A/N: I would say sorry for the late update, but seeing how it's kind of becoming a constant thing, can't I just classify it as my norm? Are we all good with that? Well I am, so I'm rolling with it.

MERRY X-MAS/NEW YEAR/HANUKKAH/KWANZA/ oh, gosh, I don't know what else. I know it's a little belated to fit into some of those categories so we'll just call it a late gift from me to my readers. Sorry guys, I'm bad at updates.

Who else ate turkey for x-mas? Let me tell you, you have never experienced turkey until you have had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days straight and than breakfast the day after. Seriously, I'm having visions of turkey. It can't be healthy.

Disclaimer: You guys know what goes here.

*NEW NOTE*This story was originally posted on Wednesday, but after looking through it I saw some mistakes, and even though their minor, it really annoys me. So I took it down and redid it a bit. This is not a brand new chappie. Just relatively new and with a different name.

O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter Nine: First Kisses are Never Intentional

Karin placed her hand on the edge of the door frame, squeezing her thin body out the crack only partially left open and whined.

"Remind me again, why are we doing this?"

Hitsugaya grumbled and flicked a strand of hair from in front of his eyes as he tightly grasped her hand and pulled her forward, letting her trail behind them as they snaked through doors and passageways, "Because, this is the only way to get you out of here without being seen. Now would you kindly stop talking and hurry up?"

After escaping her enclosure between door spaces, Karin placed a hand on her hip impatiently and, sighing dramatically, accepted her fate and eternal damnation of having to forever sneak through the halls of the Gotei Thirteen; because Kami forbid, breaking down walls was not a viable method.

Karin mentally chalked that up with yet another reason why people were defiantly different here. She momentarily paused to think back on how, whenever she was called in for a meeting with Aizen, Grimmjow had oh so kindly dragged her down, a sword not subtlety hidden from her view, and destroying all barriers between them and Aizen's room. Which she remembered with a chuckle, was the only room that would ever have use of a door.

"Karin? Hello?"

She back snapped back to attention with a jolt and a wave of Hitsugaya's daunting hand in front of her face. "Hmm, oh right." She replied nonchalantly while pushing his hand out of her vision range. "How close are we?"

He gestured over his shoulder to the room at the end of the hall, "Almost there. You'll finally get to see Karakura." He rolled his eyes and quickened his pace, "This is a stupid idea."

Karin flashed a face akin to nothing but shame, not only at the fact that she was disappointed that he wasn't on her side, but the fact that she cared if he was.

But, she idly mused, what was wrong with that?

She mentally slapped herself for bringing up a question she knew she didn't want to know the answer to and looked over to his figure receding ahead of her. His hair was unruly and frazzled, but his attire was properly lined up on his body and his haori flowing behind him in stride.

She halfly wondered what he would look like without his haori on. Sure she had seen him in only his plain black robes, but she had never exactly paid enough attention to pull a decent image to mind.

Although, she had seen him shirtless that one time when she had woken up early and he had come back from training.

That had been… 'interesting.' her mind supplied almost eagerly.

Yes, interesting had been a good word. She had flushed madly and dove her head back into the pillow all without him noticing, but the image was still there. Karin couldn't place why she was so embarrassed, it's not like the men of Hueco Mundo didn't get their shirts torn off from training before. Heck, Grimmjow wore a loose, open jacket and exposed his whole chest all the time. He shouldn't be any different.

It was only his back, but she imagined he probably was very muscular, after him catching her so many times it wasn't hard to notice. Honestly, Karin would bet money that he had a really nice body, he was a captain after all. He probably possessed a great physique under that loose clothing. Her mouth unconsciously curled up into a smile at the mere thought, muscular indeed.

Wait a sec.

Where had that all come from?

Karin contorted her face and shook her head violently back and forth, trying to rid the thoughts that very obviously shouldn't be there. Sure, Hitsugaya Toushiro had sex appeal. Anyone with eyes could see that. But that gave her no right to think about it.

"Karin?"

Karin spun her head up to him so fast he would've sworn she had whiplash. "You okay?"

