Just A Dream for Now
Rating: T
Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura
Final part of the little mini-series, starting with "Nightmare Of What Never Was" and continued with "Fears of What Could Be". This one is pretty much pure, happy fluff. I had a good time writing it, especially at the end. Happy stuff. Hope you all enjoy it as well. Comments always appreciated.
"Oi, you good for nothing samurai. Where are you?" A familiar voice rang through the small apartment, carelessly leaving doors ajar as he entered each room in search of his quarry.
"Kagura, where are you?" his voice was insistent, as though hunting for his prey. The volume of the voice stirred a certain silver haired samurai from his restful slumber, his eyes fluttering open weakly under the heavy rays of the morning Sun.
"It's too early for this…" he mumbled, a yawn escaping his lips. But as he tried to bring a hand up to cover the gesture, Gin noticed that his arm didn't seem to want to cooperate with his brain. He tried again to move it, finding the appendage held tightly by the red head next to him.
Her back pressed tightly against his nearly bare chest, her arm entwined with his, holding him in place. As the fog of sleep quickly lifted, Gintoki felt a different kind of warmth on his hand. It felt as though it were in a separate environment than the rest of his body. Craning his neck upward, he tried to get a view of what could be causing such oddly warm feelings.
As his eyes traveled over the soft body in front of him, the samurai's gaze finally fell on the location of his hand, a softer hand accompanying his. Fingers were entwined together, but that was not the part that was serving to warm his usually cold fingers.
"Shit…" he muttered, his cheeks flaring slightly at the realization of his predicament. An alarm rang in the back of his head as he stared at the sight, one which he tried to ignore. He figured it was something important, yet his mind just refused to work right.
"Kagura! Are you in he-" the bald Yato's words stopped mid statement, Gin's face draining of color as he caught sight of the father of his younger partner. His lips curled into a robotic, stiff smile as he tried to greet the older man.
"Y-yo. W-what brings you here t-this fine morning?" A cold chill ran down the young samurai's spine, a possible premonition of his impending doom. It wouldn't be too surprising, given their current situation.
"I see you and my daughter have gotten… close." The man's voice was dripping with the venom of an overprotective parent, his right palm cracking the knuckles of his left hand. Gin tried to extricate himself from his predicament, wincing at the light moan that escaped those soft, cream colored lips.
'Damn it. I knew this girl would be trouble.' he thought to himself, cursing the pleasured sounds the girl was making. As he saw the older man pull back his fist, ready to strike, the last thing that Gin thought was how soft and warm her skin was.
"Now, do you care to explain yourself?" The Yato stared daggers at the samurai, promises of a more severe beating if he didn't provide an adequate explanation. After being pummeled nearly to unconsciousness, Gin had grabbed a popsicle from the freezer, slapping the large frozen treat to his wounded eye.
Kagura, for her part, had managed to sleep through most of the beating, only waking to Gintoki's final near death scream. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she had looked at her father with some surprise. Things had gotten more complicated and more dangerous for Gin at that point, as the older man had realized that his daughter was not wearing any pants.
"Geez, what a violent man. You know you won't live long with that kind of attitude. Uptight people are the ones to die first, you know?" Gin muttered, feeling the swelling go down slowly, the popsicle melting beneath its wrapping. He had a reason for their sleeping arrangement, but didn't feel it was his obligation to explain himself to this old man.
"Well, a carefree guy like you is more likely to develop heart disease, so you'll be dying before me." Umibozu tried to keep his anger in check, feeling he owed it to his daughter to get the full story from this useless samurai. He watched as the man seemed to almost mope around, sluggishly moving from one place to another.
It was a highly discouraging thing, to know that this seemingly useless young man had defeated Hosen, the King of the Yato. Even now, he had a hard time swallowing it. Arms crossed against his chest, he watched the carefree young man roll his neck from side to side, trying to rid himself of some unseen pain. The silence grew to be too much, his patience wearing thin as it seemed Gintoki was not going to explain himself.
As he grabbed his heavy olive green umbrella, the older Yato watched Gintoki tense up, his hands coming instinctively in front of his face, ready to block an attack he feared was coming. But before he could think of landing a death blow on the man who had "soiled his daughter", said young girl came rushing into the room.
"What are you doing so early in the morning?!" she yelled, her fist making heavy impact on the older man's cheek, sending him tumbling to the floor. Holding the shaking fist in front of her face, the girl stared menacingly down at the old man. A heavy stitch throbbed on the fist, promising more punishment if he didn't calm down. A weak nod and he made his way back to the couch, watching his daughter take a seat to Gintoki's right.
