She's rendered speechless when he says something while they're fighting. Her - Kagura, the Queen of Kabuki-cho - is actually unable to find a proper response to the Sadist. For the first time. Usually she has a handful of quips always ready for the Sadist's snark comments, but not this time.
"How about it?"
He watches her, with crimson eyes that are egging her on. He knows he's winning, she can tell from the way he has that annoying smirk on his face. Kagura's hand fastens around the handle of her umbrella and she turns her head to the side and spits, an act that's unbecoming of a blossoming sixteen year old lady.
"Bring it on."
Sougo likes the determination in her eyes. He holds his sword up and steadying himself in one breath, he lunges in another.
Today, Kagura makes sure to wake up extra early. She doesn't sleep in like any usual Saturdays, and instead prepares herself. She'll wear her favourite mandarin gown today for a boost of luck – she needs some luck today.
Securing the buns in her hair, the door opens to reveal a disheveled Gin-chan. He squints at her outfit and at the fact that Kagura is up too early. He doesn't know if it's an effect from drinking too much last night, but there is a bad feeling he can't quite shake off; a bad feeling that he's sure has nothing to do with a hangover.
"Kagura? What are you doing so early in the morning dressed like that," his fatherly instincts kick in. "don't tell me you're on a date because Gin-san won't al—"
"Gin-chan, you're nagging like an old man, yup. I'm not going off on any date, don't worry!" She pecks him on the cheek as she walks out of the door, much to the perm head's surprise.
"I've got a war to win today."
Sword strapped to his hip in case something goes wrong, eye mask tucked away nicely in his pocket, and Sougo thinks he's ready. He's prepared to go to their rendezvous point: the park. Over there, he's going to settle everything once and for all.
Kamiyama sees the first division in the hallways so early in the morning and he's definitely surprised. As Sougo walks by, he goes a full ninety-degree bow and salutes the man.
"Captain! May I ask what you're doing so early in the morning!" It sounds more like an exclamation than a question from the ever enthusiastic Kamiyama. His captain pushes past him and continues walking, disregarding him and his nosy questions like always.
"Something to settle with someone," comes his vague reply.
It's a Saturday morning. The kids have come out to play, and so have whole families who enjoy their picnic together. The street vendors are tending to smiling customers, and even couples stroll along the lake that shimmers under the sun, engrossed in their own world. Kagura looks across the park from her bench at the busy sight and agrees that it's an idyllic day to be out and about, especially when it's a weekend.
He finds her there later – it's a bench they always occupy, and greets her. "That's a lot of spectators today."
She doesn't turn her head to see him at all, parasol steadied on her shoulder and sheltering her from the sun. "The more the merrier to see you humiliated, yup."
"Are you ready?" She stands up, her azure eyes glaring at him.
"More than ready!" With that, Kagura runs down the small slope that leads to the middle of a pavement. Holding her umbrella down, she starts to shout albeit stuttering the first few times, much to the amusement of the Sadist.
"O-OKITA SOUGO IS A BASTARD; A DIRTBAG, A HUGE FAILURE OF A SADIST THAT DOESN'T GET IT DONE PROPERLY IN B-BED! KEEP YOUR PANTIES, BECAUSE THAT SICK BASTARD'S GOING TO COME AFTER YOU—"
The people stop what they are doing. Some are pretty shocked and offended at the expletives used, but most are curious. Though, that changes quickly when they see their resident Yato standing with that police officer close by. From their experiences of living in Kabuki-cho, the people know that things are never bound to be peaceful for long when these two were brought together. Yet, they're drawn to the ostentatious display.
"And our illegal immigrant here has the worst case of hopelessness here – she can't chase men except to chase them away, and is a total turn-off to any member of the male population."
A few of the ladies gasp for their fellow female, and it didn't take long for a crowd to gather around the two. A crowd that consists of children and adults – families with annoyed parents attempting to drag their kids away, and vendors who push their cart just a little closer to have a good view. Okita, noticing this, acknowledges them monotonously.
"Everyone is invited to watch the show."
And so, their public banter begins.
"Let's do it then. You and I both know how we really feel, so we should settle this once and for all."