She stuttered and avoided eye contact as the words came pouring out, half-slurred and incomprehensible. "O-of course, were going right? Now? Good, okay, let's go."

She sped up her pace and moved ahead of him, hastily tripping over her own words and, apparently, her feet. Dropping to the ground with a large thump Karin grumbled and cursed at her still distracted thoughts and her inability to remain erect and standing.

It didn't help when he leaned over and offered to help her up, so within seconds of him touching her arm to try and assist her –as if she where the elderly she stung harshly- Karin revved back her hand and got fully prepared to give him a good one to the face and wipe that damn good-looking smirk from his pretty little features…

And instantaneously got a dose of paralysis.

Hitsugaya let go the second he saw the malicious look in her eye and cautiously backed away after the fist came approximately mere inches from his face. "I was just helping!"

She growled from the floor and attempted to heave herself up with the arm that was slowly regaining feeling, "I don't need your help."

She couldn't see him, but Karin could practically feel the irritation radiate to her when he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, get up on your own."

Karin blew a strand out of her eye and glared up to his standing figure, arms crossed and a undoubtedly amused expression plastered on his face. "I will." She huffed and pounded her palm back to the wooden surface and pushed her body up so she could clamber onto her knee. Smirking triumphantly she boasted to him, neglecting the fact that was still on one knee and he was standing, "Ha. See? I'm capable."

Hitsugaya grinned smugly, "Granted. Now stand up."

Karin shifted her weight uncomfortably, not because she was sitting on her knee, but because he had just asked her to do something she wasn't quite sure would be possible for at least another minute of the paralysis wearing off.

Maybe she'd just ask, but that wasn't like her. She was above groveling, and he would make her grovel. Karin was fairly sure the man was a sadist. But that was above the point.

"Hey, gimmie you hand." She snapped. He tilted his head to the side in mock-innocence and asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Give. Me. Your. Hand."

"I'm still not quite hearing you."

Karin clenched her teeth and hissed, "Hitsugaya, hand. Now."

He balked and offered down his hand without so much as another word. Arching her eyebrow Karin pushed away the sudden change and accepted the offer, pulling herself up with him as leverage. He gave her a one-over glance and ushered her to the door. "After you."

Retaining her puzzled demeanor Karin doubtfully stepped to the door, never realizing what he had noticed the second she had spoke.

Histugaya's close to positive that's the first time she's ever addressed him by his name.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Waiting behind the door with bated breath, Yuzu couldn't contain herself from leaping out of her chair and running to envelop Karin in a huge hug the instant she had stepped through a type of invisible barrier into the same room as her rightfully designated as 'whoever enters this space is within Yuzu's hugging range. You have been warned.'

"Karin!"

Oddly enough Karin never felt any awkwardness around the blond. Almost like the sister she never had, Yuzu was comforting and supporting and –for some strange reason- had made a strong connection to her. Karin figured it might just be the excitement of meeting a girl her age for once that was pushing her over her head and senses.

She was an arrancar for Kami's sake, and it was about time she started behaving like one.

Awkwardly letting the girl hug her Karin stuck to her tenacity and slowly nudged her off, still not able to hide traces of a smile. "H-hey." She looked over Yuzu to the group behind her, the short black haired girl, Karin faintly remembered her being addressed as midget by Ichigo –the orange haired one who was nonchalantly staring at the wall- but the name "Rukia" was scribbled in orange crayon in the books she had lent her, and that seemed more like a first name.

"Rukia."

Rukia looked up to her and flashed a smile, obviously pleased that she had gotten her name right. She next moved on to the red-head who was looking at her with expectant eyes, now wanting her to remember him as well, almost like a kid looking for praise after their sibling had gotten it. Karin, who wasn't really positive she would get it right, guessed, "Renji…?"

He look slight dejected at first, her tone giving it away that it had been a shot in the dark, but he lit up soon afterwards when he realized he didn't care as long as she got it.

Karin glanced out of her periphery vision at a Matsumoto who wasn't speaking but had moved her facial features into a perfectly clear message: And what about me?

"Yeah, yeah, I see you Matsumoto."