Her hair had not been pulled into its usual neat buns, instead falling carelessly around her shoulders, framing her innocent looking face. To see her would leave doubt that she ever had an impure thought in her life, face beaming with a sort of joy for everyday life. Crystal blue eyes gazed back, mirroring the innocence of her smile. And this lowlife had soiled her beyond repair.
"So, are you going to explain yourself, or am I going to have to wring it from you personally?" Umibozu threatened, rather hoping to get the chance to take the latter option. Kagura's intense glare sent him aback slightly, a frown evident on her soft features. Taking the package containing the melted popsicle, Gin proceeded to rip open one end of it.
Tipping it back, he sucked the sweet liquid down quickly, before tossing the empty bag onto the nearby table. His breathing seemed rather even, calm, as though he had nothing to hide. Cracking his neck slightly, he rubbed his left shoulder, the elbow rubbing against the young girl to his right.
The renowned bounty hunter felt a pang of anger surge through him, wanting to jump over the table and assault the samurai for his actions. But before he could say anything, Gin sighed, propping his head against the top edge of the cushioned bench. Everything about this young man rubbed Umibozu the wrong way.
"Mah, what are you getting to bent out of shape for? It's not like this is the first time it happened, neh Kagura?" he flopped his head to the side, eliciting a weak sort of nod from the younger girl. The blush that had found its way onto her pale cheeks was unmistakable, the light pink hue complimenting her complexion nicely.
That very statement sent the blood in Umibozu's body to near boiling. The implications were so strong, it nearly drew out his desire to cause intense bodily harm to the young man. A desire to protect his daughter from this villain for all time, as well as sparing future generations from his tainted offspring.
"So this you do this every night?" he spat, the tension nearly breaking him. Gin seemed to look rather quizzically at his younger partner, who simply shrugged her shoulders, as though her father was simply acting strangely.
"Well, why not? I don't see what the big deal is." Gintoki's nonchalant attitude about the matter made things even worse, and Umibozu did not catch the nervous twitch on the samurai's face, his act quickly wearing even on him.
"What's not a big deal!? I come to check up on things, and I find you with your hands in my daughter's panties!" For a second it looked like the pair of them had choked on some rancid food, their faces lighting up a dark shade of red. Their eyes met, as though asking the same question before turning their gazes to the older man.
"I thought that was just a dream!" They both said in unison, voices hurried as they spoke. The older man suddenly felt the desire to slap himself in the head for bringing it up. Apparently they had assumed it had not happened, and were surprised to learn the fact. Needless to say, things got a bit awkward between them rather quickly.
"Ah, so that was it." Umibozu breathed a sigh of relief. After the brief awkwardness, Kagura had taken the initiative, explaining that they slept in the same bed to fight off the nightmares, a tactic that had worked for the most part.
"See, like I said, it's no big deal." They both simply glazed over the elephant in the room, the fact that they had been caught with their hands in her panties, and Kagura's rather lust filled gasp at the gesture.
"I am glad there is nothing going on between the two of you. I thought you were forcing yourself on my daughter, and I would have had to hurt you in that event." He tried to act calm, still not entirely convinced that the useless samurai was to be trusted. As he leaned back in his seat, Gin slammed his hands against the table.
"What the hell do you think this is, you old fart?!" he asked, pointing to his bruised eye. His breath harsh from anger, he stared at the older man, ready to inflict his own brand of punishment as the Yato simply coughed in mocking. He refused to apologize for his rash actions, a fact that pissed Gin off to no end.
"Kagura." he spoke again, completely ignoring the silver haired samurai's screams of protest. "I still want you to be careful. You shouldn't be sharing a bed with someone as useless as this guy." For an instant, it looked like Gin would make good on his anger, ready to pounce on the older man. But Kagura simply pushed him down back onto the sofa, staring intently at her father.
"I can take care of myself, papi." That was an understatement. Despite her strength, Umibozu still didn't see anything other than his little girl in times like these. He would normally have likely not even considered the possibility of a human taking advantage of his little girl, but this one was clearly different.
His list of accomplishments was long, and the older Yato figured he would make a great sweeper if he had so desired. But his peaceful way of life was one of the reasons he had chosen to allow his daughter to ultimately stay with the young man. Against his wishes, he made known. But he always figured that it could be worse.
