AN: Totally should be studying and working on Go Against the Grain and The Plan... but I'm not. :) This story has been bothering me for a week so to finally get myself out of this little rut I wrote it so it'd go away. I hope you guys enjoy it~

Inspired by Akai Michi (Red Road), a shoujo manga that I read ages ago and loved. It's a one-shot that is rather serious but romantic and with a slight twist at the end. Because I stumbled upon it again, I decided to redo the story for HitsuKarin but with my own flare to it (one day, I will definitely write something other than this pairing, I swear... -_-;;). Enjoy!

Summary: [TWO-SHOT] The legend goes that a red string connects a person to their soul mate. So when Karin wakes up one day and can see her own, she finds a man named Hitsugaya Toushirou on the other end. Neither of them is too thrilled. HitsuKarin; some IchiRuki.

Divided

When she wakes up that morning, Kurosaki Karin doesn't feel any different. And she shouldn't, not really at least. After all, it's the same body she had yesterday: four limbs, a torso and a head that she thinks is a tad too big for her thin frame. Her hair is still jet black, her eyes dark gray and with features that look like a cross between her sister's overt prettiness and her brother's angled lines.

But today's not at all like the others. She finds that today is a day for destiny.

As she combs her fingers through her tangled locks, she stifles a yawn behind her hand, stretching lazily as she does so. It's only two months into school but she feels as if her junior year has been going on for centuries. However, that thought is interrupted when her arm falls to the side, her attention caught by the slightest glint of crimson.

There, on her smallest finger of her left hand, is a knotted bow. Reaching out to feel for it, she notes that it's thin but durable, crafted by someone—or something—who is well versed in the art of reducing strength to such a tiny piece as this. But even though she can see it, feel it between her fingers as she tugs to see if there's something on the other end, Karin has no idea what it means.

Perhaps it's her family playing a trick on her, she thinks logically, nodding when satisfied with the idea. Even now, her home situation wasn't what one would likely call typical, especially with an overly involved and hyperactive father and a spirited twin sister who sometimes felt more like the disciplinary in their house.

In fact, the only other sane member of their household was off to college, a university in Tokyo where he received a full-ride on a soccer scholarship. (Karin knows that she's pretty much modeled herself after Ichi-nii, but with him being the closest thing to normal in their house, who can really blame her?) And, on a separate but parallel plane, there was Kurosaki Masaki, their mother who had been stolen away ten years ago in a hit-and-run. But even though the traffic accident has long since been settled, Karin acknowledges that they're all still a bit broken, feeling out for that unconditional love only she could give and grieving not for once-was but what-will-never-be.

Shaking away the unusually morbid thought, she's dressed and ready for school twenty minutes later, hair falling down her shoulders as she greets Goat Chin and Yuzu in that usual monotone of hers. Waiting for them to say something about the little prank, she gets halfway through breakfast before her patience wears thin. So she does what she always does in these kinds of circumstances. She opens her mouth and just speaks.

"So, whose idea was this?" Karin asks, holding up her hand to show off the pretty but useless string. Both of them eye her hand, squint in inspection and tilt their heads to the side, all perfectly on cue. The muscle beneath her eyebrow twitches conspicuously at the synchronism.

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with your hand?" Yuzu replies in turn. The confusion on her face isn't dramatized like it usually is when she's lying nor is she grinning in a secretive way that overtakes her intended poker face. Either she's telling the truth or Yuzu has become a grade-A actress overnight. Karin is very sure it's not the latter.

Their father doesn't say anything, only stares a little at her hand as if trying to comprehend something. But then he's shrugging his shoulders and going back to his meal, acting like Karin had never asked a thing in the first place. To say she's surprised is a bit of an understatement but there's little else she can do or say without sounding psychotic. As she tangles her fingers in the thread, Karin keeps her mouth shut as she finishes her food and goes to school.