Matsumoto perked up and shifted the imaginary dust off her shoulders, strutting into the scene and taking charge. "Well that's about it, let's get going!"

Everyone, including a second place Hitsugaya who despite his rank was still taking orders form his lieutenant, made their way over to the door to the human world that was being prepared for them, except one. Ichigo pushed back against the wall he was leaning against and held his arms out, pulling his brows in confusion and frustration, "Hey, I'm still here y'know!"

Everyone continued walking as Rukia waved her hand over her shoulder, "We know honey, we know."

Ichigo held his mouth agape but perused to trail behind his girlfriend anyhow until he grudgingly set the last step through the large opaque hole to a world of living.

O-x-x-x-x-O

"Soooo, this is it?" Karin said blankly, eyes trailing up and down the parking fee sign. "This is what you wanted to show me so much?"

After a couple of seconds of no reply Karin turned around to face them directly, "I mean sure, maybe it was important, but guys, this is just a si-" She craned her next from side to side, taking in nothing but a grey and empty parking lot. "Guys?"

She scrunched her eyebrows together and dropped her shoulders, "Okay not funny, and come out now."

If Karin had ever seen an old western movie before, this is where the director would cue the dust ball to roll by.

She exhaled and inhaled deeply and ran her hands up and down her arms to try and get rid of the goosebumps that were quickly arising. "I swearif this is a joke, I will send you all to the deepest, darkest, pits of Hueco Mundo and let the Vasto Lords deal with you!"

Karin took one more once over before squeezing her chest tighter in her hug, "…Guys?"

O-x-x-x-x-O

"Then find her!"

Renji swooped his arms up into the air and bellowed, "What the hell you want me to do?! Huh?! She could be anywhere!"

Ichigo slapped his palm to his forehead in aggravation, "I don't care okay! I lost here once, dammit it's not gonna happen again!"

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest, "The fastest way we'll find her is if we split up. We can find each other easily, I could point out your reiatsu's anywhere. We find her, send out a beacon and get back here. Alright?"

Ichigo grumbled under his breath and Renji attempted to help. "It's not like she's not strong. Karin'll kick ass if anyone comes close to her, she did tear down our holding facility."

"Renji."

"Yeah?"

"You're really not helping."

O-x-x-x-x-O

"Well this is a problem." Matsumoto declared, crossing her arms across her ample chest and pouting.

Yuzu tugged at her hair and stuttered, "B-but Karin doesn't know her way around here! What if she's lost!?"

"Karin's not incompetent Yuzu." Hitsugaya, the ever voice of reason, sounded evenly.

"I know, but…" Matsumoto slung an arm around her shoulders, "Have a little faith. We'll find her."

Yuzu nodded hastily and raised her irises to view the taller woman, "How?"

Rangiku considered this for a moment until the "lightbulb" moment appeared and the idea came in full form, "Hitsugaya's like a tracker to that collar right? So we'll just sit back and wait for him to bring her back here."

"But I want to go too!"

"We'd just slow him down. Come on you and me'll sit here and you can tell me some juicey gossip till he get's back. Alright?"

Hitsugaya eyed Matsumoto in admiration. The woman was taking control of the situation and trying to keep Yuzu as calm as possible as well as keep a level head about the whole situation at the same time. He knew she was reliable when she had to be, but it was nevertheless impressive.

"She's right. I can go search for her and when I find her I'll come straight back here."

Yuzu sighed and slumped down onto a nearby stair.

"Be fast."

O-x-x-x-x-O

Karin walked through the bustling streets with heavy interest. The shops where huddled together as if protecting themselves form a bustling wind and each had a crowding mass of advertisements outside their doors. Karin let the colours, sounds and smells envelop her, slipping her eyelids over her gaze in a content sigh. She couldn't recall any of it, but it radiated a warmish feeling, and as far as Karin was concerned, that was just fine with her.

It was odd, she found. She was entirely by her lonesome, with absolutely no idea which way to go and no help, but she seemed so calm. Her heart-rate wasn't faster in the tight knot of the moment and pressure of the situation, but was beating regularly and in a steady drumming motion. For the first time in a long time, Karin really didn't mind being alone in a sea of people.

