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Kurosaki Karin was not the type of person to lose her temper easily. Sure, she had been quick to anger as a child but with age, she had calmed down by a considerable amount. However! The urge to scream out of sheer frustration was currently way too much for her to handle and if they didn’t get out of this stupid snow soon, Karin would not be held responsible for actions.
Whoever suggested going for a two day cross country trip to another city in the middle of a raging snowstorm was the biggest goddamn idiot on earth and right now, that very same idiot was walking beside her as they made their way up the hill in search of the nearest hostel to seek shelter in. Hitsugaya Toushiro was many things, a genius, the youngest captain of Gotei 13 and he was certainly one of the smartest people Karin knew of but he was also the biggest idiot to ever exist.
“Let’s drive through the storm he said, we’ll be fine he said.” she grumbled, huddling into herself from the cold. Beside her, Toushiro let out an aggravated sigh.
“I can hear you, Kurosaki! How was I supposed to know the car would break down?”
“Should have guessed, Mr. Genius!” she sneered. “Who even suggests driving in this weather?”
“Shut up! You agreed to come anyway!” the white haired captain hissed. “Now come on! I want to get out of the snow!”
“Tch” with one last grumble, Karin followed after her friend (best friend) kicking the fluffy white bullshit out of her way as they went. If it wasn’t for the sudden storm, they would have made it to Karakura just in time for the christmas party at the old clinic.
She missed her old room…
Absorbed in her inner grumbling, the ravenette collided straight into Toushiro who suddenly stopped walking. As a result, she knocked both of them straight into the pile of cold, cold snow,
“KUROSAKI WHAT THE HECK!?” Toushiro exclaimed, jumping out of the snow like an offended cat. Not that Karin was any better with the way she spluttered and coughed but nevermind that. He was not getting away with blaming her for this!
“What the heck yourself! Why did you suddenly stop!?”
“Cause we're here! Why else would I stop? To turn myself into a snowman!?” her friend hissed, pointed at the bright glass doors of the building in front of the two.
Karin pushed herself off of the ground, staring at the painfully bright letters of the hotel. Toushiro huffed and pulled her forward towards the entrance.
“Hey Toshiro… “
“Yeah?
“Isn't this a love hotel?...”
“The next hotel is 2 kilometers from here…”he mumbled, the tips of his ears completely red as they made their way towards the receptionist.
“Oh…” Karin ignored her own blushing face. It was just because of the cold! She wasn't embarrassed or anything and it was Toushiro's own fault for not wearing a hat. Besides, it wasn't like they had to stay in one room! They could just get a separate one. Even then she could just think of it as a sleep over! They had plenty of that when Karin was younger.
With that in mind, the youngest Kurosaki sibling soldiered on, only to have it crushed within an instant by the words uttered by the smiling receptionist before them.
“I-I’m sorry?”
“There is only one room left.” the receptionist repeated her words. Karin’s head whipped to the side to see Toushiro pinching the tip of his nose in presumed annoyance.
“Two beds at least?” she tried to clarify in some attempt to salvage the situation. The receptionist looked at her blankly, her tone cheery as it could possibly get.
“Ma'am, this is a love hotel.”
The white haired captain groaned.
“Fine, just give us the room!”
“Of course sir! Here you go.”
Toushiro snatched the key from the receptionist’s hand and started dragging Karin away by the hand. The awfully cheerful receptionist grinned like a fox as she bid them away.
“Enjoy your night!”
Karin swore to god. If she survived tonight, she would throw her old soccer ball right into that face…
======
Hitsugaya Toushiro was in a dilemma.
When he first suggested driving through the storm, he had been thinking about influencing the storm just enough so they would be safe on the road. However the blizzard had grown too quickly and too strong for Toushiro and he had lost control of it. He thought they would still be able to handle it when the stupid car had broken down. Now, they were stuck in some love hotel in the middle of nowhere, forced to wait out for the blizzard to run its course.
Don’t get him wrong, Toushiro had nothing against Karin. She was his best friend and he enjoyed the times they spent together. Besides the fact that he knew her since she was a child, there was just no way he could see her in that light. Also spending a night together in an obscene place like a love hotel was not something one should do with someone they weren’t even remotely attracted to.
