Bleach The Best Place In Town

Kurosaki Karin walked alone through the streets of Karakura town. School had finished a half hour ago, and with winter almost upon them all her friends had gone home right away to escape the cold. Karin didn't live too far from her high school, but rather than go straight home, she decided to take the scenic route and visit a specific spot in town. Down some side streets, past the soccer fields and up a steep hill was a perfect view overlooking the town.

Once in a while, she would find a young shinigami named Hitsugaya Toshiro sitting at the top of that hill, watching the sunset. It was his favorite place in town, and if he happened to be around for work Karin could always find him there. She had first met him there a couple years ago when she was in grade school, so being there brought back some fond memories for her.

Unfortunately, he wasn't around as much as Karin would have liked, but she supposed that was to be expected of a dead guy from the afterlife. Still, Karin loved his company. And even though Toshiro always acted grouchy and off-putting, he never objected to spending time with her.

Sometimes Karin thought she was being silly, making that walk across town whenever she had some free time in the hopes of running into a boy. Did she have a crush on him? Maybe. With Toshiro she felt comfortable and at ease, but somehow things were also exciting and fun. On top of that, he was one of the few close friends that Karin didn't have to lie to about the fact that she could see ghosts and monsters. It was refreshing to be able to talk about that stuff openly.

Finally, Karin reached the foot of the hill and started to climb. The wind grew harsher and chilled her to the bone. Karin adjusted her scarf and looked over her shoulder at the scenery. She fell into a trance watching the trees and buildings get smaller and smaller as she ascended. Even though the trees were bare, it was still a beautiful sight. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky was filled with vibrant yellows, oranges and pinks.

Karin was startled out of her daze as someone abruptly cleared their throat. She looked up to see a familiar figure sitting on the railing a little ways ahead.

"Hey." Hitsugaya Toshiro said with a slight wave of his hand.

"Toshiro!" Karin exclaimed with glee as she ran over to him. "It's good to see you. Here for work?"

"That's right." He said with an affirming nod.

"Did you come alone?"

Toshiro shrugged. "This time, yes."

Karin grinned widely. "Good, then I'll have you all to myself."

"Idiot, I just said I'd be working," Toshiro growled.

"I know, I know," Karin chuckled. "But in the meantime we could hang out. I've said this before, but if you need somewhere to stay you're always welcome at my place. Oh, and I've got a soccer game coming up. You should definitely come play."

"We'll see," Toshiro muttered as he turned his gaze back to the sunset. Despite the vague response to her suggestions, Karin wasn't worried. He always gave that exact answer when he intended to take her up on the offers.

"Hey Toshiro, aren't you cold?" Karin asked with a frown as she noticed that he was only wearing a light sweater. The temperature had dropped recently, and at the top of the hill it was even colder without anything to block the wind. He definitely needed something warmer.

"I'm fine." He muttered casually.

Karin scowled at him, not buying the tough guy act. "Now _you're_ the one acting like an idiot." With a swift movement, she slid onto the railing beside Toshiro and leaned in close to him.

"W-what are you doing, Kurosaki?" Toshiro exclaimed as his face flushed pink. He tried to shuffle away, but Karin locked onto his arm and held Toshiro in place.

"Shut up and hold still, you big baby." With one hand, Karin undid her scarf and wrapped it around the two of them. "There, that's better," she said with a smile.

Toshiro's face had gone beat red, and he fidgeted nervously beside Karin. "This is kind of embarrassing," he muttered timidly.

"Yeah, well, you said you came here for work, right? How embarrassing would it be if the Captain of squad 10 couldn't do his job because he got sick?"

Toshiro stiffened, but didn't make any response. A victorious smile spread across Karin's face as she leaned against him and got comfortable. The two of them fell into silence, and turned their attention back to the sunset.

Karin wasn't usually into sappy things like this, but being in this situation with Toshiro made her feel excited. In fact, it was the perfect romantic setting. If Karin was being honest with herself, then she really did like Toshiro _a lot._ Part of her knew that she should do something, and take advantage of this rare opportunity. However, the rational part of Karin's brain told her that Toshiro might not feel the same way about her, and that it may be too soon to make a move. Then again, this wasn't the time to wallow in doubts. The only way to find out how Toshiro felt about her would be to take a chance and see what happens.

Slowly, Karin slid her hand into Toshiro's and waited to see his reaction. There was a moment of hesitation, but then Toshiro's fingers curled around her hand and gripped it gingerly. Karin's heart soared with that simple gesture. She turned her head to look at Toshiro, but her nose unexpectedly bumped into his. He was already staring at her with an unusually soft expression on his face.

Karin found herself immersed in his eyes. She had always loved the light turquoise color, but they were even more beautiful up close. Especially since the intense light from the sunset made his eyes more vibrant than usual.

Suddenly, it struck Karin that Toshiro hadn't withdrawn away from her. He was close enough that she could feel his breath on her lips, and he was staring back into her eyes intently. Toshiro's mouth was twitching slightly, as if he wanted to say or do something.

Karin's heart pounded. This was her chance, it was now or never. She closed her eyes, and leaned in. Her lips met his, and she kissed him softly. Karin could feel Toshiro's fingers shifting awkwardly, but he did not resist. In fact, he pressed closer to her and returned the kiss. He was gentle, as if she was something precious that he didn't want to hurt. When they finally parted, Karin was at a loss for words. She felt light as a feather.

"Kurosaki," Toshiro said, startling her. His face was flushed, and for a moment he looked nervous. Then his face softened, and he looked her right in the eyes. "That was nice." He said with the smallest hint of a smile.

This time it was Karin's turn to blush. She hadn't expected such a straightforward response like that. Then again, she hadn't been expecting to kiss him.

"O-of course it was, idiot." She blurted out, not sounded quite as confident as she wanted. Karin quickly leaned her head on Toshiro's shoulder and turned away from him.

Karin was overcome with embarrassment. It wasn't that she regretted her actions, but what now? She kissed him, and he liked it. Did that mean they would start dating? That would be pretty complicated, considering he comes from another world. Not to mention the fact that he ages slowly, so he was already much older than her. Karin wondered if shinigami were even allowed to date normal humans.

Karin's thoughts were interrupted as Toshiro suddenly leaned his head against her. He still held her hand, and gripped tighter as if trying to reassuring her.

A smile formed on Karin's lips as she realized that none of that other stuff mattered. They could work out the details later. For now, she was happy just to sit with the person she loved, and watch the light of the sun fade away into the night.


End file.

Bleach, Romance