disclaimer! i don't own Hakuouki; Kawa and this story belong to me (: enjoy!

Nobody

Why did she have to meet him here of all places…? Just because he was late from work? Eesh.

Exhaling, the girl took a last sip from her virgin drink, gesturing the bartender refill her glass. She glanced boredly from one side of the boisterous room to the other, drowning out the beat of the obnoxious song playing on the overhead speakers. Even with how she looked, she never liked going out unless asked; this type of music was just so annoying, and it was almost repulsing (if not annoying) to watch the other patrons of the club dance as if without shame.

"You come here often, honey?" A male voice said to her right as she took a sip of her drink, earning a mild glance from her. The guy looked to be in his mid-twenties, hair slicked back with a killer smile that would make lesser girls with weaker knees melt like putty.

She was unfazed… and repulsed.

Sipping her drink again, she closed her gray eyes. "The night life isn't kind to girls like me." She answered, adding in a stiff tone, "Piss off."

The man chuckled, propping his elbows on the countertop as he discreetly nudged her knee with his own, not seeing her left brow twitch. "Don't be so cold, not with those looks…" He hummed.

"Oi." A rough hand gripped the man's right shoulder from behind, and as he jerked his head to glare at the interruption, he met the cold violet stare of a man that wore a stony expression on his handsome face. "Sorry for being late." He said, his words for the girl.

She shrugged, offering a cheeky smirk. "Not at all; sorry, love, but this spot's taken." She wagged her fingers in the same cheeky manner to the guy who shrugged off the older man's grip and stalked away to migrate back to the gyrating throng of dancers.

They both gave a sigh.

Throwing a scowl at where the man had skulked off to, he plonked down on the stool next to hers, gesturing for what she was having to the bartender; he scritched the back of his head habitually. "I'm a little surprised you didn't brush off that sleaze before I came." He mused.

"'Brush off' is the nicest thing I woulda done. His cologne was nauseating." Wrinkling her nose at the scent, she sipped her drink again.

"Him or his cologne?" He scoffed.

She chuckled softly, nudging him. "Play nice for once, Aniki." She teased.

"To guys that make a pass at my dearest little sister? Right." He rolled his eyes, gauging her drink again. "And what the hell're you drinking? Y'know you're not old enough." He reminded with a returning nudge.

Puffing her cheeks out a smidge, she huffed. "Virgin Cuba-Libre. Eesh, not even ten minutes into rendezvousing and you make that scary face… S' no wonder you don't get many fangirls." She replied, sipping her drink.

Distinctly feeling his ears burn, the twenty-seven year old sipped his drink heartily. "You don't go to University, therefore you can't make that assumption." He countered.

"Hmm, is that so?" The twenty-year old tilted her head slightly, watching his cheeks heat up; she snickered and crossed her arms smugly at her chest. "Well that'll change tomorrow." She mused.

He clicked his tongue in reluctant defeat, scowling pointedly at her, brow twitching when noting her serene smile. "You coulda gone to Kyoto University, or even gone overseas… Why?" He almost groaned, violet eyes exasperated.

"Y'know Nobu would maim me if I went overseas, and besides, I didn't choose Kyoto. I chose Roshigumi because it's close to home and that way you wouldn't worry so much." She explained, noting he nodded at the mention of his sister; her pretty face softened slightly as she punched his shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "You're still a worry-wart, y'know, no matter how old ya get." She reminded.

He made a sideways expression at her comment and punch to his shoulder, noting her softened gray stare momentarily; he exhaled and poked her forehead. "And you're still a brat sister, no matter how old you get. Nobu would maim you and then me for letting you go overseas, anyway." He remarked.

They both gave a collective shudder at the idea.

"Which class do you have first tomorrow?" He asked, gesturing for another drink for her.

She sipped her drink and pondered, "Japanese History, and then Constructive Writing afterward…" She listed.

His ears perked at mention of the first class, violet eyes warming a smidge as he smiled. "Try not to step on the professor's toes in history; he's a good friend of mine." He requested, earning a curious look.

"If he's a friend of yours, then I'm doomed." She joked, placing her left forearm over her eyes dramatically.

He rolled his eyes and pinched her cheek in scolding. "He's not as bad as you'd think… It's the dean you'd have to worry about." He corrected, brow furrowing slightly at the mention of said man.

"Is he a scary ogre fresh from the pits of hell?" She asked in half-joking, half-earnest.

He snorted bemusedly, sipping his drink. "You could say that."

The younger Hijikata blinked in slight confusion, looking down at her drink and sipping again. "Right…"

"Otherwise, you'll probably do fine, Yasakawa." The older Hijikata mused, instinctively patting her shoulder.

Holding his hand to her shoulder for a moment, she nodded and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Toshi. Oh yeah, you're getting the tab." She added as she let his hand go.

"Wait, why me? You've got a job; don't stick the damn bill on me!"

"You're a gentleman aren't you? Pay up!"

"… You're so annoying, you know that?"

"Your horns are showing, Oni…"

just a spur-of-the-moment epiphany i had to get written down. irony that shit like this happens when i'm trying to get to sleep.. ah well~. anywho, i mentioned some of the summary for this story in my bio pg if you wanna look there.. elsewise, feel free to comment/ review, people. i won't bite! ;P

*Nobody - girugamesh