It's only one month until summer vacation so Karin uses her spare time to find out about the phenomenon that was currently looped around her pinky. When she asks a few of her guy friends about it, they shrug uninterestedly, saying it sounded like something from a shoujo manga or J-pop idol song. And when she asks a few of her girl classmates, they titter about how romantic the notion is, everlasting love and a number of other things Karin is more than a little confused about (and finds them only mildly related to what she wants to know).

So a week later, she's in the library searching for the origins of her sanguine friend, still ever present and now almost normal to her. After finding a dusty, old book on Asian folklore, her eyes scan the table of contents as she spies the title 'Red String of Destiny.' Flipping to page 173, her eyes take in the chapter's black and white cover of two hands connected by twirls and whirls of a single line.

It reads:

With similar tales found throughout Asia, the red string of destiny has come to symbolize an unending bond created by God's (or gods', if one prefers) will. This bond is brought into physical form by a red string tying two people together, usually along one's hand, indicating that the two are inseparable beings who were meant to meet and never part.

The thread itself is unseen by the naked eye and one string never has more than two wearers. While it may be stretched and tangled and is considered limitless in length, the crimson tie can never be broken or torn apart by physical strength, time or space. Most commonly it has come to symbolize everlasting love—and is oftentimes equated to the western hemisphere's idea of 'soul mates'—but the meaning has also been used ambiguously to include both ardent enemies and enduring friendships.

As she finishes the short passage, Karin can't help but wonder about the kind of person she's waiting for.

It's summer break when her brother comes home, all gruff hellos and few unnecessary words. But it's not what he says that matters but the fact that he's there. Because regardless if he notices, everyone in the Kurosaki house is in a better mood when Ichigo is around, with Yuzu humming while she's cooking a late lunch, their father somewhat behaving (albeit, reluctantly so) while Karin looks more peaceful than usual. During the meal, Yuzu asks what Ichigo intends to do today and if he'll be back for dinner that night, her adoring eyes solely on her big brother.

"Some of my friends are staying with Chad and Inoue so a lot of us are here in Karakura. We'll probably show them around, I guess," he replies with a shrug, not meeting her gaze as he grabs another piece of meat.

"Oh… Will we get to meet them?" Yuzu replies excitedly, eyes lighting up at the idea of meeting his college friends for the first time after all these years. He just shrugs again, which has her puffing out one cheek as she pouts, annoyed at him. When he looks up, Ichigo's stare trails to Karin for a second before falling to her hand with bemusement.

"What is that?" He gestures rudely with his chopsticks.

"Huh?" is her unintelligible reply, mouth full of rice as she raises her brows.

"That thing on your finger," Ichigo pushes further, glaring at it with full strength. Something in the back of Karin's mind clicks, as she watches him inspect the yarn-like fiber.

"You've seen one before." It's not a question, nor does she expect an answer, but the way his light brown eyes flash tell her more than she expected. Not only has he seen one, Karin is sure Ichi-nii won't divulge a thing about that bit of information, intent on keeping it his secret for the time being. Inwardly, her instincts don't take kindly to being kept in the dark.

"What're you talking about, Onii-chan?" Yuzu breaks in, scanning her twin in a matter of seconds but finding nothing amiss. She's wearing her normal T-shirt and jean shorts, something comfortable just in case she has to step out but good enough to lounge around the house in.

"It's nothing, Yuzu. Karin's just looking a little different." Ichigo side steps her inquiry as he pushes his chair out, saying that he's due to meet his friends soon. As he's shuffling over to leave, the youngest yelling about him not giving her a good answer, Karin follows his form with a glance before feeling another set of eyes on her.

Out of the corner of her gaze, she sees Kurosaki Isshin trail his eyes over the exact same place Ichigo's did a moment ago, his mouth tightening a little as he settles on her littlest finger. The look makes her self-conscious, as she crushes her hand into a fist and hides it in her lap, frowning up at him as if to say that he should mind his own business.

Subdued but understanding, the family patriarch shoots her a bright smile but with none of the flowery or excited words that usually come out of him. And even though she all but demands that he ignore what he's finally chosen see, Karin sort of wishes he'd break his silence and tell her what he knows. But Karin understands that he won't say a thing no matter how much she wants him to, so she doesn't ask him to. Because even she acknowledges that she's not quite ready to hear what he has to say about the wine-colored line that holds far too many secrets.

