Daydream
When Chizuru awoke that morning, she already felt a sore throat and a splitting headache. Her forehead was stained with cold pearls of sweat even so her body was shivering while she was laying under her blanked.
Chizuru had a nasty cold. Now, not only as a freeloader in the Shinsengumi's headquarter, she caused them even more trouble. Although feeling her body like a lead weight, she tried to get up. No, the demon girl had to get up; she thought and finally brought herself into a sitting position. As she tried to sit, she immediately felt a throbbing headache. The fever caused Chizuru's body to disobey her silent demands.
At that time the clattering noise of feet was audible and a cheerful voice was sounding from behind the sliding screen. "Chizuru! It's morning!"
"Uh-huh... Heisuke-...kun" Chizuru tiredly whispered.
"Would it be okay if I come in?" Heisuke politely asked the girl. Chizuru managed to answer in a more or less strong voice that she was fine with it. The morning sun was shining though the sliding screen into Chizuru's face. It was too bright for her eyes; reflexively the demon girl closed her eyes again and turned her face towards the wall. She could hear Heisuke steps inside, but she wouldn't look at him until her eyes got used to the sunlight. Chizuru suddenly felt a cooling hand on her forehead. A relieving sigh escaped her mouth as she felt a little bit better.
"Chizuru, what's wro-... Oh my, you have a really high fever!" Heisuke stated in a caring voice.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I think I might have caught a cold..." Chizuru's answer was followed by a cough. "There's nothing to apologize for! I should tell Hijikata-san that you can't do any work today, so you just be here and rest! I'll ask Gen-san to make you some Okayu, so that you'll be fine very soon. Alright?" "Yes. Thank you, Heisuke-kun." She muttered. "Don't worry! I'm off duty today, so I'll be nursing you for the entire day."
Chizuru slowly shook her head to protest. "That's not good, Heisuke-kun, even though you're not patrolling, you should go to your training." "Enough already Chizuru." Heisuke complained. "You should stop putting everyone else before your own well. It's alright; I'll take care of you! Now, close your eyes and go to sleep, dummy."
When Heisuke told her to not worry about being a bother to everyone, she stayed obedient and closed her eyes. "That's a good girl!" Heisuke cheerfully remarked and sounded almost like Okita. Before the youngster left the room, he patted her head just like she would expect Okita to do if he would have been here. Chizuru recognized that her face was in fire. That burning sensation was certainly caused by this fever, she thought, but it was a combination of her bad condition and shyness that Heisuke acted in this way.
Chizuru tried to sleep, but her eyes and mind were suddenly too awake to fall asleep. Even so she was laying in her futon and had closed her eyes; sleep was not visiting her. The girl decided to stick her head out of the futon again and open her eyes again. Just for a little moment.
In that moment something unbelievable surprising caught her attention.
Chizuru widened her eyes in surprise. "Ka-... Kazama-san!?"
"Don't talk so loud. Be quiet." The blonde demon demanded. "Why are you here?" Chizuru countered with a question. "Didn't I just tell you to be silent? Just rest already." Kazama told her. Chizuru couldn't hide her astonishment and was about to get up again, though the other demon was commanding her to get back to sleep. He put his hands on both her shoulders and sheeted her back. "Sleep, stubborn demon girl, be a nice girl and sleep." Kazama softly whispered and sat next to her his legs crossed.
"Why in the world are you here?" Chizuru asked. Kazama immediately replied. "I'm just passing this place once in a while. Don't get it wrong, it's not because you caught a cold."
"B-but you didn't come to kidnap me, did you?!"
"Did you even listen to what I just said?"
"I did." Chizuru stated, but turned her eyes away from Kazama. "But that doesn't mean I believe you."
The demon lord was amazed by her stubbornness and sighed out loud. "I won't take you with me. It would be a burden to take a sick person with me, got it?" He asked.
"Well then, tell me why you are here..." She said impatiently. "And I already told you to shut up. I'll be here until you fall asleep, so do it already." The blonde demanded again. Chizuru looked up to him and didn't see the typical sneer grin on his face. He was rather earnest and seemed to be worried about her. Seeing Kazama like this caused Chizuru to doubt what happened here, but she suddenly had to smile. Kazama was a little surprised about this sudden change of expression and he even more astonished when the girl took his hand and let him touch her cheek. The demon's face turned a shade reddish in a twinkle.
"I see..." Chizuru muttered. "This must be a dream."
"What?"
"I see... in a dream Kazama-san would be this kind." She mumbled happily.
"He-hey, this isn't a dream." He objected.
"No, this has to be a dream. Just thinking about your hand causing me to feel so safe would be..." Chizuru seemed to search for the right words. "If this isn't a dream, it would be frightening."
The girl rubbed her cheeks on Kazama's big hands while she didn't care if he felt shy about it. Chizuru opened her eyes again and whispered. "If you would always be that kind, I would probably like to become your wife some time."
For a moment he thought that this must have been an acoustical hallucination.
"Say that again." He required and felt his face flushing more. He bent over, but Chizuru was too tired and finally fell asleep while holding Kazama's hand. "That stubborn demon girl..." He murmured and rested his chin on one hand while sitting next to Chizuru and watched her sleeping face until Heisuke came back to take care of her.
The End