Kagura hesitated. Now that they weren't brats anymore, the feelings that were pushed aside for too long had accumulated far too much and threatened to blow up in their faces. Several times she caught him looking at her strangely, and she had even found herself smiling at the thought of him, but not without retching. It didn't help that they started the habit of going out together, either.
When they met, it wasn't the usual Yorozuya-and-Shinsengumi group meetings anymore, just Okita and her. Sometimes, dinner was an option after fights, which ended up in Sadist paying for more than just both of their meals. Then there were their casual meet-ups by the park, when she was free and he was on a break from patrol. Of course, none of them spoke a word to their respective 'families', nor did they make anything out of it. It was just there – the feelings – growing out and bigger, little by little…
Maybe it was a good time now, since she was sixteen. Now that she was at an older age where she understood more stuff like what fetishes meant, or what Gin-chan sometimes did at night, she felt she could try it out. Sadist wasn't a bad guy, not at all, she learnt of how he just liked to say mean things when he meant otherwise inside. (But that didn't stop his words from pissing her off.)
After they had both settled down from their fight, and he had the chance to bring up the subject again, she found herself nervous all of a sudden. Just like how the Sadist didn't mean the things he said, she was the same. Kagura found it hard to say the things she felt, especially when it came to the matters of the heart.
""S-Sadist… I—"
"We'll start by pointing out the worst in each other. That'll help to get rid of our feelings for each other." Then, her heart stilled and she looked at him.
"After all, you know that I don't want to be 'in love with you', as they call it, and I think you feel the same way." He didn't even bat an eyelid as he spoke.
Kagura's hold on her umbrella loosened, and she blinked. Sadist's expression showed that he was really serious about this, and she couldn't help but feel a sudden urge to punch him; to yell at him for being such an idiot. But in the end, she could only force out a grunt of agreement.
"We'll say all the things we hate about each other, shout them out – and you can't confess somewhere along the way." He didn't even talk about what happened if one of them confessed.
She was tempted to ask, 'Is the punishment for the loser a broken heart, jerk?'
"…doesn't even remember his own birthday, always picks on innocent maidens who didn't do anything in the first place—"
"Watches Ladies 4 all the time and yet she still doesn't know how to be a lady, is a barbarian and falls asleep after she eats—"
"Doesn't wash his hands after going to the toilet," cue a few disgusted faces from the crowd, "doesn't finish his food, tries to put on a front when he's a huge coward—"
"—makes a huge fuss out of everything, forgot my birthday and isn't even sorry about it, prideful and always harping on my back—"
The two of them continue, strings of bad traits coming out from one another. They've been at it for so long, that the sky is turning a pale shade of orange. Even the crowd is left wondering if they are actually a couple or they just hate each other, though a few familiar faces among them watch on quietly.
"Gin-san…" Shinpachi said, his voice laced with concern. For them, it's obvious how hurt the Yato looks as she rambles on about the Sadist's bad points, so much that they expect her to cry anytime soon.
"Leave her be." Is all he says.
An irate mayonnaise-loving vice commander and tearful commander joins the crowd. Hijikata is surprisingly quiet, with Kondo standing beside him looking equally serious. Sougo doesn't look like he's coping well – although he still has his poker face, the two can see his aloof act slowly coming apart.
Finally, she takes a deep breath, and her voice comes out more strained and loud this time.
"… He's an idiot; a huge idiot, for not understanding how a girl feels! He only knows how to step on the heart of others! He doesn't understand at all! You don't understand how I want to keep these feelings…"
With eyes that are almost spilling with tears by this time, she holds up a parasol at him.
"You're a damned idiot!"
Then, she shoves the people aside in the crowd to make way and runs. Her pride won't allow him the chance of seeing her cry in public, especially not when he's the main cause of it.
"Kagura!" Gintoki and Shinpachi break away from the crowd to chase after the girl. On the other hand, Sougo doesn't say anything, and his face remains passive. It doesn't take long for the crowd to disperse when they realize that the show has ended, though their faces are still of confusion.
"So, do they like each other or not?" A young boy asks his older sister as they walk by Hijikata and Kondo. The elder sister awkwardly thinks of a proper reply, though she's interrupted by the commander.
"It's no good for you to be thinking about these, leave it to the grown-ups." Kondo gives the boy a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. The boy shies away, switching sides so he walk to the right side of his sister. She can only return the depressed Kondo a sympathetic smile and speed off.