She continued her walk with not even a thought to anything else when she came across a scenery to good to pass. It was a landscape of the sun with the tips of edifice buildings outlining a border, all supported by a single grey railing. She clambered to the metal rail and swung her legs over, dropping down to the ground with her back supported against the cold steel.

Absentmindedly sliding a finger down her bone mask Karin smirked at the picture-perfect place before her. She could ask a million and one things: What am I doing? I don't belong here do I? Shouldn't I be getting back? Shouldn't I be attempting to get back?

Even a little?

Karin swung her head back and let loose a Cheshire cat grin, …nah.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Hitsugaya propped his head against the palm of his hand that was leaned against the railing, he had been looking –or more precisely tracking- her for what seemed like limitless hours and yet here she was, laying against the very same railing with her eyelids hooded and a content look on her features. Hitsugaya wasn't sure if he'd be able to restrain himself from angrily shaking her awake.

After all, he had been walking up and down the exact same railing for two hours.

In fact, if she didn't look so damn bloody pleasant, he might've kicked her awake for the trouble she caused. But, to her good fortune, he settled for a seismic headache in its place.

"Well, there you are." He grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief, "Do you have the slightest idea how much trouble you've made?"

They where all rhetorical questions of course, Karin was dead asleep, and even if she wasn't, there would be large chance that her reply would have been a shrug of the shoulder and a weak apology.

He bent down to her level and shoved a finger through the railing gape and poked her shoulder, "Karin?" She fidgeted under his touch but soothed herself back down without difficulty. "Karinnn?" He slurred her name out for extra emphasis and prodded harder. She winced and cracked an eye open.

"…yeah?"

He rolled his eyes and stood up, "Idiot."

She just grinned and stumbled to her feet, "Karakura's nice."

"What would you know? All you've seen is the back of your eyelids." He sneered.

Karin waved it off, "But from what I did see, it was nice."

Hitsugaya stuffed his hands into his pockets and started walking forward with her jogging up beside him, "Why do you have to make my job so hard?"

She patted his shoulder understandingly, "It's to get the stick outta your ass." He looked at her incredulously for the vulgarity, and she nodded ever so wisely, "Don't worry, one day you'll thank me."

Hitsugaya made a mental note to pound Renji for the influence he had been having on her.

But, than again. He shoved his hands father down into his pockets, this attitude did seem to come pretty naturally to her. So maybe he'll just let it go.

"Y'know I was wrong."

He curved his eyebrows in to signify confusion.

"It's more of a pole isn't it?"

But just this once.

O-x-x-x-x-O

"So I think this can truly be called a failure of a mission." Ichigo hung his head as the group crowed back into the R&D department.

"You could say that. But on the other hand…" Matsumoto hummed as she strode in, one arm linked in Yuzu's and brimming with pride as her other hand was clutching bags undoubtedly filled with miscellaneous articles of clothing.

"When did you even find the time?" Rukia asked, "We"Very subtle whack at Ichigo and Renji, "Spent the whole time looking under rocks."

Matsumoto none-too-modestly boasted, "I call it skill."

Hitsugaya grumbled from her side, "I call it your paycheck money." Karin snickered.

"But I thought the Captains had to pay for destruction made on the battle ground inflicted by their vice-captains!" She whined.

"And where exactly is this knowledge coming from?"

Matsumoto yanked out a torn page from the folds of her clothing and waved it in his face smugly, "Page one-hundred-sixty-eight, subsection 12.3, second edition!"

Curse her excessive knowledge for anything that might get her out of paying.

"Regardless, I'd hardly classify your shopping spree as a battle ground." He deadpanned.

She unhinged her mouth until it practically dropped to the floor, "What?! You obviously did not see the shoe-section when I was done."

"She's right you know. It could by terms be classified as destruction." Yuzu piped quite unhelpfully.

Karin slid open the door and walked through it, closely followed by the group of chattering shinigami behind her. Just as she was about to add onto the conversation when she was pulled by the arm to the back of the crowd.

