A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I am enjoying writing this story so far. Yeah, I have put my other story on hold until inspiration comes. But now, let me have fun writing this story, m'kay? Review please!

CHAPTER TWO: A mistake

They walked slowly down the road. Laughter was ringing noisily in the corners of the houses. Karin turned to Toushiro, her face pink as she cracked another joke.

"What is something that is white and pink all over?" she asked. Toushiro stopped laughing and paused for a second.

"What?"

"You!" she burst out. It wasn't really funny, but Toushiro laughed. Toushiro blushed as he inched a little closer, waves of heat rolling from his pores. Karin gulped.

"Uhh." he said, sounding really dumb that he mentally slapped himself. He was really new with the whole 'liking someone' thing. And the fact that he was the one who said it first was a bit unstable.

"Yeah." she said. Sure, she was already experience with boys and stuff. But things were so perfect now that she couldn't understand anything. She couldn't even hear herself think as her palms sweated more.

Toushiro inched a few more, as their skin touched, Karin jumped away. He looked at her, puzzled and shocked.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, a little embarrassed as his voice cracked. Karin laughed nervously, a tone much different than it was a few seconds ago.

"No. No. It's just that… Things are going so fast." she said. Toushiro nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely."I don't know what fast is…"

Karin smiled at him and took his hand, placing it gently on hers, and then entwining it slowly. Toushiro blushed more.

"Don't apologize." she said.

"Thanks." he said. Karin grinned.

"No problem."

The scene played over and over in her brain. Sure, it was great to be with someone who seemed truly interested in her. But this was one of those things… The kind that end up badly. The kind that only happens in movies. It was exactly how they would picture it… A girl and a boy meet in a bar… But the boy leaves the next day… Until they find each other again.

It was stupid.

It was unrequited.

It was implausible.

It just wasn't happening.

She felt her body stiffen up. This was wrong. She shouldn't even be letting him sleep at her house.

"Toushiro?" she said to him. He turned to her, as she realized that his forehead was soaked with sweat. "I… Uhh… I don't think that… Never mind."

She stopped that thought. Nothing was going to go wrong. It wasn't like she was going to end up in love with him, after all. This was just a crush. A high school-ish crush.

"What is it?" he asked, ruffling his hair (making him look hotter) with his left hand.

"Never mind." she said firmly. Not wanting to ruin the mood. He shrugged it off.

Finally, they arrived at her house. It was a nice little house at the far corner of Karakura Park. She moved away from the Kurosaki house after college, but since her job didn't permit her to move somewhere far away, she decided to be nearer. She didn't like moving to big cities, anyway. Not like Ichigo, who moved to Tokyo five years ago. He was a doctor; therefore, the big city was a good choice.

Her dad stayed at the house. He liked being alone, though. Yuzu and Jinta were already in Nagasaki with a hut near the beach. Jinta worked as a model, and Yuzu was a TV producer.

Her house was in the light color of blue. It was simple, yet it suited her. The only girly thing about her house was the white lace curtains that were peaking by her windows.

"Nice house." said Toushiro, amused. Karin caught the amusement though.

"Hmm? I'm guessing a big time captain like you would find this house a dump." she said. Toushiro shook his head.

"No. Wrong answer. I like it… It reminds me of the sea." he said. Karin bit her lip. That was what she imagined the first time she bought it. The sea… How she missed it.

"Don't you have a sea in Soul Society?" she asked. Toushiro shook his head.

"We do have deserts, though."

Karin giggled, and then pulled his hands to the door.

"Are you sure that you want me to stay over? I mean, I can stay with Matsumoto. I'm sure I can sleep on the floor or something." he said. Matsumoto caught up with them a few minutes ago, and she found a nice cheap little motel for her to stay. It had small bed, though. That was when Karin decided to let him stay over at her place. She did have an impressive little guest room, though. Matsumoto was invited to stay over… But she just winked at them and waved them off. Karin knew what she was thinking, and she didn't like it at all.

