Part 1: Hurt
Rating: K
Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura
Alright, simple explanation for this one. Wanted to do a little sort of practice run with dramatic/angsty story for my major ongoing story. Kagura is feeling sad as she makes her way towards Shinpachi's dojo. The first of probably 3 parts, and definitely the shortest part. Basically Kagura's point of view, and it leaves the event intentionally vague. Let me know how I can improve it, so I can make the next 2 parts better. Also so I can edit if need be. Enjoy.
Her purple parasol opened against the snowy sky, the girl walked idly down the street. All her usual energy seemingly evaporated into thin air, her footsteps felt heavy and lifeless. The crunch of snow under her feet grated painfully in her ears, watching the white substance move around her black boots.
Her furry companion walking alongside, his head cocked to the side as he seemed to look at her. Turning her head, she gave the oversized dog her best reassuring look, trying to smile warmly. But forcing the smile hurt, as much as the pure white snow at her feet. Looking at the soft whiteness all around her, the girl felt a tug on her heart, the hot tears beginning to fall for the first time that morning.
The lovely red hair falling loosely around her face, the trademark buns not pulled as cleanly as usual. The red coat draping down to her thighs seemed to provide little protection from the cold, her body shivering involuntarily as the salty water leaked from her crystalline eyes. She knew she looked like a mess, but didn't care. Having lost her refuge, there was only one place she could go now.
Reaching the large, thick walls of the Shimura dojo, Kagura felt an odd hesitation. She had been there many times before, but always under better circumstances. The tug on her heart transformed into a tight pinch, and she thought about what she was doing. Without realizing it, her hand had knocked on the large, heavy doors, the sound painful to her hearing.
She wanted to turn and run away, back to the place that had become her home, but knew she couldn't. As the door flung open, the girl tried to hide her face, turning her downcast expression down to the ground. The small snowflakes fell all around her, adding their small size to the already considerable amount on the ground.
"Kagura-chan? What are you doing here?" her bespectacled friend asked, the concern and surprise in his voice. Playing through the memory in her mind, Kagura watched a few tears fall from the tip of her nose, dropping into the snow at her feet. "Where's Gin-san?" That was the last straw, and a loud sob escaped the girl's lips as she threw herself into Shinpachi's arms, her tears flowing freely onto his shoulder.
The young teen looked at his friend in astonishment, uncertainly patting the girl's back as she sobbed, her body convulsing against his own. "What's wrong, Kagura-chan?" he asked once more, wrapping the girl in a comforting hug. After a few moments, the girl stepped back, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her jacket.
"Here, come inside before you catch a cold. I'll make some tea." he answered the girl's unasked question, motioning for her and the large dog to make their way into the dojo. As he closed the heavy doors, he turned back towards the main house, a single thought running through his head. 'This must be Gin's fault.' he thought to himself with absolutely no doubt. Nothing else, he figured, could upset Kagura so much.
Heading into the house to get something warm for his friend, Shinpachi wondered just what Gin had done to upset the girl so much. He thought that, after the incident with her father, that he had accepted the girl into his life. What could have changed? Grabbing a spare blanket, Shin turned back towards the large greeting room, his mind working through many scenarios.
"Here, take this and I'll be right back." Kagura nodded gratefully, wrapping the green piece of cloth around her body, the shivering slowly dying down as warmth coursed through her. She watched with some joy as Sadaharu made a place next to the girl, curling up into a useless ball of fluff. Kagura took a small joy in the steady breathing of the large dog, the occasional small yelp in his dreams.
As she listened to the subtle breathing of the large dog, Kagura looked lazily around the room, clutching tightly onto the blanket as though it were her only grounding to the world. The room was a decent upgrade from the small apartment that she had come to inhabit along with Gintoki. Memories of the lazy bum of a samurai flashed through her mind, her body shaking once more in despair and anger. How could he have been so cruel?
More time had passed than she realized, as Shinpachi made his way back into the room, taking a seat across from the girl at the small table. Reaching across, he handed the girl a steaming cup of tea, the aroma filling the room, calming the girl's nerves a bit. With a grateful smile to her friend, Kagura took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her from the inside out.
"So…" Shinpachi started, an apparent torrent of emotions on his face as he looked worriedly at the girl. Reaching up from beneath the blanket, the girl wiped the marks of tears from her face, trying once more to smile reassuringly. And once more that morning, the smile pained her greatly, eliciting a wince where normally a mischievous giggle might sound.
"What happened?" he asked, steeling his expression as he watched the girl's reaction. His heart sank just a bit at the broken expression on her face, all her usual spunk completely gone. Whatever it was, it must have been something important.
"It's nothing." the girl lied, likely trying to convince herself more than her friend. She knew he was just worried about her, but deep down she knew there was only one person who could fix her current problem. But there was no way he would do that. At that thought, memories of a broken, abandoned childhood swept through her, the convulsion in her body increasing with each depressing memory.
The tears began to fall freely again, and Kagura silently cursed herself for her weakness. It shouldn't hurt as much as it did, and it shouldn't have been such a disappointment. Yet, whatever she told herself, it did hurt. The person she had respected most, trusted the most, had hurt her. The fragile heart that beat in her chest nearly broke, an almost audible crack echoing sickly in her ears.
"Kagura-chan!?" Shinpachi yelled, leaping from his seat over to the young girl, trying to wrap an arm around his friend. He wanted to do something, anything for the crying girl next to him. His eyes widened in surprise as she batted the hand away, turning her back towards him as she continued to sob. Shrinking back a bit, Shinpachi felt his fists tightening in anger.
Whatever had happened, it had hurt her more than Shin had ever thought possible. He had sometimes wondered what it would look like for Kagura to be sad. At this moment, he kicked himself for ever thinking such a thing. But as much as he figured that Gintoki had hurt the girl, Shin knew one thing with clarity.
Through their time together, Shinpachi had watched the tight bond form between Gintoki and Kagura, one that went far beyond employer/employee. Any joke Gin pulled, and prank he sprung on others, any gag he exploited for laughs, Kagura was the one to tag along. He remembered the hurt on her face as Gintoki had told her to go off with her father, the distant expression in her eyes when Gin had lost his memories.
As much as it pained him to see the girl cry, her shoulders heaving with each choked breath, Shinpachi knew he couldn't do anything to really help her. All he could do was offer her a warm place to rest her weary body, and hope Gin would realize his mistake before it was too late for any of them.
Wow, Kagura seems really broken up about what happened. Can even Gin fix the situation? Hints on how I can fix this story would be appreciated, since drama/angsty stuff is not something I generally enjoy writing. Next time, we get Gin's perspective, and a bit more explanation of what happened. Look forward to a REALLY fluffy story soon, just because I need to write one :P