Author's note: Thought I'd write a slightly more adult story about this pairing, so this is set a bit into the future. Kagura is nineteen here, so Sougo is roughly twenty two. Some violence, rated M for sexy scenes.

Winter Sadist

The snow fell in for a long time, seemingly in random patterns, but Kagura could see their goal. The icy flakes were racing toward the ground, each with its own personal rival. Kagura nodded to herself, this was something she understood well. She felt safe amongst the snowflakes, cold as it was. They continued dancing down to the earth around her as she strolled along the roadside, her umbrella balanced on her shoulder. She whistled discordantly as she went, stepping over a cat, some rubbish bags and all the other clutter that people had left out. She was not in one of the classy parts of Kabuki district. In fact she wasn't entirely sure which part she was in right now. Everything looked different when it was covered in snow. It created a new layer of glittering white, blanketing all the trash. The perfect decorations for her birthday. She was nineteen today, and she was determined to enjoy it.

As Kagura swung around a lampost, she thrust her hand to her forehead, searching for a point of interest. It did not take long for her to spot her quarry: There was a shop selling her favourite snack across the road from her. She smiled gleefully, before leaping from the lamppost and stepping triumphantly toward the shop. That was when he appeared. Kagura's eyes widened in horror. No. NO. Anyone but him. He could not be here. Kagura shivered. She had not felt the cold until that moment.

"Out of my way." She insisted, only just managing to hold her voice steady "I'm just shopping."

"Now what kind of a way is that to greet your brother?" Kamui smiled, his eyes closed like thin slits. It was like staring into the eyes of a fox. A predator.

"I said move." Kagura tried to walk past him, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. His grip was light, but she could feel the strength there, the unmoving firmness in his hands. He would not budge,

"We wouldn't want to cause a scene." Kamui continued, "I have business with you. Come with me."

"Like hell I will! Idiot brother!" Kagura was shouting now. Her brother was the most dangerous man in the galaxy, and she hated him with a passion. She would not be going anywhere with him. She tried to brush his hand off her shoulder, though she already knew it would be a futile effort, she could not afford to lose this battle. She had to show him that she was strong.

"I never said you had a choice weakling. Don't go getting all high and mighty." As he said this, his hand clamped down as she had known it would, and his other hand clenched into a fist. She could see it flying toward her stomach as if everything were in slow motion. There was nothing she could do to avoid that fist, and if it connected, she would be unable to move for a while. A punch like Kamui's would kill a human with one blow. Kagura felt herself wince despite herself, her expression contorting in anticipation of the pain she was about to have inflicted upon her. However the moment seemed to drag on. There was a strange ringing in her ears now, but nothing was hitting her stomach.

Kagura did not realise that she had shut her eyes until she opened them again. Her brother was still standing there, a near mirror image of his sister, with the same red hair and sky blue eyes. Only he was wearing an expression he did not normally display. Was that... surprise? Shock? His eyes were unfocused for the briefest of moments, and his mouth agape. His hand had been knocked from her shoulder, something Kagura had thought impossible. She could not fathom how this was possible, until she followed his shocked gaze. On the floor, the snow was stained a deep red. For one surreal moment, Kagura wondered whose blood it was. There was something rising from it, was that steam? She looked up to looked for signs of how this had happened.

Kagura turned to see the head of a bazuka near her face.

"Wha-" Her eyes widened at the sight of the familiar fawn-haired sadist that was her rival. "Ah! You!" She was utterly pissed off now. Could this day get any worse? She was now faced with her shitty brother and this brat on the one day of the year that was supposed to be all about her. Kagura huffed, but as her gaze moved from Sougo's bazuka to the bleeding wrist of her brother, as she slowly realised what had happened.

"Oi China, be more grateful." Sougo drawled as he lowered the weapon, and approached her brother. "You have a lot of nerve. Attempting to assault someone in front of a captain of the Shinsengumi." He seemed genuinely annoyed for a moment, "Not that I particularly mind," He added returning his gaze toward Kagura. His expression was utterly blank as ever, "But could you please not fight in the street. It would be awful if an innocent bystander were to get hurt."

"You piece of shi-" Kagura began, but her brother interrupted,

"Hmmm, you seem like a sensible man." Kamui was examining Sougo as if he were an item on a menu, "How about I just take her elsewhere, then the streets will be safe." Her brother was still smiling in that seemingly carefree way. Only Kagura knew what lay behind the façade.

"How about I arrest your dumb ass." Sougo whirled back to face Kamui.

