You sure know how to make an author feel guilty for not writing a single line for a long time! So, I'm back with a new OkiKagu just for you, my beloved supporters! I feel so bad for not answering to everyone's reviews, since I usually do, but from now on I will answer to everyone I can! It's a promise! Cross my heart and hope to die, or something like that anyway ^.^"
So, it's a little more serious this time. No pancake wars or other epic stuff, more centered on the theme of "growing closer in difficult times". Or that's what I tried, anyway...Please read and leave a little comment in the form of a review or PM, please ^.^
Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama, which belongs to Hideaki Sorachi, nor the song that inspired this, called "Count on me" by Default.
! CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST YOSHIWARA ARC ONWARDS !
Anytime you need someone
somebody strong to lean on
Well you can count on me to hold you till the healing is done
And every time you fall apart
you can hide here in my arms
And you can count on me to hold you till that feeling is gone
Default, Count on me
Just another night-shift alone for Okita Sougo. Sure, he had had a partner, but he was annoying so Okita had dumped him off somewhere. So now he was patrolling the streets in his car, not bothering to stop a random fight outside a rather popular brothel and ignoring a gang breaking benches in the park. Yes, Okita Sougo was a very bad example of a police officer.
Then something caught his eye. A rather familiar figure sitting alone on a deserted riverbank. Okita refused to admit he was actually a bit worried, instead he decided he was curious and steered closer. Once there, he rolled the window open and stuck his head out.
"What are you doing, China? Isn't it time for children to go to sleep?"
Kagura didn't bother to turn to face him. Actually, she didn't react at all.
"Are you asleep?"
Still no response.
Okita thought about throwing something at her head when his ears picked up a sound that made his stomach sink a tiny, tiiiiny bit. "Oy...are you crying there?"
This time Kagura almost screamed at him. "Like hell it's your business! Go away! I don't want to deal with you now!"
Okita wasn't affected at all by her attitude. After all, it was normal. He dealt with it everyday. "You should go home, there are pedophiles around just waiting to strike," he pointed out in his monotone voice.
"I told you to go away!" she screamed for real this time.
"I can't do that. It's a part of my duty to send lost children home." This coming from a police officer who completely ignored the crimes happening all around him just minutes ago.
"Why don't you shove that duty up your ass and go to hell!"
Okita sighed and rolled his eyes. They would get nowhere with how they were doing things. He turned his car off and stepped out. He walked over to the curled up girl and sat down about two meters away from her.
One blue eye glared at him from behind her arm. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I can't just leave, so I'm sitting here until you go home," he answered looking extremely bored.
Kagura humphed and buried her face deeper into her arms. "Do whatever you want."
"I would even if you didn't tell me."
Minutes went by in silence, disturbed only by Kagura's sobs from time to time. Sure, Okita didn't admit it, but he was worried and wanted to help her. He just didn't know how.
"My brother..."
Okita blinked in surprise and turned to look at Kagura. "Brother?"
"I...I couldn't bring him back. I...failed," she choked out.
"Your brother...the one in Harusame?"
Kagura nodded her head a little. "But he's different. That thing isn't my real brother! That's just a beast!"
Okita had no idea what to say, so he remained silent. He didn't know much about Kagura's family to begin with, so he had no right to say anything. All he knew was that she had it really tough sometimes.
"I feel so useless" Kagura muttered. "He's right, I'm weak. Not only do I lose to him, but myself too..."
Okita couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and took off his jacket. He walked over to her and dropped the jacket on her head. "I don't know what happened, but you're going to catch a cold if you stay outside with only that dress on. Go home, take a warm bath and go to sleep, China," he said and walked back to his car. He started it up again and took off.
Had he looked back, he would've seen her small and teary, yet grateful smile as she clutched onto his jacket.
It had been months since that encounter. After that, everything had gone back to normal between them. Meaning brutal fights every time they saw each other and insults flying around. But something felt different.
Kagura laid in her closet, deep in thought. One recent incident simply refused to get out of her head, but she didn't really mind. Not long ago she had been captured with the Shinsengumi captain due to some old grudge and while escaping they had been cornered. His words played all over again in her mind. "I'll show you what happens when you threaten what I'm protecting. No matter what happens, I will not allow a single one of you to advance even one step past me."