"Yes. I mean, it would be my pleasure. I haven't had any sleepovers in years!" she said loudly. Toushiro smiled.

"Sleepovers?"

"Uh. You know, sleep over at my house and have some chocolate thing?"

Toushiro 'ahhed' and his eyes widened as Karin opened the door with a loud click. She didn't lock her doors. But he imagined there wasn't really anything to be afraid of in such a small, peaceful town. Minus all the hollows and dramatic fights.

The inside of her house was something different. It was a mess.

"Try not to trip over the glass, will you? I dropped a vase a few days ago here… But I'm too busy to clean it up." she muttered. Toushiro chuckled while shaking his head.

"Want me to help you clean this place up?" he asked. Karin grinned.

"No thanks. I think I can handle this myself… Uh, why don't you make yourself at home?" she asked, feeling slightly dizzy as he let go of her hands. It finally set in. Toushiro put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm good at cleaning, myself. And I don't think I can trust you with a broom." he joked. Karin grimaced mockingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't realize I was insulting you… Taicho-chan!" she said sarcastically. Toushiro rolled his eyes.

"Just let me help you clean, okay? I can't sleep in a house that's messy, anyway." he said. Not true. Toushiro spent half of his time in Inoue Orihime's house making mess. Matsumoto just felt sorry for her, so she cleaned up his mess.

"Fine." said Karin, defeated and pleased at the same time. She was very happy, in fact, that Toushiro was showing no signs of stopping their very 'now' relationship.

"Okay," said Toushiro, picking up a pink coat lying on the floor. He shook his head. "How this got here… I will never ask."

Karin giggled as she ran to the washroom to get a clothes basket. Then she paused on the door in shock. It was a mess. There were more clothes scattered on the floor. Not to mention the underwear that was seeping out of the trashcan. Why was it in the trashcan?! Her beauty items and makeup were on top of her vanity, which was just indecent to look at. She looked at herself on the mirror and gasped.

"Oh my God." she muttered, close to tears.

Well, not really. Her makeup was smudged all over. Her mascara was dripping out from her lashes, which made her look like a Goth chick. Her hair, well, looked like a cat. And her dress was dirty from all the mud.

"Crap. Bull." she growled at herself as she struggled to clean up her dirty makeup. She started wondering at how Toushiro never mentioned her messy makeup. After all, he was practically staring at her the whole night, it was annoying.

"Karin?" he called out. Speak of the devil.

"What?" she cried. Locking the door in the process. There was no way he was going to see her looking like this… Even if he probably didn't care much.

"I'm done cleaning up your living room. Mind if I get myself cleaned up too?" he asked. Karin gaped at the door.

"That was quick." she said. She heard Toushiro laugh hard.

"Yeah, it was easy. The only thing that was scattered around was either something that had to be washed or thrown away. Really, Karin. It wasn't that hard." he said, sounding amused.

"Ha. Ha. Well, thank you." said Karin, dumping the dirty cotton ball. There was a short silence, until Toushiro knocked at the door interrupting her thoughts.

"Can I get myself cleaned now?" he asked, sounding silly asking permission. Karin nodded, realizing he can't see her.

"Sure." she mumbled.

He shuffled away, and Karin slipped out of her red dress, into a nice white terry clothed towel. Her face seemed clean enough as she got into the shower and washed away all the traces of intoxication from her body. The quiet trickle of water from her legs sounded with her heart. The beat of it was making her dizzy.

She started singing. It was My Immortal. Sickly sweet, yet it was her favorite.

"I'm so tired of being here suppressed by all my childish fears and if you have to leave I wish that you would just leave cause your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone…"

In the next room, Toushiro was sitting on the bed looking around, spotting the old rag doll that Karin place on the table to make it look more homey. When she first went there, it was weird looking since it looked and smelled like no one has slept there in years. Anyway, the real reason was that she didn't know where to hide it (having no attic). And yeah, it kind of freaked her out.

