A/N: Hello readers and welcome to yet another Hakuouki themed story. Well more like drabbles.

This story isn't supposed to make much sense. Just a small little thing to help me get the creative juices flowing. Also, I replayed Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and I'm going crazy with random scenes that happen in my mind.

Anyway, let me know if any of you would like me to write a drabble about something specific. Of course, pertaining to Hakuouki. Be warned though I'm not well acquainted with some of the newer bachelors. Such as Iba, Souma, etc. I'm old school like that I suppose. Drabbles can be suggested by you or I can just simple write whatever comes to mind.

Also I'm going to try something new that I've seen a lot of writers do here. If someone reviews this story then in the next chapter I will respond to it. So please review. I love reading comments.

I have no beta and I only skim my writing to make sure there are no major errors so please excuse my mistakes.

Thanks for reading! Let's get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki.

Company (Okita x Chizuru)

Lounging around the compound didn't do much for Okita at all. He was still under Hijikata's obnoxious orders to stay at the headquarters. Okita leaned forward and rested his head on his knees that were pulled up towards his chest at the moment.

Never before had he ever felt so useless. He was a solider dammit. Not some kind of pitied invalid.

"Okita, you need to take better care of yourself or your illness will progress faster. I would have no choice then but to inform Kondou about your condition," Doctor Matsumoto's voice warned Okita.

With a sigh Okita leaned back and glanced sideways at the good doctor with a halfhearted smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "That's a low blow, Doc. You would treat a dying man so cruelly?"

Doctor Matsumoto shook his head, "You're aren't leaving me much choice here, Okita. You refuse to leave the Shinsengumi, so I have little options here to make sure that you get the proper treatment that you need." Of course, being the kind man that he was Matsumoto was only looking out for Okita.

Okita gave the doctor a wiry smile and a nod. "All right. You've twisted my arm. I take better care of myself from now on."

"Oh, I know you will. I'll be coming by for regular check-ups for all the soldiers of the Shinsengumi and you certainly will be one that I pay extra close attention to."

Needless to say that Okita has little choice but to abide by Doctor Matsumoto's rules. After all he was the doctor. But regardless of their deal Hijikata and his mother hen act still ordered Okita to be bedridden until he felt better.

Okita desperately wanted to tell him that he wasn't going to feel better. That he had an incurable disease that he would live with the rest of his life. But of course, that would mean that he would stop fighting. That he would be sent away somewhere where he could "heal". He scoffed at the very idea that he could even be cured. He had heard all the horrendous tales about men that had contracted the deadly disease. None of them ending happily.

The chill of the winter slipped into Okita's room and caused him to huddle closer against himself to try and conserve as much of his body heat as possible. Winter didn't use to bother him at all. As a matter of fact, he used to enjoy it. The briskness of the air and he fresh snow always seemed to make him happy.

The sick samurai slid over to his window and slid it open a fraction so that he could peer outside at the winter wonder land that was the courtyard. Cold air rushed in and brushed harshly against his sleep kimono opening it slightly and leaving his chest vulnerable to the cold.

An involuntary shiver ran up Okita's spine and it caused him to refocus on the scene before him. It hadn't snowed yet, but it sure felt like it would soon.

"Okita, I brought you some lunch," spoke a voice from his closed door.

Okita glanced over at his door and a smirk graced his face for the first time all day. It would seem that he had a visitor.

"Hm, come on in Chizuru."

With his confirmation his door slid open and there stood Chizuru Yukimura. Of course, the kind girl would think enough of him to bring him lunch. He knew that someone would eventually bring him something, but it was usually Saito. And frankly seeing Chizuru brightened up his day a little more than seeing Saito.

She brought in the tray that held Okita's lunch and set it down quickly but careful, so she could close his door behind her. Once she had turned back around to face him Chizuru's smiling face soon turned into a frown and her brow furrowed slightly at the sight that greeted her.

She figured that Okita wouldn't be in his bed. He was quite stubborn and resented being sick, so he tried to get away with not resting as much as possible. He also tried to play it off that he wasn't as sick as he knew he was, but she also knew he only did that to save face.

And now? Now he was sitting next to an open window in the middle of winter. He had to be freezing. If he kept his antics up he would end up with a fever.

Quickly Chizuru rushed over to Okita and the open window and shut it immediately.

"Okita! Leaving this window open isn't going to help you get better. If anything it'll make it even harder for you to get well." Chizuru began scolding him as he stared down at Okita with her hands on her hips and her cheeks puffed slightly.