When Ichigo returns after dinner, Yuzu's doing dishes and Karin is cleaning the living room as she watches a soccer match (a habit that she hasn't outgrown and somehow doubts she ever will). In tow, there's a fairly large group of people, a few she recognizes as his high school pals—specifically Ishida, Inoue and Chad—as well as a group of new ones.

Surprisingly, Karin finds that Ichigo is rather apt at making friends, as she takes in a smaller-than-small girl with hair as dark as night, a redhead with locks even longer than hers, a pretty boy who was more than a little feminine, a rowdy man that hates being called bald and a beautiful busty blonde who looks distinctly older than the rest. Examining each of them with a critical eye, Karin says hello politely but little else, before moving into the kitchen to throw away whatever she's swept up. As she does, the newcomers take residence on the couch and extra seats but don't change the channel, the boys' attention caught by the second quarter final.

Although she's invited to sit and watch, Karin declines and says she can see fine from the kitchen, which is a lie but she doesn't want to intrude. She's never been the social butterfly her sister is nor does she inspire the kind of loyalty her brother seems to. She doesn't mind sitting and listening to their cheers and foul calls, grinning a little as she sips a cup of tea Yuzu was kind enough to leave her. It's strange how their usually quiet house comes to life whenever Ichigo comes back, as if he's the epicenter of their home. But she wouldn't trade one moment of it for any kind of clarity, Karin thinks honestly, as she walks over to the stove to pour herself another glass. But then Ichi-nii's voice breaks her out of her quiet mindset and her balance in completely overthrown.

"Oi, Toushirou, what took you so long? Get lost?"

"No, and it's Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki."

Nearly dropping the hot pot when her left hand loses control for a moment, Karin has to will herself from snapping her head in the direction of the living room. Taking a soothing breath, she steadies herself while she places both her cup and the kettle on the counter, noticing first the tightening and then loosening of the strand wrapped around her. This is the first time it has ever felt so tangible, thick and heavy in a way that makes her want to pull at it like she did the first day it appeared on her left hand.

Instead Karin takes it slow and tries to play it cool, letting her stare follow the red tether as it fell gracefully to the floor, winding and spinning a few times with a knot or two in the middle, before she finds the missing end. It's wrapped around the masculine hand of this so-called Hitsugaya, who's arguing one-sidedly with her older brother.

With his back to her, Karin can make out wide-set shoulders, height that sits above average but not quite what one would call tall, hair the color of freshly fallen snow and a scarlet loop around his smallest digit, identical to hers. On the outside she does her best to look calm, bored even, but inside she's nothing if not confused and maybe a little anxious.

"Karin-chan, are you feeling okay?" Orihime's voice breaks her out of her reverie, eyes snapping to the orange-haired girl. Hearing the question, everyone turns to her, a mix of concern and curiosity on their faces.

But what really gets her are those eyes, a green that painters try to imitate and a hue that even emeralds are jealous of. There's a hard certainty in them, wary as if he's experienced much more than he lets on, and somehow Karin is impressed by their strength. There's just something about him that makes her think of a tundra that refuses to melt even under the strongest of fires, fearless against the world, but would easily fall apart for a selectively chosen few. However, while Karin can admit that the admiration for him is there, perhaps even a little attraction if she gives herself that much leeway, there's nothing but a blank canvas before them, one she's not sure will ever be filled.

As she meets his stare after an introspective second, Karin notices how Toushirou's eyes don't go to their connection, the one that screams out to her as it tangles itself along the wooden floor. In that moment, she wonders if she can be the kind of girl that sits idly to see where this whole journey takes her. Because, while fate may speak for them implicitly, Karin's never been the type to go along with whatever the universe said so.

Or, at least, not without a challenge of her own.

