Annoying Suitors Aren't Always All Bad

Author's Note: My version of a Valentine's Day fic. It's a bit early since I'm an impatient little you-know-what, but meh.

Ship is Gintoki x Sacchan, with a pinch of Tsukuyo flavoring.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama. If I did, it wouldn't be half as awesome. So stop asking. D:

It was just another day in the life of the former Shiroyasha; sitting around his apartment that also served as the office for the Yorozuya Gin, torn between lamenting his lack of money and being thankful that he had an excuse to be lazy. No one had called for the Yorozuya in a while, and Gintoki couldn't even afford the latest Shonen JUMP.

Of course, it didn't matter to him that much anyway. It was that time of year again, and he wanted to just sleep the day away and forget that it ever existed.

Happy couples singing their praise for each other, men acting like teenagers in the presence of their crushes, chocolates being handed out by the thousands... and Gin hated it all. This damned holiday had been a thorn in his side for his entire life; after all, it was a simple yet crushing reminder that he was still single, and would always be.

Or, at least, that's what he thought. Gintoki expected nothing from the people of Edo today, as they were too busy gallavanting in their own romantic prosperity - but then, to his surprise, a note appeared beneath the door to his apartment, and he turned his gaze toward it for a moment before he stood up, walked over and picked it up.

Gintoki's spirits instantly fell as soon as he saw the name attached to the note. Of course it was her.

"Dear Gin,

It's Valentine's Day! You know what this means, right? Your faithful slave Sacchan has a request for her beloved master, and I took precautions to make it extra-super-easy for you! Come to the back alley in southern Kabukicho - you know the one. I'll give you further direction there. Oh, and just so you know, I won't be watching over you today - grown men can take care of themselves, right?

Love,

Sarutobi *heart*"

No, he didn't know the 'back alley in southern Kabukicho'. How much more vague could that annoying woman be? On the plus side, the last part of the note looked promising - she wouldn't be stalking him for the duration of the day, at least. And there was something else that came with the note that Gintoki hadn't noticed before; he almost dismissed it on the grounds of who sent the note in the first place, but decided that it was worth taking a quick look.

It was a small, but somewhat heavy, box. Gin opened the package and peered inside - and that was all the incentive he needed to answer Ayame's request.

The contents of the package were a box of chocolates (supposedly the best in all Edo, if the label was to be believed), a heaping stack of cold, hard cash, and the latest JUMP issue that Gin hadn't been able to afford. He knew that this was, in all likelihood, an attempt at bribery, but he didn't care - this setup was flawless, and there was no way he would turn down such an offer, even from her.

...Where had she gotten all this money, anyhow? It was obvious that some of it had gone into paying for the other gifts, but this was way more than Ayame earned for her usual jobs. But Gintoki decided to leave that thought hanging; after all, he couldn't make the poor girl wait, could he?

He made sure to swipe the box of chocolates before he left - the kids could waste the money for all he cared, but that sweet, boxed paradise would not be left to Kagura if Gin had anything to say. It was rightfully his, no matter who had given it to him.

Ayame leaned against the alley wall and tapped her foot; it was already late in the afternoon, and a small part of her wondered if Gintoki had even bothered to respond to her message. She supposed that there was a chance he would consider it bribery, but that wasn't the case - she had purchased those gifts with her own money (or, at least, she thought of it as her own after it came into her hands), and had left the rest with him just because she knew that jobs for the Yorozuya were scarce nowadays.

A small part of her still wondered what that obnoxious spotlight thief was thinking, but Ayame didn't care enough to worry about it; so long as things went well that day, she could forgive the nuisance for just about anything.

Someone walked past the alleyway, and Ayame almost passed them off as just another pedestrian - but then, she caught the gleam of silver hair out of the corner of her eye, and she was out of the alley in two seconds flat. Ayame planted herself in front of her fluffy-headed crush, determined to make him realize that she was there-

Gintoki bumped into her, and for a fleeting moment, she thought that he had somehow accidentally groped her. Wasn't that sort of thing supposed to happen to Tsukuyo? Ayame never got that sort of spotlight, not even in her wildest dreams (and they were wild)... just what did all these contrived coincidences mean?

