A little oneshot for the End of Summer contest in the HitsugayaKarin club on dA. Hope you enjoy!

Toushiro sprinted towards the goal, his eyes wary of the black haired girl trailing him, waiting for her moment to strike. He upped his speed and noticed with annoyance that she could keep up with it too. Lending all his focus to the goal ahead, he didn't notice her come up along side him and wanted to slap himself with annoyance when the ball literally disappeared from beneath him feet. Turning and sprinting as quickly as his gigai allowed, he watched in horror as his opponent continually increased the gap between them.

Suddenly though, he noticed she started to slow. Putting it down to cramp or the such, he tore after her with a wicked grin. It was only when he'd caught up to her and noticed she'd stopped moving completely that the concern started to seep in, "Karin?"

She turned her face away from him. He stepped straight in front of her.

"Karin, are you okay?"

The sight pulled at his heart, once iced over and now warm around her. Her head was bowed, long hair falling forward to hide her face and mask her expression. She'd wrapped her arm around herself, like she was holding herself together, and her shoulders were shaking. Her reaction to him leaving had been getting gradually stronger with each visit, just like his feeling towards her. He should have stopped this so long ago but once he'd felt the warmth of her affection, the cold seemed so harsh. Ignoring reason, as he had for years now, he drew her into him arms, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"We were even, you could have won silly," he muttered, trying to distract from the point at hand and succeeded in a dry chuckle.

"I win every time; I think I can afford to let us draw for once." Her voice was quiet as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer, crushing her to him like he would never let her go.

Yet he had no choice.

They never said goodbye when these moments came, it sounded too final, like something might happen to him and he may not come back, or she could die like any other frail human or even lose her soul to a hollow and they would be parted for good. Goodbye sounded too much like reality. And reality hurt.

Karin had already suffered enough in her life. A part of Toushiro berated himself that he put here through this but what's done is done. He could only do his best to make her happy now.

Slowly, he peeled her back from him, and cupping her chin in his hand he drew her face to look at his. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He knew she felt the same and he knew that she understood him too, but he wanted to tell he still. Banish the doubts that he wouldn't be back.

"Kurosaki Karin, I love you and I'll always be back for you."

She stared back in wonder, for the first time since her mother's death tears streaking her face but not out of sadness, maybe happiness and wonder. She wasn't sure herself. Suddenly words weren't enough. Knowing what she wanted, Toushiro yanked her face to his, crushing her lips to his.

It wasn't soft and tender like they'd imagined their first kiss to be, neither had imagined it with anyone, but the raw feeling that ran through it, through each of them, could never have been invented even in their wildest dreams.

It lasted all but a moment until they separated, their foreheads leaning together and noses brushing. Karin couldn't remember her hands knotting in his hair. Slower this time, Toushiro pressed his lips to hers, holding on a little longer.

"I love you Toushiro, and I'm never going to let you go."

There was a sudden squeal behind Karin, and the young couple flinched. "Finally taicho, thought you two would never get it on!"

Matsumoto was beside herself with happiness, taking photos and giggling madly. Wait, she could work a digital camera? With a sigh, Karin smiled and gave in to the warmth around her, laughing at Toushiro's expression.

As expected, the senkaimon opened, and Karin stole one last kiss from her love before sending him back to the Soul Society, laughing still at his threats to a hardy apologetic fukutaicho.

Yes, they would be back together soon. There was no alternative in her mind.