"These wounds won't seem to heal this pain is just too real there's just too much that time cannot erase…"

He took it to his hands and placed a long finger in the doll's blonde hair. The big blue eyes stared back at him, as if of a person who was shocked. It's eye lashes framed the doll's face… It was a perfect looking doll... Something that he didn't want.

"When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears and I held your hand through all of these years but you still have all of me…"

Why would he want a perfect person? He himself was not perfect… Even if he appeared to be a man who was cold, dark and uncaring, he does have a heart. He has loved someone before… He lost someone before… He cried for someone before… He didn't want to admit it… But he hurts.

"These wounds won't seem to heal this pain is just too real there's just too much that time cannot erase…"

Karin turned off the shower and sighed heavily to herself. She took the same towel from a while ago and dried herself. She looked again in the mirror and smiled. At least, she looked decent. She shrugged off the towel and slid into her night gown. She blushed. It was a little too revealing for Toushiro, she guessed.

"God, where is that stupid robe?" she asked herself looking into her cabinet.

There were a lot of things in her messy dresser. A lot of underwear, some t-shirts that she uses every day, her trusty pair of Levi's. And some night clothes that she accumulated in such speed that fast few days that it scared her. She probably has to ask Yuzu to open the credit card bills for her next time.

"HAH!" she exclaimed. The robe was there, bright pink, but none the less something to hide her junk. Not that she had anything, to be honest.

Then, like magic, someone knocked on her door.

"Who is it?" she asked musically, and slapped herself inwardly. Who the hell else?

"Karin? I kind of heard you shout, and I don't know… Are you okay?" he asked, sounding concerned. Karin hurriedly put on the pink robe and opened the door.

Toushiro was standing there, leaning on the wall. Karin grinned at him through her frame of wet, black hair. He grinned at her, relieved.

"Sorry about that… I kind of well… Found something important." she muttered, embarrassed. Toushiro chuckled.

"Hmm… Well, can I come in?" he asked, looking through her shoulder. Karin blushed.

"You mean… In my room?" she asked her eyes wider than tennis balls.

"Oh, I'm sorry… Is that okay with you? I kind if can't sleep yet." he said sheepishly.

Karin frantically scanned her brain for any mess that she remembered. Yeah, underwear. Everywhere.

"Hey! If that's what you want, why don't we hang out in the living room? I can make some snacks… S'mores." said Karin, not wanting him to see more mess than he should.

"S'mores?" he asked skeptically. Karin giggled and grabbed hold of his arms.

"Oh boy, looks like I have to explain to you about it… Come on." she said. Toushiro loosened his imaginary tie and nodded stiffly eyeing her hand on his arms. She didn't seem to notice the electric current that can supply a whole building… Or maybe the Eiffel Tower.

"Okay." he said, clearly nervous. Karin let go of his arms reluctantly as she sensed the stiffness of the shoulders.

She led the way and was aware that he was staring at her body. Probably wondering what was beneath the layer of pink fabric.

Finally, after the seemingly long hallway, they were in her kitchen. It was cold there, and she noticed the open window. She probably forgot to shut it close or something. She shut it and turned to see Toushiro looking curiously around.

"Nice kitchen… It's very nostalgic." he said. Karin laughed.

"I was told," she said, still laughing at his face. "That I have a good sense of the kitchen too."

"Oh? What do you know how to make?" he asked. Karin winked.

"Well, I can make anything… But I am most known for my legendary S'mores." she said. Toushiro raised an eyebrow, and she sighed.

Karin rummaged in the cabinets and pulled out a large bag of white marshmallows.

"This is marshmallows. You cannot make S'mores without this, really." she said, admiring the bag. It was really cheap though.

"Oh? Can I see?" he asked. Karin threw him the bag roughly, but he caught it without blinking or noticing that Karin made an effort to throw it at all.

