Forgot I had this floating around, so thought I might as well post it. Here you go!

Waking up in a cell with his hands handcuffed was not a new experience for Sakata Gintoki. However, waking up in a glass-walled cell next to the one and only Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi with a piece of paper stuck to his yukata was a new one. A closer inspection of the paper revealed a price and quite a high one at to know that he was worth that much, even if he didn't like the reason why. Gintoki leaned backwards, putting on a pretence of calm. He glanced over at Hijikata and saw he was nibbling at his lip. Though this was cute, it was probably the most he would show of his withdrawal from cigarettes. "Oi, Mayora. What you doing there?" Said Mayora didn't miss a beat. "Dunno, Yoruzuya, but I bet it's somethin' to do with you."

Gintoki couldn't argue with that. The witty reply was cut off by the presence of an Amanto glaring down at him from the other side of the glass. "Ah, room service. I'd like a parfait, please."

The Amanto responded by tapping something on the other side of the glass which caused the glass to fold outwards. The Amanto stepped in and kicked Gintoki in the stomach. He'd like to say it didn't hurt, but he really couldn't. The most he let out was a grunt, but the Demon Vice-Commander looked downright pissed.

"Well, I don't remember parfaits tasting quite like that. Distinctly iron taste." He was rewarded with another kick, this one harder than the first. Gintoki stayed quiet this time, waiting for the Amanto to say his piece and leave.

"You are being sold tomorrow. Him too." At this the Amanto jerked his head in Hijikata's direction. "For convenience you're being put in the same cell, but don't even think about trying to escape." The Amanto pulled out two oversized dog collars and gestured to the back wall, where there were two chains attached.

Gintoki felt fear turn over in his stomach. "Oh good, nice to know even at my value I'm still being treated like a pet."

The Amanto stalked over to him and picked him up by his yukata, throwing him into the wall. While he was winded, the collar was sealed around his neck and the chain attached. "You especially, Shiroyasha, are to be treated like a pet." The Amanto hissed with a sneer on his face. Gintoki hoped the Vice-Commander hadn't heard, but the intense feeling of attention on him suggested otherwise. "You try removing that collar, it'll give you an electric shock powerful enough to make you black out, so don't try anything stupid." The Amanto then moved over to Hijikata and did the same thing and then left, leaving the door sealed tight.

Gintoki was the first to speak. "So." Hijikata didn't even look up. Gintoki tried a different tactic. "Tax thief. Mayora. Oogoshi-kun." He looked up at this and glared at Gintoki, though there was something that might have been fear hidden behind it. Gintoki ignored it. "Don't suppose you've got any escape plans locked up in that tactical brain of yours?"

"I would have thought that you'd have the escape plans, being the tactical one, Shiroyasha." Hijikata didn't add a sneer like the Amanto had done, but there was still anger there.

"I guess you did hear that." Gintoki was quiet for a moment. "If you want to arrest me you're going to have to wait until we get out of this."

Hijikata scowled. "No escape plans Shiroyasha? I'm disappointed."

"That's not my name. Don't call me that." Gintoki's voice was quiet but the threat was clear. Hijikata should have taken note but frankly he didn't care. He was going to be sold like an animal and being killed by a legendary warrior seemed like a much better way to go.

"Oh really? 'Cause it seems like it to me. You should be dead. You're a war criminal."

At that Gintoki looked up and Hijikata faltered when he saw the look in his eyes. It wasn't his usual dead fish eyes. Instead, they were the eyes of a man who had seen every pain of war and was forever burdened with it. "Don't tell me things I already know." He looked down for a moment and Hijikata was lost for words. Gintoki looked back up and that expression was gone, replaced with his usual blank expression, but he did seem weary. "Hijikata-kun, you should get some sleep. Wouldn't want that pretty face of yours getting ruined by lack of sleep."

"Oi, perm head, quit your flirting." There was no response and the loud snoring sound from the other side of the cell suggested Gintoki was asleep. Hijikata didn't believe that for one minute, but he had no choice. He knew he had to sleep. Sighing, he tried to get as comfortable as possible and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he fell sound asleep.