"Huh?" Gin stepped away from Ayame and blinked a few times, then made a face. "There you are. Didja lace those chocolates with aphrodisiac or something? I wouldn't put it past you..."

Ayame pouted and shook her head. "No, I would never do something that underhanded! Not to my dear, sweet Gin! I just wanted to give you a little present, that's all... here, I can test one to prove it-"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Gintoki hid the box of chocolates behind him and waved his other hand defiantly. "I believe you! I believe you, so don't touch them, okay?!"

"Oh well..." Ayame's shoulders slumped a bit, but then she straightened right back up and cleared her throat. "Anyway... about that request. I was thinking of asking you out on a date, but that's the kind of thing you'd expect from me, right? I wanted to make today extra special for both of us, but I... can't quite think of anything unique enough! Can you think of something, Gin?"

Gintoki pulled the box of chocolates back out and considered it for a moment; Ayame's demeanor was a bit different today, and he couldn't figure out why, but it sort of bothered him. Of course, it was the warm and fuzzy sort of bothering, but he chose to ignore that little fact - there was no way in hell that he'd start to like this crazy broad, not in a million years.

No, she had gotten him chocolate and his favorite manga, but that wasn't enough to worm her way into his heart. Nothing would be enough to worm her way into his heart, and he would make absolute sure of that.

...Still, she had gotten him chocolate. He would forgive her transgressions for the time being. And it wasn't like he had anything else to do on this awful day, so maybe he could humor her, just this once.

"Well, I guess we can go on a date," Gintoki finally said, after what had to have been the most agonizing silence ever. "But this is just for today, got it? And I'm not paying for anything, just so you know. If you wanna buy something, get it yourself."

Ayame couldn't have asked for a better compromise - she almost hugged Gin, but thought better of it and just stepped up beside him. "Thanks so much, Gin! I'll get you some more chocolate later, okay?"

Gintoki made up his mind right then and there; even if he had to deal with an annoying pain in the ass for the whole day, and even if she was bribing him to do so, at least there would be a sweet reward at the end, and if Ayame's behavior thus far was any indicator, it would not be some sort of ploy to get him in bed with her.

It wasn't the first time Ayame's glasses had been destroyed; Gintoki vaguely remembered a similar incident, caused in part by himself, that led to her being targeted by a group of assassin-killers. This time, however, it wasn't Gin's fault - a random Shinsengumi officer, unimportant enough to be considered a mook, had bumped into Ayame while on patrol, and in the ensuing chaos, somehow her glasses were damaged beyond use.

Gintoki still had no idea what, exactly, had transpired. All he knew was that something needed to be done about it, and he knew just the man to ask.

Of course, this also interrupted their date - Ayame, as usual, couldn't see anything without her glasses, and Gin worried that her antics would lead to her wandering off. As much as it pained him to admit it, she did need help, and there was no one he could ask to help him with her.

It was when they were halfway to the old mechanic's shop that Gintoki noticed Ayame wandering off, just as he had feared she would; with a resigned sigh, he stepped over to her and grabbed her hand, yanking her toward him.

"Oi, Sacchan. That's the wrong way."

Ayame blinked a few times, then turned her head toward Gin's voice; she still couldn't see him, but she knew that he was close by. "Um, where exactly are we going, anyway? I didn't want to get sidetracked, but..."

"I'm taking your glasses to old man Gengai's shop," Gintoki replied, as he tightened his grip on Ayame's hand. "He'll be able to fix them, just like he did last time. I know you can't see anything without 'em, but don't go wandering off like that."

"H-huh...?" Ayame squinted down at her hand, but it was no use; she couldn't see the hand that held hers. "...Gin, are you holding my hand...?"

"Only 'cuz I don't want you running off." Gin snorted, then pulled Ayame a little closer and looped his arm around hers. "Here. Stay put like this, and I'll guide you."

Ayame almost went into a frenzy at the realization that Gintoki was trying to keep her close for once; however, she kept herself as calm as she could, knowing that things would turn for the worse if she angered him. Their situation was already unfavorable, and she didn't want to cause more problems for him - after all, she had, in essence, bribed him to go out with her, and she didn't want to do anything else that went against her promise.

