A/N: This trilogy was supposed to be my entry for GinTae Valentine, but my busy schedule at work kept me from uploading it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. :)
It's a warm summer night, and the streets of Kabukicho were filled with people busy keeping themselves cool either with a fan or a cold treat. Since the moon took its usual place in the vast sky filled with glittering stars, the bars and other establishments became occupied in an instant.
In another part of Kabuki-cho, the usual bright signage illuminating the entrance of Snack Otose was dimmed and the doors were tightly shut tonight. However, the usual ruckus happening in the bar every night still rang on the ears of passers-by. Then, a brunette clad in salmon pink kimono walked toward the doors of Snack Otose.
Tae put down a box and a grocery bag she was carrying and fixed her kimono and her ponytail. Then, she let out a heavy sigh before knocking on the door. As soon as the door revealed the revelry behind it, Tae greeted everyone with her signature sweet smile. Her eye automatically searched for a lump of silver hair, and she immediately spotted him on a stool by the main bar. His eyes met hers when he turned around; and they both smiled at each other; but before they could utter a word of greeting, a vermillion-haired girl came rushing toward Tae.
"Anego!" Kagura hugged Tae and immediately snatched the box and the grocery bag she was holding.
"Oi, Kagura-chan, knock it off! That's not for you!" shouted Shinpachi.
"My, my, Kagura-chan! Don't worry, I bought enough for everyone," Tae said as she patted the girl on her head.
"Since when did Kagura-chan have enough food?! Her definition of "enough food" means enough to feed the entire Edo population!" Shinpachi protested.
"Happy Birthday, Otose-san! Good evening, everyone!" Then, she saw Hasegawa Taizou and Katsura Kotaro raise their sake cups as a sign of greeting.
"Thank you, Otae. Go ahead, eat!"
"Hey, Gin-san! Good evening!" she greeted him with her sweetest smile.
"Now, I am not sure if it's going to be a great evening since I'll be sitting next to a mountain gori- ouch!" Gintoki heared a crack on his ribs before he could even finish his sentence.
Katsura, to ease the tension with greater tension, teased the two. "Great! Now that Otae-dono is here, Gintoki can stop glancing at the door and the clock."
"Zuraaaa!" Gintoki could only scream in horror.
"Zura ja nai, Katsura da!"The Joui leader belted his signature line. "At least, you don't need to blow your money in Snack Smile to see her tonight, right Gintoki? Well, if you have money to blo-"
"Zuraaaa! What the hell are you talking about?" Gintoki was either blushing out of embarrassment or out of rage. Meanwhile, Tae suddenly felt a burning sensation on her cheeks, but the urge to grab Katsura's long hair was blazing inside her. Just as when she was about to, she was jolted by Kagura's sudden reaction.
"Wohooo! Strawberry cheesecake and strawberry-flavored Baagen Dash! You're the best, Anego!" Kagura exclaimed.
A puzzled look registered on Gintoki's face. It was then that Tae realized that she subconsciously picked strawberry flavors for the cake and ice cream. Oh, right! It's not like I remembered that it was his favorite. Well, yes, I thought about him since I couldn't decide. Besides, it's not even for him, so why make a big fuss? Tae tried to bury her thoughts by snacking on a plate of sushi.
Gintoki jumped on his seat and looked at Tae. Good thing she was busy pouring sake on her cup that she did not notice him looking at her.
"Oi, Shinpachi, get Kagura out of there! She might chug them all out in one swipe." Gintoki said.
"Tama, get them all here and put them in small bowls," Otose commanded.
Shinpachi dragged a dejected Kagura to a seat in the corner, and order was restored in the bar.
Tae could only shake her head and smile as she watched the Yorozuya do what they are good at – creating chaos. Then, a familiar hand grabbed the sake bottle in front of her and poured the contents into her cup. Well, it seems that I'm easily startled tonight, she thought.
"T-thank you, Gin-san," was all she could say.
"Don't get yourself too drunk. We all know that you can beat the crap out of any guy out there, but of course, you shouldn't be too careless."
Tae felt her heart skipped a beat with what she heard. She tried to look away, but managed to regain her composure.
"Thanks! Uhm, I, well… I have not seen you in the bar for a week now. You must be very busy."
Since Gintoki frequented Snack Smile, she would always anxiously look at the door whenever someone arrives, secretly wishing that it was him. Sure, she can beat the living daylights out of almost everyone in the bar, but seeing him there makes her safe.
"Yeah, my hands are full right now," Gintoki replied. The truth was, he didn't have enough money to afford even a shot of Dom Peri.
As they both tried to grab the sake bottle, their hands touched. They gazed at each other, and Tae was the first to withdraw her hand. She could have sworn that she had seen a tinge of red on Gin-san's cheeks, but it might have been the effect of sake.
"Kagura-chaaaaan! Stop gobbling all the okonomiyaki!" shouted Shinpachi.
"I've only had, like, eight!" replied the Yato girl.
Tae laughed, and Gintoki side-eyed her. Once again, their eyes met, and they both laughed.
"Kagura-chan and Shin-chan are all grown up now, but they still bicker like there's no tomorrow," the cabaret girl remarked.
"Yes, and it's always causing me headache," the silver-permed samurai said with a sheepish smile.
He's really handsome when he smiles like that. His dead fish eyes turn into scarlet orbs full of life, Tae thought. Well, she admitted before that she finds him attractive when he shows some serious emotions; it seems that his eyes are glowing with intense passion.
"Well, you are a troublemaker yourself. I hope that you stop being reckless, too, Gin-san. I don't want to see you in front of the dojo or apartment door knocking with a body worse than a butchered meat. I might not take it anymore…" she said softly. When she realized what she just said, she nervously grabbed the sake bottle and poured some into her cup even if it was not yet empty.