Okita leaned back on his hands and looked up at Chizuru's "angry" face. He fixed her with his trademark smirk and said, "Even sick patients need fresh air every so often, right Chizuru?" Chizuru's eyes widened at Okita's excuse. She couldn't exactly argue with that.

"Yes, but you need more rest than anything Okita," Chizuru said with as much conviction as she could.

Apparently that wasn't the right response because Okita's bright green eyes darkened and narrowed up at her. "Fine, I'll get back in bed like a good little dog," Okita said with a cruel smirk and bitter in his voice.

Chizuru flinched slightly at his tone but watched helplessly as he moved back towards his cot and got under the covers again. With a wary sigh Chizuru walked back towards the food tray she had left by the door and brought it close to Okita.

She sat next to him and placed the tray between herself and the agitated samurai. Okita's bored eyes looked down at his lunch and with a disinterested sniff he turned away from it. "I really don't have the appetite for anything."

There he went again being difficult.

Chizuru shook her head, "Okita please eat at least some of it. Having food in your system will help you feel better." Okita quirked an eyebrow at her and titled his head. "Why does it matter to you? What does it matter if I get better or not to you."

She was always fussing over him and making a big deal over his unhealthy habits. The last thing he needed was another Hijikata telling him how to live his life. He was sick of everyone treating him like he was made of glass. He had killed far too many people to be coddled and treated so delicately. Even if he did have tuberculosis that didn't mean that he still wasn't the same person he always was. Hell, the people around him didn't even know that he had the infamous disease anyway. So why in the hell were they all treating him like a child?

All it managed to do was piss him off. More than once when he was a child after being abandoned by his older sister Mitsu people would look down at him in pity. He had grown to despise that look. He never wanted to be looked at like that again in his life and yet here he was again.

Sick. Lonely. And useless.

Chizuru's face fell at Okita's harsh questioning. Despite what he though she did really care for him. She had come to care for all of the men in the Shinsengumi. After all they were the only family that she really had.

Not looking up at Okita's face Chizuru mumbled quietly, "Of course I care about what happens to you, Okita. You're… you're important to me. I just want you to get better."

Emerald green eyes widened considerably at the young woman's confession. Never before had she ever been so blunt and direct with him. Or with any of them at all. She was always so soft spoken it was rare to hear her voice such strong emotion.

Okita's eyes softened down at Chizuru and he said, "Is that so?"

Chizuru looked up at Okita and searched his eyes for any hint of teasing or humor, but she found none. With a flushed face she nodded. Okita's eyes lightened more at her reaction. Maybe just this once he would let her in.

"All right Chizuru. You win. I'll eat some of my lunch, but under one condition." Now there was the teasing tone that Okita used so often with her, but she didn't seem to notice. She was simply focused on the fact that he said he would eat.

Chizuru nodded her head two quick times with a bright smile on her face as she spoke, "Anything."

Okita's smirk widened further at her declaration. Oh, she made this far to easy for him. He leaned towards her slightly and fixed his green gaze on her honey brown gaze. "Hmmm? Anything you say?" Of course, now with their close proximity Chizuru's cheeks flushed a deep red and she tired to pull back as much as she could without offending Okita.

Silently she nodded her head. She wasn't one to go back on her word after all. She knew that Okita was just messing with her. Or at least she was eighty percent certain he was.

Satisfied with the display he had caused within Chizuru Okita leaned back to a comfortable distance. "You stay with me until I finish. Company would be nice for a while. Everyone's avoiding me like the plague," Okita spoke his request.

Chizuru looked up at Okita, baffled at his request. Out of all the things he could ask for he simply asked for her company. That within itself was odd enough, but at the same time Chizuru could understand why he had asked that of her.

The captains were all still very busy with their duties and Kondou could only stop by occasionally to check up on him. Which did little to lift his mood. Kondou was he favorite person in the world and to not be able to see him at all really dampened his mood. But Chizuru. Chizuru was the expectation. Wherever she went she lit up the room and made the people around her happy. Okita was not spared either. The young woman made him happy. Her company was welcomed. There were few people he could tolerate for long. The list included Kondou, Saito, and Chizuru herself.

With a gentle smile Chizuru nodded. "Of course, Okita. I'd love to stay."

With a smile thrown her way Okita picked up his bowl of food and began to eat slowly. Before taking the first bite Okita mumble mumbled his breath, "Thank you, Chizuru." Chizuru wasn't sure she had heard him say anything at all, but none the less she fixed Okita with another gentle smile. She almost responded to him but realized that he wasn't searching for a response. 'Of course, Okita. I'll always be here for you.'