"Hey! What the heck are you-"

Ichigo raised a finger to his lips and motioned, "Shhhh!"

Karin wasn't entirely decisive on the matter, but she opted for nodding and going silent anyway. When everyone else of the preoccupied shinigami had moved out of hearing distance they walked behind the pack while talking to each other.

"Alright, what is it ... Ichigo?" She hoped she got the name right.

"I got something to ask you."

She looked ahead to everyone who where getting further and further away, "Alright. But if he gets mad, I'm blaming you."

At least she still sounded like the Karin he remembered. "Fair enough." Karin noticed how uncomfortable he looked as she grasped for the right words, "Did you, was there anything that, whatever you saw…?"

Karin shifted under his expectant eyes and developed a sudden interest in the door behind him, whatever it took to avoid eye contact. "Well there might've been something…"

He flung his hands to her shoulders and smiled, "Really? Well I'll take that!"

Karin chuckled nervously under her breath, "Y-yeah. It's, ugh, really great."

He quickly removed his hands, "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care so much!?" Karin yelled. Begging to know the reasoning behind this man who she barely knew interest and attachment.

"I'm supposed to care, I am your-" He fell silent and mentally reprimanded himself for almost spilling.

She encouraged him to continue, "My…."

"Karin."

"Yeah?"

"I'm." He clenched his teeth.

"Yeah…"

"I'm your brother."

Well there it was. He had blurted it out and now it was just there.

Hanging.

"You're my WHAT?!"

O-x-x-x-x-O

Hitsugaya paced back and forth the room, an urge to vent about the inept ability of Kurosaki Ichigo to filter his thoughts before he says them appearing in full form and volume.

"He did not actually tell her that! Does he not understand, comprehend, any of this?!"

Matsumoto consoled form behind the door where she was changing clothes, "He's her brotherTaichou. He has the right to be protective, and, I don't know, stupid for her sake."

"That's not an excuse!"

"Yes it is."

"It's not a viable one!"

"You'd understand if you had a little sister Taichou."

"Well I don't!" Matsumoto threw an exasperated sigh and she slung the door open, clad from head-to-toe in new clothes and accessories.

"Maybe you should have an emotional talk with Kuckiki-Taichou. He has a little sister."

"An emotional talk?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah. We could bring Ichigo, Rukia, Karin, and we could all just vent and get drunk."

Hitsugaya groaned and slumped down onto the couch, "I can't take this."

"Don't knock it till ya try it."

He rubbed his forehead, "Unbelievable."

Matsumoto walked over, her heels tapping the floorboards with every step taken, and sat down beside him. "But you know what you should really be doing?"

"I give up. What?"

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Seeing how Karin's holding up."

He sprung up almost instantaneously and slapped the palms of his hands to his forehead, "Karin! I completely forgot!"

It was irony, Matsumoto decided. He was here freaking out over Karin and her safety and such, and by doing so he had left her alone to deal with something she couldn't handle by herself.

What a neglect of her feelings.

But he did go running after her, so maybe something a bit stronger than what she had anticipated had happened? They did get together well compared to the other girls she had attempted and failed miserably at setting him up with.

Oh what the hell. She grabbed a bottle of sake form the table and put it to her stressed lips. Let them deal with their feelings.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Karin scrunched down onto her knees, enjoying the comforting feeling of the damp grass on her legs. Everything had just being so overbearing lately, maybe just letting the troubles be ease off her –however mild, Karin had already figured that she wouldn't be completely stress-free- was something that would be good for her. Healthy.

She contorted her face to a look of disgust and snorted.

Alright, maybe healthy was a bit too extreme. She hadjust found out she had a brother after all. Either way it went though, it still didn't repress the situation at hand. She had a family. By some measure her family had left her. She had forgotten everything. She had been taken here. She had lost her connection to Shirohouou. She had been exposed to her life prior to her memory wipe.

And now they where all screwing her over.

Wonderful.

She released a frustrated yell and pressed her palms to cover her eyes. She had sincerely thought, for even the most miniscule of a time, that being here was the right thing to do. To educate herself in what these people knew, and trust them when he best firend Shirohouou had dissapeared from her awarence. But in the end they where just a group of people blocking the truth from her and apparently only willing to release such information in small increments.