"I-I think I understand how Sougo feels…" The commander sobs.
"Your feelings right now are completely different from his, Kondo-san."
"Kagura, you'll scare away all the boys in Kabuki-cho if you cry." Gintoki reminds as he plops down next to the lone Yato. Shinpachi sits on the Kagura's other side and the two of them listen quietly as she tries to suppress her sniffles.
"S-shut up, Gin-chan… You don't know a girl's heart!"
"I get it, I get it. Gin-san is way too old to understand what you youngsters do nowadays." He shakes his head. "But boys are idiots at his age, it's better to abstain from them-"
"Gin-san!" Shinpachi chides. Gintoki looks at him quizzically, and tries to decipher what he's trying to bring across with the hand gestures.
'Don't mention Okita-san!'
'Huh? Don't piss on the sun?'
'No, I'm saying don't mention Okita-san!'
'You want to go Okinawa?'
'No! Don't mention Okita-san, don't mention Okita-san!'
'Oh, don't—'
The two are dealt with a blow each to the head.
"Did you fall and hit your heads? I can read your lips. You're both terrible consolers," she laments, with a hint of a smile on her face. Getting up, the Yato casually reaches out to dust her gown.
Her eyes are dry now thanks to the two idiots, and it's very easy how she forgets about the sad things when she's together with Gin-chan and Shinpachi. The sun has set, and it gives her the chance to hold her umbrella by her side. The two get up and follow after her as she walks ahead.
"Kagura-chan, what do you want to eat for dinner?"Shinpachi jogs up beside her and asks in that good natured way of his. Gintoki trails right behind them, with his hands folded behind his head.
Three days since their public fight, and Captain Okita is still pissed.
The Shinsengumi men know this very well because they're always on the receiving end whenever Captain Okita is in a bad mood. It's already trained in them alongside with their sword skills – the Captain's mood meter is a built in function. Hell, they don't even ask for this and it comes with the whole package of being in Shinsengumi.
Unfortunately, their meters all spiral out of control when the fuming captain walks by. Instantly, two of them greet Okita with a bow, while he ignores them and continues on.
"Oi, Sougo." The rough voice of their vice-commander breaks the tension, and they almost wet themselves from the fear. It's nothing new that their captain has always hated the mayonnaise freak, so bad that even they are not oblivious to his schemes to annihilate the man. Seeing as how the captain is already in a terrible mood, it's impossible to ignore the impending war—
Just as expected, Okita stops and doesn't even look back.
"We need to talk." Hijikata continues, unfazed. Okita is silent for a few moments, and the two fellows hold their breath. They're shocked when the Captain promptly turns his heel and follows after the vice-commander without a single word.
"Hey, the vice-commander is going to be okay, right?" One whispers to the other.
"It doesn't matter, let's get out of here!" The other says, and drags him out of the room, leaving the lounge empty except for the two. Seeing the two finally disappear, Hijikata leans his back on the wall and then withdraws the cigarette from his mouth. He doesn't say anything when Okita collapses onto the bench beside him, face buried in hands.
"You should just tell her how you really feel." Hijikata says, and Okita scoffs.
"I don't want to hear that from you."
"O-oi, I'm giving you some help here!"
"That China, I didn't expect her to… feel that way."
"Isn't it fine that she does? You want this, don't you? Go before it's too late." Hijikata pauses and he frowns, as if he recalled something bad. "Or, are you holding back because—"
"I'm not like you, Hijikata-san." Okita laughs humorlessly. "I'm selfish."
At his own words, he stops. "I'm selfish," he repeats again, though this time it's more to himself. He already knows what he wants, and who's going to stop him this time? Okita removes his hands, gets up and goes to head on out. Though, he stops at the doorway.
"Ah, who does Hijikata think he is, giving out advice to the the Great Prince of Planet S. I'll be sure to repay you later, with my finest bazooka."
The television is tuned into the news channel, and since Gin-chan isn't around, she doesn't have to pretend she's watching the television. In order to get the perm head and glasses to stop worrying about her, Kagura has been acting normal for the past few days. Although, they bug her sometimes with Gin-chan's occasional slip-up of the Sadist, and Shinpachi's worried side glances. The Yato is more than glad to be home alone; one of the rare times since the incident.