"That's true." he chuckled a bit, watching as they pair seemed to struggle, a manner so warming and comfortable. The older man could tell that whatever their relationship was, they had a special bond, a happy sort of chemistry with one another. Taking advantage of her seemingly endless strength, in a moment where Gin was not in his sort of "life or death" mode, Kagura was able to effectively keep him pressed against the cushioned bench.
He struggled, muttering vague threats to her person as he tried to gain the upper hand, but she was having little trouble keeping him subdued. The smile that crossed her face as they "fought" warmed his heart, and the older man was happy for his daughter. She had managed to find someone to keep her fears at bay, to bring her a true sort of happiness.
It was not hard for him to imagine the sort of nightmares that Kagura would have, his face falling into a more serious expression. Since her younger years, the girl had feared her Yato instincts, feared the fact that she would hurt people she cared for. To the same extent that her brother had embraced it, she desperately fought against it.
Looking to the young man, who was gradually gaining in their little tussle, Umibozu felt his face draw into a sort of curious frown. He wondered what this guy, who lived by his own rules, could possibly be afraid of.
"So, young man, what are you afraid of?" At his sudden question, the pair stopped their little quarrel, each freezing in place with a smile on their faces. The smiles dropped, and Kagura hurriedly reclaimed her earlier position to Gin's side, allowing him to take his seat as well. Apparently Kagura was aware of his fear, what specifically got through to him, and he wondered if he would be able to know it as well.
Gin sat a little stiffly in his position, eyes narrowing to a somewhat melancholy expression, as though some past trauma was playing out in his empty head. Umibozu guessed that it probably had something to do with his time during the war. With a slightly forced smile, he decided to drop the subject.
"Ah, how about I treat you guys to something in apology for earlier?" he spoke, watching their faces both light up in excitement. In truth, he also wanted to observe their relationship more closely. He could tell that there was something a bit more than friendship between them, but he wondered just how deep it was.
"Thanks a lot old man." Gintoki muttered after his third chocolate parfait, the glass joining the large piles of dishes from the two bottomless pits. He let the sugary taste linger on his tongue, savoring the sweetness. As his eyes flipped open, he winced at the huge piles of dishes in front of the two across from him. He wondered for an instant if the restaurant would be able to remain open after they had gorged themselves.
While Kagura rubbed her belly in satisfaction, Gin caught the older man staring squarely in his direction. But the malice and distrust of their earlier exchanges was replaced with an oddly satisfied looking smile. With a raise of his eyebrow, Gintoki asked what the old man was scheming.
"Ah, nothing. It's just a little personal thing." he muttered, gingerly standing from the table. Slipping his clothes back into their usual state, he propped the large umbrella upon his shoulders. "Well, I should get going. Business to take care of. But I will visit again as soon as I can."
As he said that, he reached out, ruffling the young girl's red locks playfully, eliciting a content smile from the girl. With a slight wave of his hand, he made his way out of the restaurant, stopping a short distance from Gintoki, turning to catch his attention.
"Take care of Kagura, you bastard." He gave his warning, a more pleasant sort of mocking tone to his voice, eliciting an amused grin from the young samurai.
"Heh. Like I could." The air was pleasant between the two, and the old bounty hunter knew what Gin was thinking when he spoke. He knew as well as anyone that Kagura could handle herself, and he trusted her to do so. But if she needed him, he would be there.
"Well then, make sure to take care of her." The hint was obvious, and Gintoki couldn't help but choke a bit at that. Was this overprotective father really suggesting what it seemed… But before Gin could turn to ask him directly, the old man was gone, leaving the silver haired man quite frustrated.
"Damn. Just up and leaves like that." He leaned back in his seat, feeling an odd tightness in his stomach. "Ah, maybe I ate a bit too much." For a minute, he thought that maybe his stomach had shrunk from the lack of food on occasion, shaking the thought off as silly.
"What did he mean by that?" the girl asked, picking at her teeth in a rather undignified manner. "I can take care of myself." To that, Gintoki simply laughed loudly, watching her expression change into one of confusion.
"Ah, we better get going. Getting late, eh?" he spoke, watching her energetically nod in agreement. As they walked slowly down the street, Gin felt the girl grab his arm, smiling to himself at their closeness. He was hesitant to tell her, but he loved the feel of her warm body against his.
But as the night dragged on, and it became time to slip off to bed, things got a little awkward between the two. Memories of what they had thought to be a dream flashed through their minds, and they found it hard to look at each other. The tension was almost palpable as it hung in the air.