That is of course, until she had met Kurosaki Ichigo. Karin pondered the name for a second. She faintly recalled having some other be titled with the same last name.

She collapsed onto her back, hitting her forehead in aggravation. Why wouldn't the memories come out?! Karin sulked and rolled form side to side, finally rolling all the way over and laying on the ground outside Hitsugaya's apartment with disdain.

She flinched at the sound of padded feet landing behind her. No one would dare come near her right now except for one particular person who Karin really didn't want to see right now, it would only cause more unwanted stress to her indecisive mind.

"What is it Hitsugaya?"

She watched from her periphery vision as his feet rounded her body until he was planted firmly in front of her.

"You okay down there?" She could hear the waver in his tone. She lifted her arms form the ground and placed them under her head to support her neck to look up at him.

"Do I look okay?"

He shuffled down so he was sitting across form her, "Not entirely, no."

"Well thank you, Mr. Obvious."

Sarcasm. This was a good sign.

"Anytime Karin."

Karin pushed her hands against the damp earth and pushed until her body was upright and in a more-or-less seated position. She observed him in a way a researcher might observe a new specimen, carefully and deductive. But he was unfazed under her prominent stare and smirked, "What are you looking for?"

She pulled back and shrugged, "I dunno. Some type of answer… or maybe food."

He chuckled lightly while his hand played pointlessly with a blade of grass, "I'm not quite sure about food, but I figure I can't mess your answers up more than your brother already has." He eyed her cautiously as he used the word 'brother'; she had stirred when he said it, but it didn't look like drastic damage was inflicted from the moron's outburst.

Karin blinked once, twice, "Well, no actually. All he said that I was his sister, I didn't really get much outta him. Does he have family?"

Hitsugaya pointedly noticed how her sentences where phrased, it still wasn't "So do I have family." But he quelled the thoughts, truth was he didn't think he'd take it as well as she was if he had been in her position.

"He has a dad who lives here, and a younger sister much like yourself."

"Mom?"

"Died when you-" He lifted his eyes to stare into hers as she nervously and painfully obviously redirected her line of sight away from him, "-He, was young. You wouldn't have remembered anyway."

"What about my sister? Older or younger?"

"She's younger than you by a couple of minutes if I remember correctly." It was hard to forget with Isshin being the self-proclaimed announcer of everything that happened to Karin before the, Hitsugaya mentally scrambled for a proper phrasing, 'accident.'

"She's my twin?"

He hoped this part would smooth over nicely; she did already love Yuzu, even if she didn't know the why behind the how. "In fact you've already met her."

Karin chalked her neck to the side and began to nervously twine her fingers between the grasses green treads, subconsciously pulling up strand by strand. He had never seen anyone so squirrely of getting information before, but granted this was Karin and her repressed memories. A very touchy subject for anyoneto press on. "It's Yuzu."

Karin inhaled deeply, sucking in as much oxygen around her as physically possible, and Hitsugaya couldn't help but extend an arm of… friendship? Pity? Ignorance? Comfort?

He cursed under his breath when the revelation that he was socially inept hit him like an anvil on a backswing.

It was almost as if she could read his thoughts through touch Hitsugaya discovered; that exactly when his uneasy fingers rested on her shoulder, did Karin start to chuckle.

"You're really bad at this y'know."

He took it as a good grace, and slowly eased his hand to sliding down her back and pulled her closer to him until they where in what could technically be branded as a hug.

"Better?"

Karin would never admit it outloud, but she felt her breath hitch the second he pulled her to his chest in what could most defiantly be defined as the most awkward hug in her life.

But it didn't end that way.

Slowly wrapping her arms around his back in return she closed the remaining space between their bodies and hugged him tightly.

"Much."

He attempted restraint, but with her hair so close to his face he inhaled and took in her scent. She was so indescribable; he didn't even notice his other arm snake to her waist to complete the embrace until he opened his eyes that had gone hooded when she hugged him back.