Gintoki was indeed still awake, but continued to fake sleep. It had long been a quality of his that if he pretended long enough, it would become real. This didn't always work out, but with sleep it was easier.

He fell into a fitful, nightmare-filled sleep and woke up panting heavily at what he guessed was early in the morning. Hijikata hadn't stirred yet and it was odd to see the Demon Vice-Commander with such a peaceful look on his face. The peace didn't last long. The Amanto from the day before loomed in the doorway, with a younger man behind him who couldn't have been that much older than the men he was buying. The man had such a lecherous look on his face that Gintoki wondered if staying with this man for long enough to come up with an escape plan would actually be possible. The Amanto opened the cell and stalked over to Gintoki, kicking Hijikata awake as he went near him. Hijikata jerked his head up, took in the situation and scowled, particularly at his buyer. The Amanto stood over Gintoki, then placing his hand on the wall pulled the chain out, tossing it to the man who clipped it to his belt. The same happened to Hijikata. The Amanto sneered as he pushed them out of the cell. "Nice doing business with you, Mr Chome. Do come again." The man smiled and nodded, pulling his new property along behind him. Both Gintoki and Hijikata subtly struggled but the man was more powerful than he looked and they were still wary of the electric shock.

They quickly reached this man's ship and Gintoki was desperately trying to find a way out and he could tell Hijikata was getting fidgety too. It was too late though, they both knew this. So when they were pushed into the ship's hold and locked in with only a glass window to let them know anything of the outside world, they didn't complain. In fact, Gintoki felt like praising someone because they weren't chained to the wall anymore. He settled down, resting his back against the wall and pulling one knee into his chest, watching Hijikata pace. "You alright there, Vice-Commander?" He wanted to add a witty comment to the end of that, but couldn't find it in himself. Hijikata was clearly distressed.

"I'm fuckin great. I'm bein sold to some creep with the Shiroyasha of all people, and I'll probably never get home. So I'm doin just fine, thanks for asking." Before Gintoki could answer, the ship veered violently to one side, launching him at Hijikata. They collided and landed against the glass window. Gintoki had, to stop himself from crushing Hijikata, caught himself with his hands, placing both of them beside Hjikata's head and Gintoki's face was quite close to the back of Hijikata's head. Close enough that he could smell him.. Hijikata glared round at him. "Get off me perm head, before I kick you in the balls."

"I'd love to, Oogoshi-kun, but gravity has decided to keep me here. Do you not like me here? Do you not like being this close to Gin-san?" Gintoki leaned forward, pressing himself more into Hijikata's back, pretending to not notice how nice that actually felt and hoping Hijikata didn't feel how his body was responding. Hijikata squirmed underneath him, which was really not helping things, then seemed to notice how little Gin was doing and stilled. "That better be your knee Yorozuya." Saving him from an awkward response, yet again, the ship levelled off, allowing Gintoki to back up. He glanced down and winced. Little Gin wasn't looking so little anymore. Hijikata spun round, ready to unleash all hell, then saw Gintoki's situation and smirked. "Glad to know I have that effect on you, Yorozuya."

"Of course. You wouldn't mind helping me deal with this would you? Little Gin looks so lonely."

For a moment Hijikata looked like he was considering it, then it was gone. "Not a hope in hell." Gintoki pouted, but both of them knew it was forced. Both men settled down again, on opposite sides of the hold. HIjikata fiddled with the collar, but otherwise was still. Gintoki chose this moment to speak, now fully in control of himself. "Oi. You're calling me Yorozuya again. What changed?"

Hijikata lay down and rolled onto his side, facing the wall rather than Gintoki. "That name isn't yours anymore, right? You aren't him, right?" Gintoki was silent. Hijikata sighed. "When you've got an answer for me, we'll talk. We should rest while we can. G'night Yorozuya."

"It's not nighttime."

"Shut up."

HIjikata fell asleep very quickly, exhausted from his lack of restful sleep. Gintoki stayed awake for much longer, haunted by thoughts of the war and whatever their buyer was going to do to them.