Author's Note: This is a sequel to my other story, "Once You See Something, You Can't Unsee It." It might be helpful to read that one first, though I thought this one would be better off as its own one-shot.

A Stalker's Love Isn't Always Unrequited

Far be it from him to pass judgment, but Sougo was beginning to think that the Shinsengumi was made up of a bunch of lovesick morons.

Perhaps the most egregious, and certainly the most widely known, example was their commander; Isao Kondo was recognized for many things (a hairy ass being only the tip of the figurative iceberg), but as of late the legendary feats of the Shinsengumi's chief had begun to be overshadowed by his numerous and pathetically failed attempts at wooing the elder daughter of the Shimura dojo. It didn't help that every near-lethal blow dealt to him by the unwilling object of his affection was in turn a blow to the Shinsengumi's pride.

And then there was Yamazaki, whose singularly creepy obsession with the robot maid who worked at the old lady's snack house grew direr by the day. At least he had the common sense to do most of his stalking from afar and fairly inconspicuously; such was the nature of a spy, Sougo thought with gratitude.

But it only got worse from there: he was almost certain that as of late he had overheard more conversations in the mess hall about the women the members were interested in than ones about their work. On and on they prattled about this girl they'd seen or met, and how you guys should've seen her or I swear she's the one, man!

It made the sadist want to hurl.

Not only that, but given his recent…discovery, he could no longer trust that the demon Vice-Chief wasn't a part of the pathetic bleeding hearts club that the Shinsengumi had apparently become.

After all, those photos he had found on Hijikata's phone had been…telling, to say the least. It still made him grind his teeth when he remembered, and he would suddenly become all too aware of the phone in his own pocket, safely locked with a passcode so as to keep any of the nosier men from seeing his own wallpaper.

He simply valued his privacy; that was all. Anyone who didn't was an idiot, and Sougo thought that Hijikata should count himself lucky that he had been the one to find those photos of China and not anyone else, because surely everyone in Edo would have known about them by now had that not been the case. Of course, that was still liable to happen…provided the Vice-Chief did something to piss him off. If so, Sougo could just dangle the photo in front of his face, possibly even threaten to ruin his reputation and out him as the perverted lolicon he had turned out to be behind closed doors. Hijikata could deny it all he wanted, but rumors have a habit of sticking no matter how outrageous they might seem. Blackmail was always fun, he thought with a grin.

But, for some reason, no matter how much the image of the Vice-Chief's panicked face amused Sougo, he couldn't shake the ever-present aura of annoyance that had dogged him since his discovery.

And it was starting to piss him off.

He told himself he was doing it because he was curious, and on some level that was true. The whole situation was so bizarre, so out of character for everyone involved, that anyone would have been forgiven for forgetting that this wasn't supposed to be a drama.

Sougo was careful to stay far enough behind so that the China girl wouldn't notice him; he tried to blend into the crowd of people on the street, hoping that even with his uniform he would be able to seamlessly camouflage himself in the busy streets of Edo.

He was so focused on staying unnoticed that he barely stopped to consider why he was doing this in the first place aside from the vague excuse of curiosity. It wasn't as though he expected China and the chain-smoking lolicon to be having a rendezvous—the fact that she had posed for a few photos wasn't really much to go on in terms of evidence.

Or so he told himself.

That begged the question, then, of why Sougo felt the need to follow the China girl around all day. Did he expect her to run into Hijikata at any point? Not really—if anything, the older man was discreet, if not careless with his electronics. So, was he just hoping to find out a juicy secret or form of blackmail for her as well? Again, while the possibility was enticing, it still wasn't the thought at the forefront of his mind.

Indeed, the most definitive answer he could scrounge up was that…well, he just felt like it. Her presence had always seemed to imbue him with new energy, either because of their physical brawls or verbal spars. It was that feeling of excitement, the kind that only came from battle and made his heart hammer in his chest, that caused the sweat to bead on his forehead, made his muscles sing with the demand for action…

Just looking at her, even from this distance, was enough to invoke all of those reactions without the other party being aware of his presence.