Pressed together in a friendship/comfort/something completely different embrace on the grass outside of his apartment, Hitsugaya faintly let the thoguht cross, What the hell am I doing? But he soon after -for some unknown reason- pushed it back. In fact, the moment was so strange and different but good, neither of them realized that they had being in such a pose for a good, steady minute, until they felt the water slowly drop from the clouds.

It started as a few drips pouring from the cumulus clouds but quickly evolved into a full-out downpour, abruptly knocking Karin and Hitsugaya from their trance like states.

He was the first to react, pushing back with both arms and facing his hand to the sky, palm-up. "Oh, crap."

Karin mimicked his motion, letting the rain pour onto her skin as well, "Said that right."

They stood up in unison and ducked under their arms for cover, both scampering back to the cover of his house. As they stood together under the overhang, Karin shook her head and flicked off the pooling droplet. As soon as she was convinced she had splashed him a decent amount of times she turned to the white haired man beside her who was wearing a expression of a cross between annoyance and plain amusement did she break out in a grin,

"Hey Hitsugaya?"

He ruffled his hair with his spare hand devilishly, making sure to land a few dashes water on her as well, and replied. "Yes?"

"You don't completely suck."

"Thanks Kairn. Thanks."

O-x-x-x-x-O

Hitsugaya proceeded back to the office for the last time that day. After convincing Karin to come back with him so she could stay with Matsumoto for a bit while he went to the Fifth Division to check on Hinamori, he just wanted to go back home and dip into a peaceful slumber. Although the prospect of leaving Karin alone with Matsumoto during her self-proclaimed 'drinking hour' would seem stupid to many, Hitsugaya had confidence in the woman to retain some type of self-restraint. It was only for forty minutes, it wasn't as if the woman was incompetent.

Clicking open the door he stepped into the room, a bemused expression immediately crossing his features at the sight before him.

Matsumoto had her back pressed against the wall on the other side of the room, barely peeking through the gaps in her fingers as she watched the destruction Karin was causing wildly. She had her sword out and was madly brandishing it, her eyes slightly glazed and a deep flush sprayed on her cheeks.

"What did you do?!"

Matsumoto yelped at Hitsugaya who had made his entrance without her knowing and she fumbled, "She took the first five shots fine! But the sixth-!"

She got abruptly cut off as Karin came with her sword flailing and Matsumoto bounded away in a quick use of shunpo.

"Matsumoto! You let her drink?!"

She scrunched in discomfort as Karin brought her blade down yet again, but this time onto his desk.

"There goes my raise!" She wined miserably.

The precise slicing of the bookcase into two even halves promptly followed after the desk.

"My paycheck!"

Karin caught glance of Hitsugaya and went over to him, her face directly infront of his is in a flash. Despite her fuzzed head and lack of sensibility, somewhere in her conscious mind she retained the knowledge that she couldn't attack him because of the shock-collar still strapped securely to her neck.

"Karin…" He warned.

But she didn't care. Heaven knows she was far beyond that. She purred seductively and nuzzled her nose to his, licking her parched lips as she did so. "Tou-shir-o" She hummed out, raising her octaves higher and lower with each syllable.

"Kar-" But he was cut off as he suddenly found his mouth exceedingly occupied. Somewhere in the space of her saying his name and him starting hers, she has clasped her hands to both sides of his face and pressed her body against his, all including her lips.

He moved back to the wall, one hand pressed against it and the other on her waist, which before she had kissed him, was intended for pushing her back. Moving her mouth against his she fought to gain dominance and slid her tongue into his mouth, licking his lips as she did so. He kept his eyes open wide as Karin snaked one of her arms around his back, the other trailing upwards and tangling itself in his mess of hair.

Matsumoto gulped and blushed at Karin's force and Hitsugaya's pale-faced shock.

"And there goes my job."

O-x-x-x-x-O

And did anyone noticed I put them at the railing? THE railing.

Review! Review because it was x-mas! Review because it's almost new years! Review because my b-day was earlier this month! Review because you liked the chappie! Review for the sake of reviewing! All you have to do is chose one reason.