Then she turned to the refrigerator and brought out some graham crackers and chocolate.

"Now, these," she said, putting the stuff on the kitchen counter."Are the grahams and chocolate."

"Wow." he said, making Karin crack up.

"I see you don't have this stuff over at Soul Society." she said, amused.

Toushiro nodded while examining the chocolate.

"Yes. If we did, I would know about this 'Swores'." he said.

"S'mores." she corrected. Toushiro shook it off and watched as Karin placed a nice microwavable container in front of him.

"It's easy. But sometimes it can get messy." she said as she placed two crackers on the container while breaking the chocolate bars into two. She placed it on the crackers and piled half of the marshmallows on the chocolate.

"I see. Well, this is really interesting." he said. Karin nodded.

"So now, that was it. But we have to wait for this after five minutes." said Karin, putting the S'mores into the microwave.

Toushiro stared at it for a few seconds and Karin cleared her throat.

"We should uh, go wait in the living room." she said. Toushiro nodded and watched her back once more.

When they sat on the couches and cleared the last pieces of dust from their clothes, there was silence.

Toushiro was the first to break it.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked. Karin breathed in. Is it a secret?

"Sure." she said, trying to compose herself. He looked away.

"I-I like you, Karin. But I don't think this will work out." he said. Karin tilted her head to the side, a little hurt and disappointed.

"I like you too… But you didn't have to say that. I knew already." she said, and then she added, "You are leaving tomorrow… But I can't leave with you, obviously."

"I know. I just wish that I didn't have to leave so early." he muttered. Karin blushed.

"Then why don't you stay?" she asked foolishly. Her skin almost jumped from her body when he threw her a piercing, deep eyed stare.

"I want to. But I can't." he said feebly, still staring at her with such passion that she melted.

"Toushiro?" she asked after a second of silence. His eyes softened.

"Yeah?"

"If you didn't have to leave… Would it have worked out?" she asked, her lips quivering. Toushiro grinned at her.

"Yeah, it would've." he said. Then he leaned to her and kissed her on the cheeks, making her turn tomato red.

She turned her head in time to catch his leaving lips and she smiled at herself as she felt response from his side.

He groaned in her mouth as she slid her hands down to his abdomen. He mustered the courage to slip in his tongue, something that he has never done in his whole life before.

Karin clutched his shirt to hers and Toushiro bent his head and started kissing her neck. Karin suddenly gasped as she felt his lips on her neck. It was surprising that his cold mouth placed more electricity in her than before.

Toushiro chuckled on her skin and slowly pulled her bathrobe down… Karin responded by claiming her lips with his own again.

Then, a loud alarm tinkled in the kitchen and she withdrew away.

"The S'mores!" she cried, pulling away. Toushiro was shocked. Karin looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Toushiro shook his head.

"Don't be… Go on, I really want to taste your S'mores." he said with a tight, forced grin. Karin faked grinned back and ran to the kitchen to get the S'mores.

Shit. That was…

She put on the protective mitt and took out the container. Looking at it with disdain. If only she didn't make it.

She sighed and placed it on a plate. It looked delicious as usual, but she didn't want it. As much as stupid should go, she knew that close was… Close.

"Toushiro? Here it is!" she went in the living room, hoping that her voice sounded clear and that she wasn't sweating or blushing at all. He was sitting on the couch, the same bewildered expression from a while ago that she got after she ran out to get the S'mores. He looked at her, adjusting his features like an expert would.

He stared at the plate before him and studied the plate carefully.

"Wow. Carefully structured and fully edible. That is quite a creation, Karin." he said. Karin blushed.

"Thanks."

God, he changes expressions really fast. The hell?! Does he make out with every girl he sees?

"Can I?"

"Sure."

He picked up a cut up piece and placed it in his mouth, dribbles of melted chocolate on his fingers.

"That's really good." he praised her, staring into her eyes once again. Karin felt like licking his fingers.