So he was understandably confused by his own behavior when the girl turned around—and, rather than sporting an evil smirk and challenging her to a fight, as he normally would have, Sougo instead chose to hide in the nearest alleyway.

His body moved before his mind processed what had happened, and he was left leaning against a dirty wall while his heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears.

What the hell am I doing?

He couldn't tell if she had seen him, but if she had it obviously didn't bother her. Sougo stepped back into the street seconds later, after his brief surge of adrenaline had died down, and cursed inwardly when he saw that she had disappeared. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt, but if he had to guess, he would say annoyance, mixed with an underlying layer of what, to his shock, could only be classed as disappointment.

And, yet again, he couldn't figure out why.

Shortly after his shift for the day had ended, Sougo found himself wandering aimlessly around Kabuki-cho. While hanging around the likes of alcoholic bums and violent cabaret girls wasn't in itself an appealing way for him to pass the time, he relished the thought of returning to the Shinsengumi compound in his current mood even less.

He'd been on edge ever since he had almost been caught following the China girl earlier, and the likely possibility of seeing Hijikata's detached mug were he to return right now was sure to annoy him further. An evening walk might calm his nerves, even if only a little.

It was barely a few seconds later when the sandy-haired man noticed that his wandering hadn't been as aimless as he had imagined; a cursory glance at his surroundings caused him to sigh in resignation when he caught a glimpse of a familiar establishment—the Yorozuya's sign was certainly eye-catching, if nothing else. Apparently he hadn't been the only one to think so, if the person currently walking up the stairs was any indication.

A customer? I'd better get going. I don't want them to know I was here. No point in making things awkward.

Just as Sougo made to turn around, a flash of recognition caused him to stop in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder just as the "customer" rang the doorbell, and his stomach tied in knots when he realized who it was.

What the hell is Hijikata doing here?!

Sure enough, it was the demon Vice-Chief standing outside the shoji door—though he was dressed in a regular kimono rather than his usual Shinsengumi uniform, hence Sougo's momentary lapse in recognizing him.

Now thoroughly intrigued (and more than a little displeased), the young man made a split-second decision to duck into the nearby alleyway, concealing himself in the miniscule amount of time it took for the Yorozuya's door to slide open. He allowed only his eyes to encroach past the wall of the snack house, but he was still privy to a narrow view of the second-floor balcony. From this distance he was able to see that it had been none other than China who answered the door, and Sougo felt his stomach begin to churn with renewed distaste. Just what was Hijikata up to?

Unfortunately, from this distance it was also difficult to hear what the Mayora was saying to the redhead, and the ruckus coming from inside the old woman's bar ended up making it all but impossible.

If there was one thing he knew for certain, though, it was that the older man's proximity and posture towards the China girl was rubbing him the wrong way, and for all the wrong reasons. He couldn't help but to visualize a similar scenario from before, one that had evidently led to the latter posing for a set of photos.

Sougo then blanched as a decidedly disturbing thought occurred to him. Was that what this was about? Hijikata had noticed the photos were gone; if China had allowed him to take them before, then could his reason for visiting today be to take more of them? Was he trying to rebuild his sick collection?! Was he that much of a perverted lolicon that he needed a regular supply? What was he, an addict?! Had his love for mayonnaise taken a backseat to his preference for young girls?!

He didn't want to think about it, but here he was, watching the scene play out before his own two eyes.

The air grew tense when he noticed that Hijikata had stopped talking and was now staring expectantly at the redhead. Sougo tried to read her lips when she responded, all to no avail. He then tried to read her expression, and he clenched his fists when the smallest of smiles graced her features as she talked. Just what did she think she was smiling at?! He was tempted to yell at her to slam the door, since predators have a tendency to not handle rejection well, but it didn't look like she was telling Hijikata off. He knew her well enough to know that if she were really annoyed or uninterested, the guy would've been gone in less than three seconds, and in any case, it obviously hadn't bothered her before…

It went unnoticed by him, but Sougo's hand was clenching the wall tightly enough to whiten his knuckles.