"Well, good night." Gin mumbled, the first to make a move towards his bedroom, waving weakly at the young girl as he listened to his feet pad across the hard wood floor. Each step seemed to somehow mock him, the sound feeling almost hollow inside. His brows found themselves coming together, knit into a sort of confused expression.
He was an independent young man. Surely he wasn't afraid of a few nightmares. He had slept on his own many times, in harsh circumstances. It certainly wasn't that he needed her there to comfort him in his sleep. Did he? Lazily rubbing his hand through his hair, he let the thought drop. Pulling his sleepwear from its storage place, he began the process of switching his garb, thoughts of what the older Yato had said slipping into his mind.
"Nah, there's no way he could have been suggesting that." he mumbled, smirking to himself as the last of his usual wear slipped off his body, leaving him momentarily in only his blue and white stripe boxers. With a sigh, he grabbed the green sleepwear, anxious to put the whole awkward day behind him.
"Suggesting what?" That all too familiar voice rang in his ears, his eyes covered by the warm green fabric. Turning his body so that he was facing her, he tried in vain to see through the material, muttering to himself at the useless action.
"Ah, it's nothing." he excused, feeling his head pop through the opening at the top of the shirt, the rest of it falling into place. He quirked a curious brow at the young girl, watching her take her usual place at one edge of his futon. "So, you still wanna sleep there after… what happened?" he was clearly a little touchy on the subject, and his apprehension sent a small flush through the young girl.
"Well, it was an accident, right? So, no worries." For an instant, Gin thought he heard a hint of hope in her voice, as though hoping for a repeat. But he shook that thought from his mind as quickly as he could. No way could she be thinking that.
"Right. We're just two friends keeping warm together, right?" he excused, the words sounding strange to him somehow. Were they just friends? Did friends usually share the same bed together at night? Thinking of it almost made his head explode, as he watched the girl make herself comfortable. The blanket pulled tightly around her chin, she seemed to look at him in anticipation, waiting for his body's warmth to fill in the space next to her.
"Right." she beamed at him, smiling brightly as the shiny red locks fanned out across the pillow. He had to admit, that she was cute. Of all the women he knew, she was the one he was glad to be sharing a bed with. His thoughts drifted to less appropriate fare, his face warming a bit at the thought.
Nestling in to the futon, Gin was more aware than usual of her body. The warm softness as it pressed against him, the way her whole body seemed to echo her smile. Almost instinctively, his arm snaked its way around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his body. 'Okay', he thought to himself with a sort of frustrated smile, 'maybe I do need this.'
It felt good, to have her near. It was comforting and warm, pleasant and happy. Nothing negative about it. From the smile on her face, she seemed to be thinking the same. With his own lips curled into a warm smile, he let sleep claim him, knowing he was sure to have pleasant dreams.
A large gathering, people from all over the universe filling the pews of the large hall. Family and friends for one, friends who filled that purpose for the other. All the people that had been touched by the pair, each wearing a bright smile on the special day. Flowers adorned the edges all around the room, petals falling gracefully down on the floor.
Sunlight beamed strongly in through the stained glass, lighting the altar with all sorts of colors. A veritable rainbow shone across familiar faces, falling on one in particular. His messy, silver hair in its usual defiant state. Crimson eyes showing his nerves and anticipation, unexpected for those who knew him well.
His lips curled into a frustrated frown, occasionally fidgetting in the needlessly fancy attire. The black kimono clashed with the light tone of his hair, but making him look presentable and serious for once. The formal nature of the gathering put him ill at ease, his body tense as he stood, waiting for the final results.
"Ah, it's too much. Who the hell wears stuff like this anyway?" he complained in his usual manner, wanting desperately to be back in his usual easy going attire. He missed his white kimono, which he wore on one sleeve only anyway. The black shirt and pants were gone, replaced with this unbearably stiff garb.
"Geez, shut up Gin-san." his bespectacled ward hissed from behind him, his body clothed in similarly formal attire. Whereas Gintoki had left his hair its usual mess of silver locks, Shinpachi had taken the time to do his hair properly, giving him a much more presentable, normal appearance. But nobody expected Sakata Gintoki to look presentable.
"This is taking to damn long. I just want to get out of here." He was being serious. Standing in front of so many people was a new experience for the young samurai, a feeling he didn't enjoy one bit.
"Just put up with it for a little longer, you whiner." Shinpachi cautioned, sighing in exasperation at his friend's whining. "This is one of the most important days of a person's life, so just suck it up." At that, Shin couldn't help but smile, imagining the happy smile that his other friend would no doubt be wearing.
