Just a coffee shop. One-shot.

Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

"I told you guys before that I'm not going to have any part in this," Karin grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. They sure could be persistent but what did she really expect from Rangiku and Yuzu when they wanted to host a party? "No. I mean it."

Rangiku sighed as she threw her arms around the younger girl's shoulders. "But you won't even have to do much, Karin-chan. You just have to keep him far, far away from here and Urahara's and Orihime's." A pout formed on her lips as her arms tightened around the girl. "Please? My captain needs some fun in his life. He's all work, work, work." Well, maybe it wasn't exactly true since their arrival in the human world, but Hitsugaya Toushirou was still definitely working far more than a normal sixteen year old should! Granted, he actually was over a century old, but that was beside the point.

Karin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, work, work, work, which means he stays away from those places anyway." As far as she knew, Toushirou wouldn't bother going to any place the shinigami boarded during their stay in the human world if not for the fact that he was responsible for them. Other than the few hours he spent at Inoue's sleeping and the few minutes at the Kurosaki household and Urahara shop checking on his subordinates, he tended to keep himself away from the rowdy lot.

"But we need to be sure," Yuzu cut in, grasping her twin's hand in both of hers. "We're all working so hard for the surprise. We don't want it ruined!"

"Except Matsumoto apparently plans a surprise party for him every year so really there's no point in trying to keep it a surprise," Karin pointed out matter-of-factly. Toushirou had warned her about his vice captain's tendencies for over dramatics.

"Ah, but Karin-chan, the surprise is not that there's going to be a party. It's what the party's theme will be! We change it up every year." Rangiku explained excitedly, lips forming a wide grin. "Like the last year we did this, we had a luau complete with the little umbrellas in the drinks and grass skirts!" The plan had been brilliant in theory but they really should have known wearing beach attire around a person that controlled the ice element had been a horrible idea. Frostbite in unforeseen areas had been enough incentive to never speak of the fiasco ever again, but neither of the twins really had to know about that. "Please, please, please! We just need you to keep the captain away until dinner time."

Eyeing the two with annoyance, Karin huffed. "Fine, fine," she begrudgingly agreed as she tugged on her jacket, "but I still don't see why you won't just tell him about it. Your life and mine would be so much easier." She rolled her eyes as they squealed with excitement and waved her off.

Toushirou eyed her warily as they started towards the park exit. A day of walking around town, playing soccer, and sitting at the railing had been enough to turn the Kurosaki girl into a popsicle but she refused to go home and put on another layer. He didn't have to ask why. "What's Matsumoto got planned this time?" He asked, resigned to his fate. If his vice-captain managed to get Karin to cave, he was positive he had no chance of escaping the celebrations. The Kurosaki girl would go to the ends of the earth to fulfill her commitments. Her pride wouldn't let her do otherwise. A trait he both admired and cursed because of its tendencies to land him in the oddest situations.

"Well, I really don't know," she replied with a careless shrug. "I told them I want no part in whatever it is they're planning and they said that was fine as long as I kept you busy and far, far away." She raised an eyebrow as he nonchalantly slid an arm over her shoulders and tugged her into his side. His teal gaze remained fixed on the path ahead. The faux passiveness was given away by the lightest tinge of pink on his cheeks. There was no doubt in her mind he would attribute it to the cold if she brought it up. Attempting (and failing) to bite back a smile, Karin leaned her head just a fraction towards him. "We should be allowed back in soon."

He sighed and wrapped the loose end of his scarf over hers. "Not soon enough, you're shivering," he pointed out with a shake of his head. She scrunched her face at him in annoyance. "I'm not fussing over you. Just stating the obvious." He flicked the tip of her nose gently, earning himself an elbow to the side. With an amused snicker, he took a quick survey of their surroundings. The constant trips to the human world and the last few weeks of his stay there made him familiar enough with Karakura town to know his way around. "Come on," he said as he led her quickly through the streets.

Karin stumbled along next to him for a few steps before catching her footing. "Slow down, Toushirou," she grumbled as she quickened her pace to keep up with his longer strides. The growth spurt he had within the few years had him almost half a foot taller than her. "Where the hell are we go-Oh, hell no." The sight of their destination had the girl digging her heels into the ground to stop the forward movement of the body next to hers but, alas, he was considerably stronger and it only succeeded in slowing him. "We are not going into that!" Revulsion contorted her features as the doorway loomed closer despite her attempts to keep her distance. The coffee shop was a common topic of conversation with the girls in her class the last few weeks. Apparently, it was a must-go destination for all couples.

"It's just a coffee shop, Karin. It'll be warm inside," he retorted with a roll of his eyes as he tugged her closer into him, momentarily causing the girl to cease her struggles.

"It is not just a coffee shop! It is the 'cutest, most adorable place ever where you can share drinks and sweets and it is so love-"

A surprisingly warm hand over her mouth cut off the frighteningly accurate imitation of the high-pitched squeals of the girls in her class. "Don't ever do that again," Toushirou warned with a barely suppressed look of distaste. "You've faced Hollows armed with nothing but a soccer ball and a group of boys nearly twice your size, you'll survive a café."