"Yeah you should arrest him for being stupid." Kagura nodded, "Only an idiot would call you sensible... or a man."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sougo's face returned to that familiar deadpan look. A moment later Kagura felt something cold and metallic on her wrist. "You're both under arrest for pissing me off. Come with me." Sougo had placed hand cuffs on her? And Kamui? Her brother simply looked amused. His eyes opened just a fraction, and Kagura saw something there that made her heart freeze over. Her whole body ceased to move. She knew that look, it meant death.

Without so much as a thought, Kagura broke from her frozen state, as her body forced her to move. Kamui was already drawing his fist back again, only this time toward Sougo. This time someone really would die. That look... She feared for a moment that she would not make it in time, but just as his fist was about to connect, Kagura spun around, the handcuffs forcing Sougo out of harm's way,

"Idiot brother. Only I'm allowed to fight the Sadist." She sniffed. Annoyed that someone else had raised a fist to her rival. That was her job. "Even if he is arresting us." She added for good measure.

"Now I'm truly intrigued." Her brother's smile widened, his eyes opening a fraction more. Shit. Had she somehow made it worse? He was looking from her to Sougo, and back again. "You think a human is a worthy rival? But they're just so... squishy. They go splat without much pressure." He mused. "No no, he won't do at all." Kamui's hand shot out without warning. He grabbed Sougo by the collar of his uniform, before snapping both sets of handcuffs in his free hand. "Now I really have to kill you. I have to uphold the Yato name. I can't have any rumours going around that my sister has a weak-ass rival." Before Kagura could intervene, Sougo was sent flying down the street. His body collided with the side of a parked truck, several meters away. "Problem solved." Kamui smiled, his head tilting to the side.

Kagura could not breathe. Sougo's still form was wedged into the side of the truck, a steady stream of blood flowing down the side, where his head and back had connected with the hard metal. He fell forward a moment later, collapsing onto the snowy road. Kagura's feet started to move of their own accord, her legs pushing her forwards, but her brother's hand grabbed her from behind.

"Not so fast. I told you he wasn't worthy. Look at him closely. He's just lying there, useless." Kamui explained in a happy-go-lucky voice. "Choose someone stronger. At the very least they should take several punches to kill."

It took every ounce of strength in Kagura's body to shake free of her brother's grip, but she was just that far gone. Her concious thoughts were like distant memories, as her Yato instincts took over. She swatted his hand away as if it were fly, her face changing menacingly as she allowed her family bloodline to engulf her. Her head turned slowly, her eyes as wide open as they could go,

"You shouldn't play with other people's toys." She bit out through her teeth, that were strangely twisting into a wide grin. She looked the opposite of happy however, her irises reflecting the blood on the snow. It was her brother's blood. There would be more in a moment. She thrust her umbrella forward to distract him, before letting go. She launched forward with her right fist, focusing all her rage into that one punch. Kamui moved to the side effortlessly, sucking in a breath,

"That's more like it." He said, "Though it's still not good enough." He thrusted his elbow toward her, but she ducked downwards, and lunged forward with her leg, her foot connecting with his ankle. As soon as he was off balance, Kagura saw her chance. Kamui's eyes registered something similar to his earlier surprise, his eyes opening wider still. "My, my. You have improved. You couldn't land a hit before." He commented, trying to regain his footing. Kagura suddenly whirled around, thrusting the umbrella sideways toward his ankles. Already off balance, Kamui now completely lost his stance. He began to fall backwards, but he seemed unmoved. He flipped himself backwards, before landing effortlessly on his feet again, only now there was some distance between them. Before he could make another move, Kagura lept away from him, and began sprinting toward Sougo.

The sadist was still lying in the snow. Kagura was not sure how badly hurt he would be, but it could not be good. There was red everywhere. She made it halfway there before her brother caught up. She lept to the side as he aimed another punch at her. His fist connected with the snow, but he came at her again without flinching. This time she dived forwards, rolling out of the way of his spinning kick. She was almost there: Sougo was just a few feet away now. Suddenly she was tackled from behind. She felt something solid grab at her wrist. Her brother pinned her to the cold ground, her face pressed into the snow.

"I don't know why you bother running. Would you rather fight him than me?" Kamui laughed. He sounded light-hearted, as if this were a joke. She felt his fingers reach for her hair. He twisted it around, and pulled it painfully tight. Kagura screamed, as she was dragged to her feet by her hair.

"Put me down you stupid brother!" She kicked at him, but this only increased the pain on her scalp. Just then, a man called out from across the street,

"Kamui, what are you doing? Come on its time to leave." Kagura vaguely recognised the man as someone she had fought before. He worked with her brother,

"Sure. I think I've made my point." Kamui called back. "Get a new rival." He said to Kagura, still smiling that fox grin of his, "This one is dead anyway." And with that, he let go of her hair, and left. A distant part of her mind clung to something he had just said. Something important. She slowly allowed her concious thoughts to return, forcing back her Yato blood. What was it her brother had said? Something about... She turned slowly, her aching body struggling to work for her. Finally she managed to turn and face Sougo. He was still lying face down in red snow. Was snow supposed to be that red? Kagura wondered absent-mindedly, until finally her thoughts all became un-jumbled.