At the opposite end of the hall, sad screams could be heard, a head of lavender colored hair popping within a group of witnesses. Lacking her glasses, Sa-chan had begun to plead her case to a man who she mistook for Gintoki, eliciting annoyed sighs from those gathered. Gin himself considered grabbing something to throw at the young woman, but decided to wait. "Crazy broad…" he muttered under his breath, a sentiment echoed by his friend.
Once the noisy ninja had been disposed of, the music began playing. All eyes shifted to the large double doors at the end of the hall opposite the young man, watching as the procession began. The nerves almost got the better of him, and Gin considered bolting, making a dash for freedom. Before the bride came into view.
At the sight of her, his breath caught, and time seemed to stop. Her red hair pulled up into a single bun atop her head, the veil hanging loosely from the bundle of silky red locks. A couple of bangs framed her sweet face, done up with traces of ruby lipstick and blush. He could feel his breath catch in his throat, unable to get it to escape his lips.
The body of the girl he had first met was replaced with the body of a young woman, her curves visible even under the beautiful gown. Nothing too fancy, but the silky garment enhanced her form nonetheless. Silky fabric that seemed to sway as she walked, catching glints of light from the room. He watched, eyes transfixed, as the smooth fabric seemed to meld into her body, closely hugging her curves.
Gin swallowed hard, watching the young woman make her way towards him, smiling as brightly as he had ever seen before. Holding a bouquet of roses in front of her, eyes glittering with merriment. She always loved knowing that he watched her, taking pleasure in teasing him any time she was able. A somewhat disapproving cough from her father as he walked alongside her prevented her from swaying her hips more seductively.
As she broke from her father once they approached the altar, Kagura smiled brightly. The day she had dreamed of for so long was finally here, and she wished that time could speed up, to hear those magical words. Taking her place to the side of the groom, she watched as the brother and sister who made up the best man/bridesmaid approached, taking their appointed places.
Trying to hold her anticipation, Kagura let her eyes wander over to Gin, smirking at his discomfort in his formal attire. Their eyes met, and the preacher droning on and on seemed to just fade into the background, leaving them all alone in their little world. None of the words registered, only the shared smile as their hands found their way together.
A nudge from his best man broke him from his reverie, and he took hold of the ring. Proclaiming his vow, to be her lawfully wedded husband, he slipped the narrow gold band onto her slender finger, taking note of the darkening of her cheeks.
Another nudge from the bridesmaid, and Kagura reciprocated the action, relieved as she did not stutter as she spoke. Once the ring was slipped onto his finger, they turned back towards the preacher, hands entwined happily together. They really wanted to get to the last part of the ceremony, and the priest seemed to sense that. Smirking in amusement, he hurried to the end.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The happiness from the couple seemed to resound through all those in the hall, claps of joy resounding with the cheers as the newlyweds came together. All the fuss of the ceremony seemed worth it, as their lips came together, the passion overflowing as it deepened. A warning sort of cough from the priest broke them apart, hands still clasped together. Casting their glances sideways to each other, they smiled.
Lips moved, but the sound barely registered.
"I love you, Gin-chan…" the girl's words came as almost a whisper, her cheeks flushed with a bright smile. A dreamy expression crossed her face, her head nuzzling closer to the warm body next to her. Arm draped over his chest, she unconsciously clutched him, savoring his warmth.
"I love you too, Kagura." his own voice held a similar dreamy quality, one usually held for his delusions about Jump, or sugar. But a warm smile graced his lips, his mind filled with thoughts of the young girl who had nearly turned his life upside no effort, his arm squeezed her shoulders tightly, letting her presence calm him even in his sleep state. His left hand grasped the right hand that hung loosely over his body, fingers slipping easily in place between hers.
Whatever it was that they dreamed about, that was for the future. But time was always on the move. Maybe there would be a time when feelings could be conveyed honestly, but for now, they were happy with their pleasant arrangement. Happy thoughts filled their minds as they slept, comforted by the presence of the other.
Certainly, life had many possibilities. But for now, the most pleasant were only in their dreams.
I wonder if they would ever realize they had the same dream :P One can hope, eh? Anyway, how did you all like this one? Tried to make it as fluffy as possible, but the beginning was harder than the end. Not sure what my next update will be, but certainly will be more GinKagu. Most enjoyable pairing to write for, after all. Look forward to that, fellow GinKagu fans.