a/n: For clarification - In the anime, I see Hiji/Oki as pretty much canon in all but name, but this is a fic where they're not together at the start.

It was Tetsu who picked it up, half buried by the garden brushes, as he walked past for his page duties. The metal was hot in his hands, burning almost like a fire, causing him to almost drop it immediately. He recognised the ornament easily, his own necklace hung around his neck, still changing its shape day by day.

Soulmates were an artificial construct, or so the people whispered in the safety of their homes behind locked doors, or perhaps with their spouses who did not share the same mark; their partners whom they found before the Westerners introduced the soulmates system.

Around the same time the Samurai lost their swords, it became policy for all to be given a necklace at birth that will grow to form an incomplete shape. The Westerners had said another necklace could complete the shape; that the bearer of the other necklace was one's soulmate.

The year the policy was entrenched, every person was given a set. And though many wished to reject it, soon it became a compulsory tradition forcefully entrenched into society; another change to abhor.

Perhaps it was fate, or just a lucky coincidence, that at that very moment, the owner of the necklace strolled around the corner. With Saizo resting in his arms, Okita hummed a small tune as he came out to the yard.

"Do you know who this belongs to?" Tetsu held up the necklace by the chains, afraid to touch the burning shape that hung at the end. "The necklace is burning!"

Okita was quick to reclaim it, taking the necklace by the pendant with unflinching hands. He smiled, "Thank you, Tetsu-kun," he ruffled the young boy's head. "I must have accidentally dropped it here when I was playing with Saizo yesterday."

"Don't you find it hot?" Tetsu gaped, "Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Okita tilted his head, "Hm? Oh, it's always been this hot since the Shogunate handed us our necklaces for the first time. I'm used to it."

Tetsu didn't reply, staring wordlessly as the Shinsengumi captain retied the necklace around his neck. Tetsu's father had been more than eager to tell him of fairy tale-like stories of how soulmates tried to find each other, sailing over seven months in the seas hoping that their pendants would turn even just a little warmer. Did Okita not know the significance of his burning necklace?

Okita moved back towards the Verandah, patting the spot next to him for Tetsu to join him. The page readily joined him, though his interest was betrayed by the intent gaze to Okita's pendant. "Ne~ Okita, when did you get your necklace? You didn't get it at birth, did you?"

Okita's smile was gentle, "No, by then I was already at the Dojo with Kondo-san and Hijikata-san, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing," Tetsu replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "And you haven't found your soulmate yet?"

"Nope – I don't concern myself with it, though; there are heaps of people who don't marry their soulmates, and heaps who try spending their whole lives finding their soulmates, yet don't succeed, right? I'm much more interested in supporting Hijikata and the Shinsengumi here," Okita leaned back, looking up towards the sky. "I wear this because there's no reason to hate this necklace, but really, it is not significant to me."

Pausing, Okita turned back to Tetsu, who only looked away. Okita dropped his smile, "But that's only my own personal view on soulmates, that doesn't mean you shouldn't await your soulmate eagerly!"

Tetsu shook his head, though his smile was strained. "Saya and I are waiting until our pendants have completely formed, but we're pretty confident they will fit. But, Okita-san…" Tetsu hesitated, "If you did find your soulmate, by fate or coincidence, would you be willing to accept them?"

The redhead held his breath as Okita pondered, until at last, lavender eyes flashed. "Shinsengumi will always come first, for me," Okita hesitated, looking away. "I'm not sure if I'm looking for a romantic relationship, but I'd be happy to meet them!"

With a nod, and what he hopped to be a convincing smile, Tetsu left the captain with a small wave. A finger tapped on his chin as he walked; he may not be the wisest in the Shinsengumi, but when it came to soulmates, he knew he was their expert.

The next few days were the clumsiest Tetsu ever was; the mistakes he made during his first days as page only paled in comparison.

It couldn't be helped when he knocked Nagakura over in the hallway; he was only half awake during that time. When he tripped over his own feet, thank goodness Sano had been there to catch him. And as for why he jumped into Heisuke's arms in the middle of their training, he was just trying a new technique, right?

With Kondo, there was no need for subtlety. The easy going commander wore his necklace on top of his kimono more than half the time – its shape was clearly different from Okita's own intricate design. There was no need to test Yamanami's necklace, it was well known that his and Akesato's had clicked like magnets of opposite polarity.

Tetsu had almost given up as he sighed, his head lying on Hijikata's desk as he stared his own necklace that he had placed in front of him. The pendants were supposed to tepefy as they neared its other half; Okita may have been spending all this time with his soulmate since when he joined Kondo's dojo, but yet never knew.