Kagura knew she was being overly self-centered, but she couldn't help but think that those words were directed at her. "What I'm protecting" made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, made her feel special. Much like the time when she had heard that Kamui had gone MIA.
Flashback
"What do you mean, missing?" Kagura asked Abuto, who had dropped by.
"Just what I said, missy. Our captain has disappeared without a word, so we thought he might've come to Earth. Seems like we were wrong," Abuto sighed and scratched his head.
"That idiot brother," Kagura growled.
"So, please contact us if you see him around, missy," Abuto said and stood up to leave.
"Why would I? I'll kill him when I see him," Kagura threatened.
But when Abuto had left, Kagura's angry facade fell apart. She bit back tears as she hurried to put her shoes on.
"Kagura-chan?" Shinpachi's worried voice came from the kitchen. He poked his head out into the hall. "Where are you going?"
Kagura didn't answer, just tore the door open and ran out.
"Kagura-chan!" Shinpachi called after her, shocked and worried, but she didn't stop.
Kagura kept running until she found a spot in the park with no one in sight. There, she allowed herself to cry silently while leaning against a tree, hidden by bushes. Or that's what she thought.
"Are you crying again?" an overly familiar, annoyingly monotonous voice drawled from above her.
Kagura groaned. "Why is it always you who finds me during my most miserable times?"
"Maybe I'm supposed to make you more miserable," Okita answered and looked down at her. He was sitting in the tree she was leaning on.
"Then you've accomplished your mission. Now go away."
"This feels like a déjà vu, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever, now go and die, I'm begging you."
Okita jumped down, but instead of going away he sat down on the other side of the tree. "So what is it this time? Your brother again?" he asked like he was talking about the weather.
Kagura sighed and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, he's missing this time." Honestly she had no idea why she was being so open with her enemy and rival, but she didn't really care anymore. He had already seen her crying her heart out, what's the point of lying anymore?
"Oh," was all he said.
"One of his underlings came by. Told me to keep an eye out for him."
"You'd do that even if he didn't tell you to, though."
"Guess so..."
"Your brother really makes your life hard, doesn't he? This is the second time I find you crying over him. Is he really worth it?"
"Of course he is! He's my only brother!"
"If I had a brother like that, I'd cut all ties with him. No use for guys like him."
"Why are men so heartless? Cutting ties and saying not worth it, you're horrible!"
"Then I'm just like your brother, aren't I?"
Kagura's eyes widened and she turned to look at him. "Why do you-?"
"I heard some things from danna," he answered vaguely without turning around. "If all you ever chase is that brother of yours, you might as well throw your life away. Because when he's gone, you're left with nothing, aren't you? Your world will be wiped out in a second."
Kagura couldn't see his face, but he sounded so serious it worried her. "You...what happened to you? Why do you say those things?"
"Because it could've happened to me," he answered, and before Kagura could say anything he was up and walking. "I'm hungry, so I'm going."
Kagura just stared at his back, all worries for her brother gone, replaced by a strange, yet somewhat nice, feeling in the pit of her stomach.
End of flashback
"Kagura! We're going now!" Gintoki's loud, lazy voice called out.
Kagura snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh yeah, we have a job. Coming!"
Walking down the streets while arguing with the two men Kagura suddenly spotted a familiar figure approaching. While pretending to listen to Gintoki's rambling, she watched the approaching person from the corner of her eye. As they walked past each other, Kagura's eyes made contact with his. She smiled before breaking eye contact and walking along while trying to hide the huge grin making it's way on her lips.
Okita Sougo smirked and continued to walk with his superiors who were questioning him about his sudden change of expression.
It isn't easy to suddenly change your attitude towards someone, but even if it takes years, even decades, one day, for sure, she will be able to openly run into his arms when she needs someone to lean on. And then he can truly hold her until she can stand on her own again.
Whew, there, what d'you think? I wrote the first version of this long ago, and just happened to find it again this morning. Tweaking it a bit (actually a lot...), I deemed it good enough to be put up. ^.^
If anyone is wondering, I pulled the whole "Kamui goes MIA" out of my grandpa's old and worn hat without any idea what I was doing. Sorry for doing something so rash without thinking ::get's on her knees to beg for mercy:: And the part at the end where Sougo says "it could've happened to me", he means the time when his sister died and he was pretty broken. Sorry for being so vague at times...
I don't think I have anything else to add. Please review! ^.^
~poakkis