After what felt like an eternity but couldn't have been more than ten seconds, China stopped talking, and Sougo ground his teeth when he noticed the light flush on his superior's cheeks. The redhead smiled up at him when Hijikata inclined his head slightly, sending her a casual wave as he turned around and started to descend the stairs.

Sougo released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding when the older man went in the opposite direction of him, his stance unreadable as he lit up a cigarette and walked away. China watched him leave, hands held cutely behind her back as she released a breathy sigh. It rubbed him the wrong way, and before he knew what he was doing, he had left his hiding spot.

When he was certain Hijikata was out of earshot, he called up to her. "Oi, China."

She looked taken aback by his presence, stammering over her response. Serves her right, he thought, irritated. "S-Sadist? What are you doing, huh?"

"I should be asking you that. I didn't know you were a loose woman."

The redness of her cheeks nearly eclipsed that of her qipao, and if he weren't handy with a sword (and also pissed in his own right) he would have run at the sight of her obvious bloodlust. "How dare you speak that way to a lady, you bastard! Do you want me to kill you, huh?! Also, what are you talking about?!"

What, is she playing dumb? "You should know that guy's an ass, China. Nothing good will come of it. Guys like young, idiot girls because they're easier to manipulate."

"What are you—" She seemed to realize what he was implying, and her blush deepened—as did his own irritation. "You have no idea what you're saying, sadist! The Mayora was just asking me—"

"Yeah, yeah," he spat, cutting her off for the sake of his own sanity. "Say whatever you want, but I already saw those photos. You aren't fooling anyone."

"Photos…?" Her eyes suddenly widened, an affronted look taking the place of her embarrassment. "Are you kidding me? Those were—"

"I don't want to hear it." He turned around, all of a sudden feeling ill at the prospect of listening to more of her justifications. In all honesty, he didn't really care what she had to tell him about it; he wasn't an idiot. He could figure it out for himself based on what he'd seen happen today.

He just didn't want to accept it.

"Good luck with that guy," he hissed over his shoulder. "I should warn you that he's a piece of shit, but I already said that—though I guess that means he's perfect for you, then."

As he walked away, barely registering the hurt expression on the redhead's face, Sougo knew that what he'd said was cold, possibly the coldest thing he'd ever said to her.

But he didn't care. At the moment, the person he felt worse for was himself. He wanted to wallow in self-pity, because he had literally no idea how else to respond.

Why did this always happen? Without fail, every person that had ever mattered to him—be it his sister, Kondo, or even China—had always, always been won over by Hijikata. Just what did they see in him? What was so special about the Mayora that it made them stop paying attention to him? He didn't hate them for it, but the fact remained that no matter what he did, he could never seem to outshine that damn chain-smoker.

And now even China had chosen him? He briefly glossed over the fact that he was all but admitting she mattered to him on some level; it just didn't make sense, when he was the one she always said was her rival. He had hardly even seen the two of them interact, so why the hell were they acting so friendly all of a sudden?! Why did this have to happen? It shouldn't have been this way; it should have been…

And there was the kicker; the simple fact that Sougo should have realized a long time ago, because really, it was so obvious, now that he thought about it—why he had been so pissed off lately, angry and irritable at the drop of a hat whenever he thought about the Mayora, and especially when he looked at the photo he'd made his wallpaper.

It wasn't about China being his rival. It hadn't been for a long time. The reason why the thought of them together turned his stomach and made him want to pummel someone wasn't because Hijikata was taking his rival away. It was because…

It should be me.

He made a point of avoiding talking to her after that, but not because he was angry.