With a frown, he ticked off his mental list of people that had come from Shiekan; none of them were as hot as Okita's, which burned hotter than even Yamanami's pendant. Suddenly, the door slammed open, all the light of the room shadowed by Hijikata's huge form.

Tetsu scrambled to tuck his necklace back around his neck and under his clothing. Jumping up, he saluted his master. "H-H-Hijikata-san! I wasn't slacking off at all!"

With a growl, Hijikata resumed his seat at his desk as Tetsu rushed out of the room with a cry. "I'll go get some tea!"

Hijikata's necklace had been the hardest to get a hold of, his reflexes too fast and too guarded for Tetsu to be able to reach his chest. And although it frustrated Tetsu to no end, there was no way to know whether or not Hijikata was the one for Okita.

Walking down the hallway, Tetsu tried to collect his thoughts – he was running out of people he knew, but there was no way he was going to give up! With his mind elsewhere, it was inevitable that he crashed headfirst into someone.

He looked up, meeting concerned lavender eyes.

"Okita-san!" Tetsu greeted. Subconsciously, his eyes drifted to Okita's chest, where his necklace probably was.

The look Okita gave Tetsu was strange as he took Tetsu by the arm, taking him into his own private rooms. Tetsu followed without protest, but even he couldn't miss the tension once he sat down beside Okita.

"Tetsu-kun, you've been running into a lot of different people lately, haven't you?" Okita's tone was calm, but there was an unusual edge to it.

Tetsu nodded, poking his tongue out as he scratched the back of his head. "Just a little clumsiness," he lied. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

"You're right, it probably won't. Have you felt everyone's soulmate necklace by now?"

Tetsu froze, the blood running cold inside him. Nervously, he peered up towards the captain. "Y-you know?"

"I was worried for your sudden increase in accidents; when I brought it up to Kondo-san and Yamanami-san it became apparent you've been doing some snooping around," Okita gazed up towards the ceiling. "This started ever since you picked up my necklace in the yard, didn't it. You're not purposely looking for my soulmate now, are you?"

Tetsu bit his lip, looking away. "I…"

"Have you ever considered how confrontational it would be, to suddenly be told that a person you've been living with – a friend; a comrade; a brother – has been your soulmate this entire time?" Okita's voice was cold, his tone lower. "The dynamics between each Shinsengumi member are not fragile, but you cannot play around with it either. When in battle, one's hesitation could get another killed."

Tetsu nodded, his face bleat red with a desire to sink into the ground.

Okita's expression loosened, a small smile growing on his face. "However, how did your search go?"

Tetsu shook his head, "None of them were any close to warm. And I haven't had a chance to get my hands on Hijikata's one yet."

Okita's shoulder seemed relax as he sighed, "You won't find Hijikata's. He doesn't wear his around – it does get in the way of fighting, sometimes. It's probably buried under all his clothing and trash at the bottom of a cupboard somewhere. Even he might not be able to find it – well, he never believed in all of this soulmate deal either."

Tetsu watched as Okita shifted in his seat. His eyes widened. "Do you want Hijikata to be your soulmate? Do you think he is?"

Okita punched Tetsu lightly on the head, though his smile never faltered. "Don't go around spreading false rumours!"

Tetsu hesitated, before he said, "As you've said, you don't have to get together only with your soulmate."

When Okita turned to Tetsu, the younger boy returned Okita's gaze with pointed determination. Okita giggled, "Thank you for thinking of me and your encouragement, but some things are more complicated than that."

"You never answered my earlier questions, but as for me, I do believe Hijikata is your soulmate. Even if it wasn't from a process of elimination, there's always a fact that he ever shows his evil face when you're in the room!" Tetsu pouted a little, before resuming his point. "You don't need a stupid necklace nor their compatibility verification to tell that you're perfect for each other!"

When Okita hesitated, Tetsu pushed him out the door – "Unless he rejects you, don't come back here! And if he does…" Tetsu hesitated. "He wouldn't! But if he's too dense to believe you and kick you out, well, I'll stay here and bring you sake!"

Tetsu stayed out the corridor, watching until Okita disappeared around the corner before returning to Okita's room. He sat and waited, the cup of tea he had promised Hijikata forgotten. Night fell, and when the door finally slammed open, it was only Tatsu-nii ushering him to bed.

Tetsu grinned – even if he could never verify it, he was sure he's Soulmate Seeking mission was a thorough success.