Looking up from her magazine, Karin is only mildly surprised to see Hitsugaya entering the living room, coming downstairs after their group situates themselves in Ichi-nii's room (though how they all fit is a mystery she's not certain she wants to understand). As she reclines on the couch, one eye watches him from over the edge of the paper, keeping a straight face all the same. During the last few days, she's realized a few things about the thread between them and a part of her wonders if he can tell too.

For one thing, it does just as it says in the book; it lengthens and shortens whenever it needs to, it may get kinked throughout the day but it never, ever falls off no matter how much force is applied to it. But, Karin also learns that it's quite sensitive to distance, going very slack once they're within range of each other and solidifying in response. But whenever they're too distant, the knot around her finger feels almost nonexistent while the tension grows tight, as if it'll snap any moment. The observations have become some kind of game for her, but she's not quite sure what sort of end she's playing for.

Once he spots her, Toushirou speaks first in a no-nonsense manner. "I have a girlfriend."

A pause. "Congratulations." She looks back down at her reading and makes a mental note that he's only been pretending to not see their link, though she supposes she understands why now. Dating someone who wasn't your 'soul mate'? Probably doesn't bode well for whatever future they're planning.

When he doesn't leave the room or say anything further, Karin merely turns the page of her reading, refusing to look up at him as she ponders whether or not she should get a new pair of soccer cleats. "What, do you want a prize or something?"

"I want you to know that this… thing doesn't matter to me," he replies, voice tight between being put off by a newly turned seventeen-year-old and holding in his indignation over the shared piece of destiny tying them together.

Nodding absentmindedly, she shrugs one shoulder nonchalantly. "That's fine. It's your prerogative, right?" Karin says in return, as she meets his haughty gaze with a quiet but understanding one. Sometimes divine providence was a wonderfully quixotic thing, and other times it was a merely a man's cruel mistress.

When people met their destined match in movies, it seemed that the world did its best to make sure the two ended up together, as if written in the stars or approved by Cupid himself. But for Karin and Toushirou, it feels as if they've stumbled upon each other and now they have no choice but to stay that way. No room for courtship or heartrending trials, it was almost like the forces-that-be were too lazy to help them build something more than this farce of a beginning, and neither of them wanted to try and work out a relationship that had already been forsaken by higher powers.

"You're… not gonna try and force this?" he asks quietly, a slight tinge of confusion mixed with audible relief in his tone.

"Why would I chase a guy who doesn't want me? Do I look like a masochist?" she snorts, unladylike and stubborn, very much defining a girl who was disobedient to a fault. While she's grateful that she's finally met her enigmatic partner, Karin isn't going to rush what-is into what's-supposedly-meant-to-be.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hitsugaya concedes, looking more relaxed at her answer but no less on guard or unsure. It's because he doesn't trust her and she doesn't blame him one bit. After all, this guy doesn't know her and, likewise, Karin doesn't feel much more for him other than plain amusement at his discomfort, but even that's a fleeting sort of glee that won't amount to much in a few minutes. Destiny or not, Karin has always found that people put too much stock in something as trivial as love and divine intervention, two things that they both are intended to share but want nothing to do with.

In the back of her mind, Karin can't help but wonder if the two of them have got it all wrong. Maybe they're meant to be great friends or worst enemies and not the star-crossed lovers who get a chance at a happy but realistic ending. Because there's nothing keeping them here except this intangible union, one that neither wants to accept as the one and only truth. And she's sure that if they were both honest with each other, they would say none of this makes sense in the slightest because it goes against any sort of cognitive appraisal, common sense included. But all Karin knows is that she wants to be happy someday, and believing in something as nonsensical as the supernatural didn't seem like the right way to achieve that wayward goal.

Contrary to (her) popular belief, Fate is alive and kicking.

It has to be or Karin is just really bad at finding places that aren't already occupied by Hitsugaya Toushirou. With him (and the rest of Ichigo's friends) staying in Karakura until the end of the month, it should've been easy to avoid him. The large downtown area is both big and busy enough to keep a few out-of-towners occupied but the burrows of the city were better known to its natives. If she chose those spots, Karin was sure that they wouldn't cross paths, even if they were within thirty feet of each other.