"Yeah, good thing I have a great nurse who treats my wounds even if sometimes she behaves like a weapon of mass destruct- owww!" Gintoki grimaced as Tae's solid punch landed on his right arm.
"What an ungrateful bastard!" she retorted, still with a sweet smile on her face.
"Well, aren't you? How would you describe someone who hitches a ride on somebody else's scooter and make a punching bag out of them during your first damn meeting?"
"Oh that! Hahaha! You'd put us in a difficult situation, so you got what you deserve. But come to think of it, our first meeting was really funny - " Tae said.
"- and painful and troublesome for me. Pattsuan and I even had to rescue you from that hideous loanshark. So much for a first meeting, huh?" Gintoki smirked and gulped another cup of sake.
Tae rested her chin on her hands. "Yes, if it were not for you, I'd be living a hellish life in that shady flying bar, so thank you…"
"We'll, knowing you, it's more likely that you'd raise hell there yourself."
"I don't know if that's a diss or a praise, but I'll take it as a praise,"
Gintoki looked at Tae and smiled. She was quite alarmed with the way her heart was beating wildly with just that smile. Then, she wondered how great it would be to see that smile every time she wakes up every day. Catching herself having those thoughts, she wanted to slap herself. She went through a lot to convince herself that she was not attracted to his brother's employer, but she told herself that it was useless to lie to herself.
Orphaned at a very young age, Tae was forced to take the responsibility of keeping the dojo and raising her little brother alone. She and her little brother lived a lonely and difficult life trying to make ends meet and to pay the debt left behind by their father. Even if she masked the sadness and pain with a smile every day, she couldn't help but long to feel the warmth of having a loving family. Little did she know that their lives would change forever one day when she and her brother crossed paths with Gintoki and then later, Kagura and Sadaharu. She was then glad to have an older male figure in her life to fill in the void left by the death of her father. He may not seem like it, but Gintoki is really dependable and trustworthy. She can freely talk to him about anything, and despite their almost a decade of age difference, he treats her as his equal. Also, she has found a little sister in Kagura whom she loves so much. Every time they are together, she is grateful that fate has brought them all together – souls in search of a home, a family they can share the ups and downs of life with.
As the Shimura siblings became closer to Gintoki, Kagura, and Sadaharu, Tae also found herself constantly thinking about them, especially the Yorozuya boss. She would always look forward to the time when they would sit together, share a tub of strawberry Baagen Dash, and just talk about anything. They sometimes fight when Gintoki insults her about her flat chest and unlady-like demeanor and when she is irked by his stupidity, but they truly understand, respect, and trust each other.
As time went by, she just found herself wanting to be with him all the time. Well, that's what a family is, right? But then, she would find herself staring at him from afar and thoughts of him would surely make her smile. She was wondering if it's just a little crush or something, but it was different from what she felt about Hajime-nii. With Hajime-nii, she would just be at awe with the things he did, and the affection he showered her was more of a sisterly love. She might be young then, so there were no butterflies in her stomach or an electrifying feeling every time they would interact. With Gintoki, it is really different. It is a sheer feeling that she could not just shake off from her system. She just realized what she truly feels for him when her brother begged her to go to the Yorozuya apartment in the dead of the night looking very distraught and petrified. When she saw him in his apartment with clothes soaked in blood and a body full of cuts and bruises, she was terrified not just because of the extent of his injuries but the possibility of losing someone so dear to her - again.
Tae blinked as her reverie was cut short by Kagura's piercing scream throughout Snack Otose.
"Here comes the ice cream and the cake! Wohoohooo!" the cute little glutton exclaimed as she waltzed toward Tama who was holding a tray of bowls filled with strawberry ice cream.
Gintoki rose to his feet and joined the riot over the ice cream. "Oi, oi, oi! Don't be greedy! That's strawberry-flavored, damn it!"
"Nooo waaaay!"
"Kagura-chaaaan, you food-grinding machine! They're not even for you!"
"Shut up, Megane! Don't you know that eating ice cream can make you blind?"
"Says who, you greedy liar?"
"You'll be when I poke your eyes with my spoon if you eat my ice cream."
She couldn't help but laugh with the crazy banter among the three. Her train of thought was interrupted by a dignified yet gentle voice of a woman behind her.
"Whenever these three morons gather, the place turns into a bedlam," Otose said while shaking her head. "Will you be able to handle a family like that?" she asked.
It took several seconds before Tae was able to answer. "I guess so. I got used to it already," she replied.
"I wonder what this place or your dojo would be like when you start to have kids?" Otose asked as she lit a cigarette and blew a thick smoke.
"Uhm… it's not like… wait, what, Otose-san?" Tae felt blood rushing to her cheeks. Does she know my secret? Am I that obvious? Please, no!
Otose just laughed and looked at her. "He's lazy and a bit irresponsible, but I guess you can handle him well. Other than that, he's a good person. He is like a son to me. Aside from faithfully paying his rent, I wish for him to be truly happy. I know I can count on you. After all, you are a Kabuki-cho Deva!
"O-otose-san, I don't really understand… I mean, I… don't even…"
"Like him? My child, I am too old to be deceived by a simple denial. We've passed though hundreds of chapters already. Do you think I haven't noticed it by now?" The old woman smirked, looking at the young brunette intently.
Defeated, Tae lowered her gaze.
"You two are hopeless! If you're hoping for a Final Fantasy, maybe you should start by being honest to yourselves. You can deceive me, but you can never deceive yourselves."
Tae reached for her cup of sake and drank it in one go. Then, she looked at Otose and smiled bitterly. The old woman smiled back at her.
Yes, she likes him – stinky feet, deadfish eyes, and all! Yes, she loves him – flaws and all!