To put it simply, he had no idea what to say—and he was certain she didn't want to see him, much less talk to him, even if he were to apologize. (Fat chance.)

And while he may have avoided conversing with the redhead (who, for all he knew, genuinely hated his guts now) that didn't mean he was avoiding her entirely—quite the opposite, in fact. Despite that he knew it was a piss-poor idea, Sougo found himself lingering in the area around the Yorozuya more than he cared to admit. He'd catch glimpses of her fairly frequently (not that he was complaining), though he made sure to stay out of her line of sight as best he could.

He tried to tell himself that it wasn't because he was jealous and wanted to make sure she wasn't seeing Hijikata, but that lie was flimsy at best. As for Hijikata…well, he simply tried to avoid seeing him altogether. It was a difficult feat, seeing as they both lived and worked in the same vicinity, but he was somehow managing it quite well. The fact that he all but radiated bloodlust to anyone within a five-meter radius probably helped.

He wondered if he was becoming a stalker like Kondo and Yamazaki, but he shook that thought, and the horrified shudder that came along with it, away as soon as it occurred.

Like I'd stoop to those guys' level, he scoffed inwardly, trying to ignore the tiny voice in the back of his mind that said otherwise. If that's true, then what am I doing here?

He was currently on his way back to the Shinsengumi compound, but had spent the better part of an hour hanging around the areas of Kabuki-cho the China girl most often frequented. He'd seen neither hide nor hair of her, and after admitting with some disappointment that she was either out on a job or hanging out at the Yorozuya, had reluctantly decided to head home. Now in a far fouler mood than he had been only minutes prior, Sougo planned on passing out as soon as he returned.

Or he would have, were it not for the explosion of pain in his lower back. Before he had time to register that he'd been kicked, he went flying forward, his bare hands breaking his fall before he tumbled head over heels, landing in an unceremonious heap on the ground.

"There you are, idiot sadist!"

His fury at having been attacked went by the wayside (mostly) when he heard her voice, replaced by surprise and even a miniscule bit of panic. Great. Just great. I really didn't want to have to deal with this right now…or ever. "What do you think you're doing, China?" he asked, trying to sound as bored as humanly possible while pushing himself to his feet. He dusted off his clothes, ignoring the heated stares of passersby while also trying to look anywhere but at the girl standing in front of him.

He resisted the urge to move as she stomped closer to him, her face scrunched up in anger. "What am I doing? That's funny, coming from the guy who's been following me around for the past week!"

Sougo tried not to reveal his surprise, fighting down the blush that threatened to show on his cheeks. "Eh? Sounds like you're off your rocker to me."

"Don't play dumb!" she hissed, her voice rising in volume. "Hey, everyone! This guy's a stalker! A stalker, uh-huh!"

His jaw twitched. "China—"

"All the cops in this town are stalkers, taking advantage of young maidens—"

Sougo heard the girl curse into his palm as he wrapped his arm around her head, her cries of obscenity thankfully muffled as he dragged her off the street and into a less conspicuous alley. He cursed as well when she bit his hand, pushing away from him to stand with her arms crossed in a gesture that suggested she thought herself far more elegant than she was.

Sougo sighed and leaned against the wall, scratching the back of his neck. "You're nothing but trouble, aren't you?"

The glare she sent his way could have melted glass. "Says the guy who won't stop stalking me, huh. Now, are you gonna explain yourself or what?"

"There's nothing to explain."

Her puffed-out cheeks, narrowed eyes, and tight-lipped expression all served to send a very clear message: Bullshit.

Once again, Sougo sighed. This girl is going to be the death of me. "Look, China, if it's about what I said a week ago, I won't deny that it was pretty harsh."

"You called me a whore."

"Not exactly."

"You said I was a piece of shit."

"Not in so many words."

"It doesn't matter, bastard! Where do you get off judging me, anyway? It's not like I even did anything!"