But she overlooks one important fact: her brother knows this city like the back of his hand. So wherever her usual hang outs are she's fairly certain to run into the large group as well, doing her best to keep her head down and sneak out the front door before anyone notices or exit before anyone's realized that she was going to enter. Most of the time it works, since Karin is on the defensive and exactly on point in her maneuvering. She's become rather good at wiggling her way past them in small shops or into the safety of the crowds when she spots them on the street. However, her sneaking isn't perfect, not by a long shot, because there is always a pair of eyes on her as she makes her getaway, the dark jade hue chasing her until she's out of sight.

Karin wants to tell him she really isn't trying to find him, and she knows for a fact that Hitsugaya's only being dragged around on everyone else's whims. There are no expectations between them to fill the preordained contract and yet the feeling gnawing inside her stomach has worry shifting through her veins. She's learned that it's one thing to deny and pretend something doesn't exist, but it's another thing entirely when one actively tries to tempt Fate as she has so blatantly been doing. So when Hitsugaya seeks her out again, she's not surprised that he finds her on a grassy field in the park, her special thinking place that she's shared with no one… until now, that is.

"Hey." Looking up, Karin sees Toushirou with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking somewhat uncomfortable about intruding.

"Hey," she answers back, giving him a soft look before moving to the side a bit to let him take a seat. It's an absurd thing to do since they have the entire expanse of grass to themselves but lately it feels like no matter how far they are, they are still so ridiculously close. They've quickly come to terms with the fact that all of this insanity is completely out of their hands and somehow Karin's never felt so powerless before.

"You've been avoiding us." Me is what he means to say but doesn't because it's much too personal and they're anything but friends, much less lovers.

"Not particularly," she lies easily, but the way his eyes darken tell her that he's not stupid enough to believe her. The glare almost makes her smile. "Look, things are weird as is. I just don't wanna make it worse."

"Then you're being counterproductive, in case you haven't noticed," he sighs, leaning back on his haunches to look up at the reddening sky. Him and his friends have been in Karakura Town for two weeks, but somehow it feels a lifetime for the both of them and it's all because of their equal avoidance of each other and the unspoken taboo tied to their hands.

A heartfelt sigh is let out, hitting the humid air. "Believe me, I know. But it's either that or hang out with you guys and honestly I really don't wanna do the second."

"Just… be normal." It's easy to say the words, but what exactly is normal when it comes to them? Their future literally and figuratively hangs in their hands. Even now, this affinity for the other is too strong for them to break out of and it shows; because no matter how far apart they are, no matter how much distance they purposely try to keep between them, Toushirou and Karin can't help but find each other at the end of the day.

Turning her head away so she doesn't have to look at him, Karin frowns deeply. "Yeah? Define 'normal' for me again 'cause I'm pretty sure we're past the point of no return," she grunts unsympathetically, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"If I knew, I'd tell you but right now, there are no clear answers. Whatever this is, is so much bigger than us," Toushirou explains dully, feeling just as helpless as the teenager beside him. In his lifetime, he's never battled anything more than a few school bullies, and even that had been when he was a child. However, defying otherworldly guardians seemed like a task better fit for a movie or drama, not human reality and certainly not his own life.

As they sit there a little longer, neither offers a word of comfort or much-needed wisdom, too used to holding in their emotions rather than letting them loose. They've still got a long way to go if they ever plan to overcome this hurdle and neither is sure that they even want to, would much rather run in opposite directions than face this problem head-on. But life has a funny way of turning things around, as their strand of fate sits happily between them, glittering red as it lays in the grass, looking more complete than it ever has before.

AN: Alright, done! Now, if anyone wants that second part in a timely manner, please drop me a line and say so. I kinda need the encouragement because I only have two weeks until real classes start so I'm incredibly lazy to do anything at the moment. Haha. I will update my other works as soon as I can, but this will probably be finished before I get to the other two.

Thanks for reading, everyone! :)