stand her up, so help him…

Breaking through the crowd, Hitsugaya darted between the numerous pairs on the street. His hair had fallen flat and his favorite green scarf was unraveling itself from his neck. Her relief was smothered by her anger, as she stood up just as he came to a stop in front of her.

"You're late."

"I know, I'm sorry," he huffed out, placing a hand on his chest as he gulped down some air. Brushing some of his bangs from his eyes, Toushirou fixed his jacket with a tired sigh. "My part-time job wanted to keep me longer even though I said I was leaving early. I literally had to threaten I'd quit before they let me out the door."

"Let me guess, your fans were there all day," Karin responded bluntly, keeping the envy from her voice. She took his proffered arm and let him intertwine their fingers, the weight calming her irritation.

His silence was answer enough.

"Girls are so bothersome," she complained as she tucked dark strands behind her ear. The knowing smirk he shot her had her reddening, as they crossed the street. "I'm serious. They know you have a, a… um… that…"

"Still can't say it, can you?" Toushirou laughed, slowing his pace so they could walk side by side. "I don't know how you can get mad at me when you can't even acknowledge our relationship."

"I acknowledge it just fine, thank you very much! Just that no one wonders whether I have a boyfriend or not," she shrugged. "Some of us don't have to worry about women throwing themselves at men that are obviously not their soul mates."

"Oh, so you can call me your soul mate but the word 'girlfriend' is impossible to utter. I see," he teased. She watched his face light up, breaking that stern mask most associated him with. Karin was getting used to how her heart skipped because of it, feeling her face heat even more.

Unable to formulate a sarcastic response, Karin tugged her hand away but Hitsugaya held tight as they walked past the city's lighted tree. The warm glow bathed the lovers and families in white and yellow light, wonderment in children's faces as they pointed at the bright star that sat on top. Karin didn't notice how her clothes slowly softened into a new shade, too busy trying to come up with some sort of comeback. But Toushirou did, admiring how the dark hue complimented her soft features and fair skin.

But there were few things that didn't look beautiful on her, Hitsugaya mused. Not that he'd ever say so. He knew Karin couldn't handle her own feelings well, and wouldn't know how to respond to real affection without violence and denial. She was young and naïve. He had his work cut out for him.

In her excitement, Karin changed the subject to where they were going, badgering him about dinner plans and the kind of gift he'd gotten her. He turned it on her and asked about his, to which Karin defensively said she'd give it to him only after she received hers.

They bickered all throughout the night, up until the moment he dropped her off at home. And then they weren't as Karin climbed to her tiptoes and nursed the ring on her finger, glinting lavender as she kissed him good night.

It was just their luck that the car stalled on their way home.

Karin blamed herself, worriedly chewing her lip as Toushirou inspected the engine in dim lighting. The sun was threatening to fall asleep any moment and the moon was barely a crescent above them. Sighing into her hands, she ran her hands through her hair and sent a prayer to whatever higher power that would grant her some peace of mind.

All she wanted was a day at the beach. It was too cold to swim and it would always be there, Toushirou reasoned over the phone. He'd had classes all day Friday but he always picked up whenever she called. That was a lot of their relationship, actually. Sometimes Karin just wanted someone to drag along with her on a crazy adventure and he was a reluctant but accepting accomplice.

But she'd badgered him for a good hour, breaking him down when she said she'd hang up if they could go tomorrow. Hitsugaya was too tired to pawn her off and agreed, hanging up when she chirped a 'sweet dreams!' into his ear.

He hadn't asked why she was so infatuated with the ocean. Not during the car ride while the music played, not when she jumped out of the car and into the grainy sand, and not when she stepped into the endless sea of blue. The skies were cloudy overhead, an ominous gray that whispered of storms approaching. Instead he slipped off his shoes and walked with her, helping her up when she fell and letting her pull him into her pace.

It was sprinkling when Toushirou headed back into the car, drops clinging to the edges of white hair.

"I'm sorry," Karin apologized as he dried his head with the towel he used for practice.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong." Slanting a side-stare at her, he frowned at the troubled look on her face. "You're not in charge of what the weather does, Karin. Even you're not that powerful."

"Ha ha." Slugging him in the shoulder, the smile she gave him didn't quite reach her eyes. It must be a Kurosaki thing. Her brother had a strange affinity for guilt despite his girlfriend's constant reassurance.

"If it makes you feel better, Ichigo is on his way here. It'll be a while because we're out of the way and the rain might set him back some time but we'll get out of this soon."

"I guess," she shrugged. Toushirou decided he didn't much like subdued Karin. She stared listlessly ahead and didn't meet him in the middle the way she usually did. It was like she existed on another plane and he couldn't touch her, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

The chill of the early evening was starting to settle as the sun fell and the rain began to pour. The sound of droplets clinking against metal was soothing on most occasions but not this time. It was just plain eerie without Karin filling the air with nonsensical things, asking him questions and laughing at his expense. He thought he valued silence but not like this.

"Are you tired?" he inquired, not knowing what else to say. He nudged a thumb at the backseat. "Why don't you rest for a bit? You were playing in cold water all afternoon. I don't want you to get sick."

"I'm fine."

"You're not." Reaching for his jacket behind him, Hitsugaya tossed it over her. "Keep warm and just listen to me for once."

"You know how much I hate doing that," Karin snorted but allowed him the little victory of putting on his coat. A little fire had come back to her.

He chuckled. "I do."

"And what about you? Aren't you sleepy?" she asked. The cloth was a little cold but his scent wafted into her senses. It calmed her, made her eyes heavy as she leaned against the the headrest.

"I'm okay. I'll keep watch for your brother so just get some shut eye." He peered over at her and saw how she glowered up at him. "Now what's the problem?"

"I feel guilty." This was her idea and she was still being taken care of.

Shaking his head, Hitsugaya let out an incensed sigh. Karin wasn't very good at signals, though he didn't think he was being very subtle. Whether that was a folly of youth or just a default setting, he was slowly starting to figure her out.

Turning on her side, Karin's dark stare was tinged with slumber. She looked so little curled in her seat, comfortably wrapped up in his jacket and he felt a faint stab of pleasure at that. Where Karin's mouth lied, her expressions gave her away. The way she let her hand linger and how she imposed herself on him, it was her own way of saying how she cared.

"Hey, you have green eyes," Karin said abruptly.

"Yes I do," Toushirou agreed. He leaned over the console to press a kiss to her lips, his hands falling into her hair and she nearly choked on her next breath. "Don't tell me you've been staring at me so long and never noticed."

"I do not stare!" Except she did, but Karin wasn't going to admit that to him.

"Liar."

"Shut up," Karin grumbled. When they were nose-to-nose it was hard to deliver a withering stare at him properly, though she made a gallant effort.

When Ichigo found them, he felt his eyelid contract and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It was either that or press his face to the glass and mutter death threats as he pinned his former friend with a glare. He knocked on the window, making Hitsugaya turn his head. He nearly grinned at the nonplussed look on Ichigos face but he understood why. He wouldn't want to see a nestled Karin sleeping in anyone else's arms either.

THE END

AN: This was unintentionally long but the story kind of exploded while I was writing pink. I was aiming for around 4k and the text is over 7000. Nailed it. LOL I hope everyone enjoyed, especially purpleswans1! If you did, please leave a review and have a great New Years!

Thank you for reading, everybody! Until next time~