With Sadaharu nestled around her feet and sleeping, she involuntarily sniffs again. The tears have not stopped coming when she's left alone, apparently. Kagura's finding it harder to leave her closet in the morning nowadays thanks to them. Sadaharu's ears twitch, and he opens his eyes to see her crying again. Giving a whine, he extends a giant paw on his master's lap with his eyebrows turned upside down. She's holds his paw and wants to tell him that she's okay, though—
"Open the door or I'll blow the whole house down." The megaphone screeches, and Kagura hurriedly wipes away her tears when she discerns the voice.
"China, I know you're in there!" She runs to the window and looks down below. Sadist stands beside the open door of his police car, holding a megaphone. She gapes at him, and so do the many other passerby on the street.
"The hell do you want, asshole?" The Yato forces up a front and shouts back, waving her fist at him.
"You ran away from our fight four days ago, you coward. I want a rematch again!"
"You can go play the stupid game yourself!"
"I'm going to start first!"
"You jerk, you still don't—"
"Kagura is a tomboy; a tomboy who attracts so much attention that makes me want to make those men blind; she thinks she can take care of others when she kills off all her pets except for the monster dog of hers, and I'm enslaved with the responsibility of taking care of her because of my love for her that grows like fungus on athlete's feet. She makes me want to puke out the butterflies in my stomach whenever I see her because that is the most disgusting thing I've ever had—"
"Okita Sougo makes me puke, literally, whenever I see him, not because of butterflies but because of how disgusting that pretty face of his is! His face doesn't do shit when he has such an ugly personality; being the coward that he is, he's afraid to face his feelings for the one he loves so much and instead says stupid things—"
"—that makes the girl he's in love with mad." Taking a deep breath, Okita looks at the curious crowd that's about to gather again and this time, he pulls out his bazooka and aims it at them.
"Nobody is invited; the police officer suggests that you run along now, folks." It's enough to send them scattering. The Sadist turns back to the Yato, who watches him with a huge blush across her face, which makes him smile.
"I'm sorry, China. Let me take back what I said, and I think I want to keep these feelings too, as long as they don't rot. But I only like you a little. Just a little."
"Sorry isn't going to make up for this time, Sadist! But if you insist, I have some feelings for you too, uh huh! I like you as much as sukonbu!"
"I'm going to burn that sukonbu stash of yours, so like me more."
"Take responsibility and feed me, then!"
"If I do, then you're going to be my slave. Oi, come down here so I can stop doing this. I'm tired!" He throws away the megaphone and yells through cupped hands.
"No, you are my slave! Crawl to me!" She yells back, imitating his hands.
"Come on, China, I'm the only one who's going to accept you. No other guy is going to think you're cute or want to date you—"
"Actually, I don't mind." A young man interjects and scratches his cheek sheepishly, though he lets out a shriek when he sees the police officer pointing a bazooka at his face.
"Nobody asked for your opinion, jackass. She'll never be yours," he mutters and makes sure to send the man flying a few feet away in the clear blue sky. Then, when the poor bloke is flying, he points a finger at the small dot.
"Look, China, a wishing star!" Okita deadpans. "Wish that you're dating Okita Sougo, quick. I'll make that come true in less than a second."
"Fat chance, you wish that you are dating the Queen of Kabuki-cho instead, uh-huh!" Kagura grins, and slams the windows shut. She goes back in to meet Sadaharu's puzzled gaze and she caresses him on the head. With the back of her hand she wipes the tears away, and goes to fetch her parasol before heading out.
Sadist is waiting in the car when she leaves the house, and she passes Gin-chan who carries bag of JUMP.
"Kagura?!" He's alarmed when he sees Okita in the car. "Where are you going, don't tell me you're going on a date because Gin-san won't—"
Kagura doesn't stop to listen. She blows him a kiss from behind the car's windshield and waves goodbye. Okita, not missing the chance to be the Sadist that he is, takes out a collar from the car compartment and waves it as enthusiastically as the Yato.
Oh, how much he enjoys the darkened face of Danna's when Kagura catches on, and pulls out rope to wave it alongside with his collar.
AN: And here I bring you yet another one-shot! This time, it's centered around my favourite pairing, OkiKagu, and a challenge that was posted on tumblr that had to do with public confessions. I hope you liked it, and thank you for reading this!