This one is dead anyway.

Kagura sank to her knees. She inhaled deeply, sucking in the air as if it was suddenly thicker. She reached out a hand, half expecting the sadist to move at any moment. Instead he just lay there, completely still. She leaned forward, her fingers working through his boyish fawn hair. She felt something wet underneath her fingertips, and drew them back. They were soaked in blood. Kagura gulped, her throat constricting, and her eyes burning. It was just like Sadaharu all over again. She had lost so many pets due to her Yato strength, and now Sougo had died from her brother's. It was all her fault, yet again. Her vision blurred, and she reached for Sougo, pulling him into her lap. She draped her arms around him, all the strength leaving her body as she trembled. It was meant to have ended. Leaving home was supposed to have been the end of all this. Instead she had just brought her curse to earth, and now the sadist was dead.

"Say something stupid. Say 'Oi China' or some other racist slur." Kagura wailed at him, "Try to kill your vice chief. Whatever, just do something." She shook his shoulders. He was draped over her lap, her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. He was too strong to die surely? None of this made sense to her.

"Oi China." Came a muffled, raspy voice from her lap, "I can't breathe." Kagura finally let out a loud sob, swatting at Sougo with a free hand,

"Don't scare me like that idiot!" She wailed, angry tears rolling down her cheeks, "You're not allowed to die until after I beat you." She found herself tightening her grip on his shoulders, pulling him closer.

"Seriously I can't breathe. And why are you making weird noises?" Sougo's muffled voice continued against her thighs. "Crybaby." He drawled. But then Kagura felt a hand on her arm. His skin was cold as ice, but some warmth was returning to him. "I might need an ambulance. Not from the broken bones. I'm being asphyxiated here."

Kagura tried to hold back her tears, taking in his words. He my not be suffocating, but he probably would need to go to hospital. She pulled out her phone and called the emergency services,

"There's an idiot here with a broken spine. And I think he's cracked his head open because he's saying stupid things." She said to the operator. "We're in Kabuki district,"

After she ended the call, she pocketed her phone again, before poking Sougo, "Just checking you're still alive." She said, prodding her finger at his cheek. The skin there was harder than she was expecting, was he really that frozen? She pulled him futher into her lap, so that he was now more upright, and facing away from her. His head was resting against her collarbone, and his breathing was still raspy. Was he going to be okay? She couldn't tell. There was still fresh blood on his head and back, and her hands were now covered in it. She swallowed hard. Kagura was used to blood, but this was a bit much.

"Why are you still here?" Sougo asked, "That guy might come back. You'd be better off leaving me here."

"He said he was done here... he won't be back for a long time. He's like that." Kagura frowned, "That guy was my idiot older brother. And now you're being an idiot. You'll die if I just leave you here."

"I'm not that weak." Sougo commented,

"Idiot." Kagura was still holding him like that. She didn't know why. She could not understand her own actions right now. There was no rationality to them. The sadist wouldn't die just from her letting go of him. It was as she thought about this, that his hand reached up to her cheek. His eyes remained emotionless, but his fingers traced the line of her jaw for a moment, sending a jolt of electricity through her. What the hell was that? Did he just do something weird to her? She looked down at him, confused,

"You may not remember this, since it was several years ago," Sougo began, "But there was a time when I suggested I take you."

"Huh?" Kagura almost spat in surprise,

"At the time I was talking about taking you to prison." He continued, causing Kagura's eyes to narrow sardonically, "but you were saying that nobody would take you as a bride." He tried to sit up a bit more but instantly regretted this as a sharp pain started in his neck. Instead he laid his head back onto her chest, "You were right. You have an awful bedside manner, and you smell like crap,"

"Idiot! It's your blood I'm covered in! Go take a shower!" She fumed,

"but you're not a bad pillow." He finished, closing his eyes. Was that supposed to be a compliment? Kagura was confused as hell now. This guy was impossible: A jerk beyond measure. "The offer still stands." He winked,

"I don't want to go to prison!" Kagura swatted at him again. He winced in pain as his shoulder cramped. His back was truly messed up from hitting that truck. Who knew how bad the damage was. "The ambulance should be here soon." Kagura was not sure which one of them she was trying to reassure. Maybe it was both.

"Kagura," Sougo smiled,

"What?"

"I wasn't talking about prison."

End of chapter 1~ To be continued.