Objectively speaking, one Kurosaki Karin was a very attractive woman with her long black hair, pretty face and shapely body. Her love for sports proved a good way to keep her in shape. She was ‘Hot’ as people liked to say and Toushiro knew for sure that any man to date her would be lucky but he knew her since childhood and he did NOT see her THAT way!
Right?...
Anyway!
Toshiro quickly finished his shower and got out of the bathroom so his very good friend could use it. He made his way to the giant bed where Karin sat, fiddling with the ends of her robe deep in thought.
“Hey, It’s your turn to use the shower– Huh?” He paused.
Was it just him or was her face red? Did she get sick? Concerned, the snowy haired man opened his mouth to ask when a particularly loud moan came through the wall. He tensed, full of disbelief as more sounds started pouring through the walls. His head swam as he belatedly realized Karin was blushing from the sound coming from the other rooms.
‘Why is the room not soundproofed!?’
His cheeks blazing red, Toushiro loudly cleared his throat. Karin’s head snapped around to look at him with her face as bright as a tomato. He wasn’t sure if it was from the noise of if it was from getting caught listening to it and he didn’t want to know the answer either. Gray eyes stared at him as he repeated his words.
“I-It’s your turn to use the shower.”
The youngest Kurosaki’s lips made an ‘oh’ sound as she scrambled off the bed.
“R-rigth! I’ll be quick!”
Without another look, she passed by him and closed the bathroom with a bang. Toushiro groaned as he finally allowed himself to sink into the bed out of pure mortification at their whole situation. He couldn’t believe he was spending the night in a love hotel of all places with Karin when they weren’t even dating on the night of a Christmas Eve! What even was his life!?
True to her word, Karin didn’t take long to reappear again from the shower. Her skin was flushed healthily and her hair dripping wet. The Kurosaki took a seat on her side of the bed as she attempted to dry her hair with her towel before giving up and throwing it away to the side.
“Argh, Toushiro can you see if there is a spare towel in there?” she motioned for the drawer next to him. Shrugging, he pulled open the drawer and peered inside to check.
He shut it close.
Heat blazed across his cheeks, painting his entire face red. Toushiro cupped a hand over his mouth to keep the sound of utter mortification inside. He wanted to die…
Teal eyes closed in an attempt to forget the utter filth he had just witnessed. Inside the drawer, filled to the brim were various accessories meant for couples…
‘Wha the fuck…’
“Huh, Toushiro?” Karin questioned.
Toshiro cleared his throat. “Nothing! There’s no towel in here.” without even glancing at his raven haired friend, the shinigami captain crawled under the covers of the bed in a vain hope that the night would be over as soon as he did.
Karin stared at him for a minute or so until she realized what the other might have seen. As soon as she got the slightest hint, the Kurosaki’s pale expression lit up like fire and she too scrambled to sleep.
They laid there for who knows how long, unable to sleep from their embarrassment(not to mention the noise). It might have been hours, or maybe minutes but neither of them made any move to disrupt the awkward silence that had befallen them. Until a small chime came from Toushiro’s phone laid on the bed table.
‘Ah, it’s midnight…’ they thought.
Finally deciding to bite it, Kurosaki Karin shifted to look at Toshiro. She was anything but a coward and no awkward love hotel was gonna ruin her relationship with her friend.
Her breath caught in her throat as she met the gorgeous teal eyes of her friend as she turned. Apparently, she had not been the only one to brave the awkwardness. Toushiro too had reached the same conclusion.
Within seconds, they started giggling at their entire situation like a pair of teenagers they used to be.
“Gosh, I can’t believe this is how we’re spending christmas!” she snickered, glancing at the snowy haired captain to see the content smile that had spread across his face.
“Yeah, this is worse than the time we had to dance during your senior prom.” He smirked. Karin swatted at his shoulder.\
“Oh please! We totally rocked despacito!” After a moment, her smile softened to match Toushiro’s.
“Merry Christmas Toushiro. For whatever’s worth it, I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“Yeah, me too.” He mumbled.
Hesitantly, big hands reached out to hold her smaller ones as they laid together, trapped inside a crappy love hotel during a blizzard they were stupid enough to brave through. Toushiro huffed good heartedly. What a way to spend a christmas.
“ I’m glad you’re here too. Merry Christmas Karin, today and for many that is to come.”