Yeah. You didn't do anything. Just like you didn't pose for those photos or flirt with Hijikata. "Whatever, China," he snapped. "Can you just let me go now? I've got work to do—something you apparently don't understand." He started to walk away.

She, on the other hand, wasn't about to go down without a fight. "And there you go again! Running away as soon as I try to explain! Can't you just listen for once, idiot sadist?"

Though he was loath to admit it, Sougo knew deep down that she had a genuine reason to be angry; he hadn't been the most understanding or patient, and he'd be the first to acknowledge that his insults had been mostly low blows. Of course, that didn't mean he wanted to surrender. If nothing else, he was stubborn to a fault.

But that also didn't mean he was completely heartless.

"…Fine. What?"

"…Oh."

" 'Oh' what?!"

"…Well, to be honest, I almost didn't think I'd get this far, uh-huh."

Is this girl for real? "So what? Spit it out. You wanted to explain, so do it."

She sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "First, you have to promise you won't interrupt."

He rolled his eyes.

Clearing her throat, she began, "I'll just get this out of the way—those photos weren't what you think they were." He opened his mouth to interrupt, but wisely held his tongue when she held up a finger. "Do you remember when the Mayora had the whole problem with the cursed sword and became a gross sweaty otaku? Well, he asked to take those photos cause he said they looked like a cosplay or something."

At that, Sougo raised a brow. "Oi, are you messing with me, China? You honestly expect me to believe that?"

She shrugged. "It's the truth, yep."

He turned back around, trying to crush that tiny glimmer of hope in his chest. "Oh? Then what was all that about a week ago, when Hijikata-san went to see you? You two seemed awfully chummy then. And don't tell me you haven't noticed how he acts around you."

He noticed that he'd said too much when he saw the redhead's face contort into a positively evil expression. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and he felt his face burn when she mockingly said, "Oh? So that's what it is!"

"No, it's not. Whatever you're thinking, that's not it."

"You're jealous!"

"Che. Shut it, China girl." He desperately tried to reign in his flushed cheeks.

"You are, uh-huh! You're jealous that the Mayora's been paying attention to me, sadist! You're jealous that he asked me to go to a cosplay con with him!"

That's what he asked her? Sougo glared. "And you're still as idiotic as ever, I see. If that's all you have to say, I'll be leaving now." He tried to leave again, but found that he was physically incapable of doing so when the young woman rushed forward to grab his arm.

"Sadist, wait! Sorry for making fun of you. The truth is…I said no."

He looked down at her, at the large blue eyes that had made the switch from mischievous to nervous in the span of a few seconds. "You what?"

"When he asked me. I said no. Because…well, because I like you."

Sougo didn't know what to say—but for once, he wasn't searching for a witty retort. In fact, his mind was curiously blank, having been blown to who knows where by the incomprehensible words oozing out of the China girl's mouth. "You…what?"

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "I like you, sadist. I was gonna tell you when you were at the Yorozuya, but you were being a bastard and ran off before I got the chance. You really need to learn to listen to other people, uh-huh."

"So…this whole time, you were…?"

"Just trying to tell you. I mean…I didn't want you to think I liked the Mayora, even though he can be pretty cool too. I'm not a loose woman, see? So don't go around saying stupid things anymore. It pisses me off."

He stared at her for a while, at her wide eyes and smug expression, wondering if he had heard her correctly, and if he had actually been as insufferably thickheaded as she was leading him to believe.

And then, he decided, it didn't matter—because as long as this wasn't a dream, Sougo concluded that the outcome had been more than satisfactory, even if it came about after a series of comical misunderstandings and one extremely painful horse-kick to the lower back.

"China…"

"Sadist?"

"…Thanks."

She smiled then, a goofy, full-toothed grin that only she could pull off, and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Sougo pinched her own cheek by way of response, and the resulting fist to his stomach caused him to keel over in agony. Nope—this definitely wasn't a dream.

Though it certainly felt like one.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate all feedback!

—Vicious Ventriloquist