"Thanks." she repeated. He smiled at her as he took another piece. She probably looked stupid since he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why don't you take one too?" he asked. His lip had some chocolate in it, and she gulped and obeyed.

The melted S'mores was delicious, but again, her mind was only on his mouth. The mouth that was covered in chocolate. Probably a lot more delicious than it was a few minutes ago.

"You have a uhh…" she said, pointing on her mouth. He wiped the wrong side. And she sighed.

Ok… Why? This looks like one of those crappy teen movies? WHY!?

She took a napkin from the table and wiped of the chocolate at the side of his mouth. He looked like he was about to explode.

"Thanks." he muttered.

"You're welcome." she muttered back.

"So… Are we going to clean up?" he asked, for the sake of it.

"Yeah." she said in a controlled voice.

She stood up with the plate and almost tripped over the stray wire. Toushiro let out a laugh.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he appeared next to her, grabbing the plate. She nodded and laughed too.

"I should probably get this. You seem incapable." he said teasingly. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Alright. I'll fix up here." she said.

It seemed like a whole hour before he dropped next to her on the couch again. This time, Karin just couldn't help it.

"About a while ago…" she started. He cut her off with a smile.

"I know. It was amazing… But…"

"But what?"

"But… But the S'mores cut us off, didn't it?" he asked, amused that a simple treat could ruin something that huge. It's like saying 'S'mores aren't as innocent as they look'.

"Yeah, damn it." she muttered. Toushiro laughed. Karin laughed.

"So…"

"So…"

"I guess it's time to get sleeping, huh?" asked Karin, sounding like a hooker. She blushed.

"Yeah. I guess so too." he said.

"So…"

"So…"

"Can I walk you to your room?" he asked. Karin smiled gratefully. She didn't really want to let him leave her just yet.

"Yeah. I'd love that." she said a little too quickly.

He took her hand and placed it on his arms, like it was when Karin did it. They walked in silence.

Finally, the room was in sight. And it wasn't fair. It was like time went by too fast for them both. She let go of him and looked in his blue-green eyes. And he looked into her black ones.

"I might not be here when you wake up." he said. Karin frowned at him.

"Oh." she said. No questions.

"Yeah."

"Well, good night." she said, looking away and putting a hand on the door knob.

"Good night. Uh, Karin?" he asked loudly. That made her whip back to him.

"Yeah?"

Then he took her face and kissed her. Karin relished the last remaining feelings of his lips and reached for his body. But he was already there… So close to hers that it was almost like fire. She gasped again as his lips slammed to her neck none to gently. Karin groaned as his every bit seemed to be searching for something, but not knowing what.

"T-Toushi…Ro…" she gasped out. He growled on her neck and he grasped her body closer. She felt his teeth on her nightgown and she realized that her robe was already on the floor.

"Karin." He stopped at the sight of her fingers on his buttons. She stared at him, helpless, hopeful, and afraid.

"What?" she asked surprised that she sounded so… Weak against him.

"Are you ready? I can stop… If you want." he said. He looked like fire was in him, and even if she asked him to stop, it would probably cause him so much internal pain…

"Yes." That was all she said, and Toushiro kicked open the door, pushed Karin slowly to the bed and tore off her nightgown.

She groaned as he started digging in her mouth, like treasure was just nowhere to be found.

"God." he gasped. And his strong fingers pulled on her panty. She giggled. He ignored it.

Karin started unbuttoning Toushiro, but this proved a little too slow for him as he swatted away her hands and tore the pajamas off himself.

"Karin, I can stop…" he said on her belly's skin. Karin's eyes flashed in anger.

"Don't." she ordered.

And he obeyed… Loud and clear.

A/N: Okay, so technically, they have sex, right? But since I am the kind of person who does not put lemon in her fics, I decided to cut it off. Did you like it? Was it too weird? Was it just boring? I would love to hear from you… And I want to know if the story is worth continuing… Review!