For a moment, the lavender-haired ninja considered fishing around for the note she'd received with the money she gave to Gin... but she soon decided that there was little point, as she couldn't see right now and she didn't want him to see it.

"...I'm sorry," Ayame murmured, quiet enough that she didn't think Gintoki would hear her. "I just... keep ruining things for you, don't I...?"

Gintoki raised an eyebrow at the sound of Ayame's voice, but said nothing; he did hear what she said, and he made sure to remember those words for later. It was a difficult thing to admit to himself, but Gin appreciated Ayame's efforts that day - if it weren't for her, his Valentine's Day would have been just like all the others before it.

By the time Gin and Ayame left Gengai's shop, it was evening; most of their day had been wasted on the glasses incident, and their actual date hadn't lasted all that long. To make matters worse, the old man wanted more money than they had on hand as payment - Gintoki would have to return the next day, and even then, the job wouldn't be finished until much later.

Even though it hadn't been his fault this time, Gintoki still felt a bit guilty about letting Ayame's glasses get broken; though he knew that she would have no idea where he was leading her, he decided to take her back to the Yorozuya office for the time being.

Just before they reached the building, though, Gin happened to notice a piece of paper stuck in Ayame's clothes; she really was a hopeless ninja without her glasses. He snatched the paper from Ayame and looked at it, then glanced back over at her to make sure she wasn't paying attention.

Of course, that act was silly and pointless as well... Ayame couldn't notice such a thing at the moment. Still, Gintoki attempted to make his reading of the letter as discreet as possible; he didn't want her to find out.

"Sarutobi,

I had plans to visit the Yorozuya today, but another issue has come up, and I will not be able to go. I suppose that this is for the better - Gintoki will most likely feel lonely today, and I have seen how much you care for him.

I give you this as a friend and as a comrade. Please use it to make Gintoki's day better, and show him how you feel. I apologize for my intrusiveness.

-Tsukuyo"

Gintoki mulled this over in his head, and he soon came to a conclusion; the money that Ayame used to get him those gifts, as well as the leftover money that ended up in the package, must have come from Tsukuyo. And, of all the things that the leader of the Hyakka could have said, she told Ayame to treat Gin nicely for the day...

"...What an idiot," Gintoki muttered, as he placed the note back where it had been before. "I already knew how she felt. You're just trying to pawn her off on me so she'll stop hassling you, aren'tcha?"

Ayame, who had been lost in thought, looked up at Gintoki; she hadn't quite caught what he said, but she felt as if something had changed in his demeanor. "Hmm? What is it, Gin?"

"Nothing." Gintoki waved his hand dismissively, then tightened his grip on Ayame. "Just talking to myself. Everyone does that when they spend too much time around lunatics."

Ayame chose not to question Gintoki any further; instead, she just savored the closeness, happy that he was willing to give her a chance this time. Even though her gift to him had come from someone else, it didn't mean any less in her eyes - and besides, this meant that Tsukuyo was giving up on him.

Well, maybe not giving up, but it was a step in the right direction... and even though her date with Gin had been cut short, Ayame still managed to spend the whole day with him.

"Thank you, Gin," Ayame murmured, her voice quiet; however, this time, she made sure to make it loud enough that Gintoki could hear. "I know things are probably just going to go back to the way they were tomorrow, but... I had fun today."

"No, thank you." Gintoki offered Ayame one of his trademark smirks. "It would've been boring as hell without you. And remember - not tomorrow, the day after."

Ayame fell speechless; not from Gintoki's correction (which, all things considered, was sensible enough), but rather from his tone of voice when he thanked her. He meant it, and that fact warmed her heart - after all their squabbling, her stalking and his rejection, would they finally be able to change things for good?

...Well, it didn't matter either way. As Gintoki led Ayame into the Yorozuya office, she decided that, even if things went back to the way they were before, this memory was something to cherish - she would never forget it as long as she lived.

Author's Notes: No but really am I the only one who thinks that this ship is severely freaking underrated? Please tell me I'm not the only one. Please, please, PLEASE.