Acknowledging the losing battle, she begrudgingly allowed him to lead her through the door. Bells jingled above their head and she grimaced at the décor. Frills and lace and pink everywhere. "I can't believe you're making me come in here," she grumbled, jerking his scarf away from her. Toushirou barely managed to stop himself from being pulled forward at the move. She snickered at his glare. "Serves you right."

"Welcome! Please allow me to show you to your seats," an overly excited girl greeted with a bow. Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight of the pair, lingering a little longer than necessary on the white-haired male. "Will this be just for the two of you?"

"Yeah," Toushirou answered, sliding an arm around Karin's shoulders. His grip tightened when she attempted to shrug him off. He hadn't missed her brief glance at the door as if calculating a chance at an escape. "Don't," he warned under his breath. He didn't want to deal with chasing her down. His grip on her didn't loosen until they were seated at a table near the window and even then, he kept a light hold on her hand.

"I need my hand back," Karin grumbled as she attempted to tug it out of his grip. When he merely flipped his menu open, she scowled. "Toushirou, how am I supposed to decide what I want if you don't let go!" She huffed in annoyance as she repeatedly attempted (and failed) to make him let go.

Shutting his menu, he returned it to the waitress. "I'll have a cup of coffee, black, and she'll take a hot peppermint café mocha with extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup." The corner of his lips turned up in amusement at her look of shock. "No need to be so surprised, Karin. You order the same thing all the time. I'd be an idiot not to notice."

"Why do I have the oddest feeling that we're being watched?"

Toushirou took a small sip of his drink. "Because we are," he answered, gently brushing the tips of his fingers against hers. "Matsumoto, Hinamori, Kuchiki, Inoue-san, and Yuzu-san are hiding behind that car across the street." His grip tightened when he noticed her tense. "Quite inconspicuously." A wry smile formed on his lips at the sight of the five women attempting to crouch behind a sedan.

"How long have they been there?"

"Matsumoto and Yuzu-san got there first. The other three arrived shortly after. I'm assuming Matsumoto called them over." Despite his attempts to ignore it, he was not oblivious to his vice-captain's pitiful attempts at matchmaking and her supporters. Apparently, the most-discussed topic of the Shinigami Women's Association meetings was his supposed romance with Karin.

Karin frowned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"And be forced to leave and go to whatever it is Matsumoto has planned?" He barely held back a snort. "No, thank you." Whatever it was that his vice captain had planned, Hitsugaya Toushirou was positive that sitting in a frilly café was a preferable alternative.

"You do realize that you're just giving them more ammo against us, right?" As if that bunch really needed any more reasons to believe they were dating. Every little thing from meeting up to play soccer to borrowing something as insignificant as a pen would send them squealing about the cuteness of it all.

Toushirou shrugged indifferently. "It's not like they wouldn't have found something at the party," he pointed out. "Besides, this is Matsumoto and your sister. You know that the fact that they left you out of the planning means there's a surprise in there for you too. I'm saving us both the mortification and embarrassment."

The statement had the girl cursing into her drink. She really wouldn't put it past those two. Despite the innocent exterior, Yuzu was a devious puppeteer through and through. With a defeated sigh, Karin leaned towards him over the table. "And how do you propose to get out of this hellhole? It's been a while so you should have a plan of escape by now."

With a self-satisfied grin, Toushirou finished the rest of his coffee and signaled for the check.

Karin huffed as she tugged the scarf again. "Why exactly are we walking like this?" She grumbled, nearly stumbling when he pulled her closer again. What was with this guy and lack of consideration for personal space? As soon as they stepped out of the café, she'd found herself tangled with his scarf again and pressed against his side.

"One, to keep you warm and two, because we have an audience tailing us," he answered, snapping the rim of her beanie lightly against her temple. "They'll probably follow us regardless of where we go. Rukia is a master at kidou and Matsumoto is too familiar with my spirit energy. I could mask mine but your control over yours isn't enough to hide from them so there isn't any chance of hiding while they're determined to be on our tail." She scowled, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. Just because it was true he didn't have to say it. "So, either way they're going to attempt to get dirt on us. We might as well not put ourselves through whatever torture they had planned."

"You're just going to let them follow us the whole time?"

Toushirou scoffed, allowing the corner of his lips to tilt up slightly in amusement. "Of course not. There's one more uninvited guest I counted on showing up," he answered with a discreet glance behind them. "Do you really think your brother will let me get away with walking around with you like this?" At Karin's confusion, he tugged her closer. "And do you think your sister, Rukia, and Matsumoto will let him ruin their perfectly planned date night for us?"

"TOUSH—" As if on cue, Ichigo's voice boomed across the street before being promptly muffled.

Karin felt her jaw drop before she let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Devious, Toushirou, devious."

I started writing this around December in honor of Hitsugaya Toushirou's birthday but didn't actually get around to finishing it until now. Oops?

- Skye