A/N: This is Gintama after 12 years, if I could have it my way.
Prologue
"Uh...Shinpachi-kun...I don't feel so well..."
Shinpachi turned to face the purple-haired girl walking slowly behind him, looking down at her feet in distress. He sighed and smiled.
"Kirara, you're trying to put off seeing Ane-ue again, aren't you? I know you're not sick, you're just nervous. It's going to be okay, I'm here, aren't I?" He took her hand and clasped it firmly. "Come on. We're going to meet Ane-ue. She likes you anyway, I don't know why you're so worried."
Kirara blushed. "...R-really?"
"Of course, she said so herself. What's there not to like?"
Kirara smiled faintly. "Thank you, Shinpachi-kun..."
The couple stopped in front of two huge wooden gates, entrance to a walled-in compound. Shinpachi stepped up to the intercom. "It's Shimura Shinpachi. I'm here to see my sister!"
"Please wait," a robotic voice answered over the intercom, and the wooden gates slowly opened.
Kirara's eyes grew wide open. "W-wow, Shinpachi-kun...did your dojo expand?"
Shinpachi gave her a teasing pat on her head. "No, silly, my sister got married to the Commander of the Shinsengumi, remember? You were there! For the wedding!"
"Oh...r-right...I'm so nervous, I forgot..."
"Come on, let's go!" Shinpachi marched into the compound, his hand still firmly holding Kirara's.
"Welcome, Shimura-san," a uniformed officer greeted the couple. "Onee-sama is waiting in her living quarters. I expect you remember the way?"
"Yeah, thanks! Is she by herself?"
"Yes. The Commander is away on duty."
"Wow, that's a relief. See, Kirara, it's just Ane-ue. It'd have been a lot more worse if her husband was around too."
"He's the scary guy, right?"
"Yep. Although well, actually since they've been married for what, 5 years, I've gotten used to him. He's not a bad person, but it's just that he can be intimidating."
Kirara nodded. "Y-yeah...I still remember him, from the wedding. No wonder they called him the Demon..."
"Yeah right, more like the Demon of Mayonnaise. But at least the mayonnaise helps him survive my sister's cooking..."
"What did you say about my cooking, Shin-chan?"
Shinpachi froze. "Ane-ue!"
Tae walked out, a smile on her face. "Shin-chan, Kirara-chan, it's so nice to see you both! Well, come on in, I've made tea and there's crackers for everyone. Unless, of course, you'd rather have my cooking..."
Shinpachi and Kirara sweatdropped.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So, where's Hijikata-nii-sama?" Shinpachi asked as he munched on a cracker. He and Kirara were seated across from Tae, with a big bowl of crackers and sweets between them.
"Shinpachi, you're 28 and you still have such terrible manners. Could you not talk with your mouth full? Honestly," Tae shook her head.
"I don't want to be told that by the wife of a person who pours mayonnaise over everything." Shinpachi downed some tea.
"He just likes mayonnaise, there's nothing wrong with it. Anyway, he's in charge of downtown security at the Terminal today. They're expecting some foreign dignitaries, didn't you see it in the papers?"
"Oh yeah, I remember now. Where's Togorou?"
"Stop calling him that, he's got a name. He's still sleeping...he's at that age where he just won't sleep at normal times anymore." Tae shook her head, but she was smiling tenderly as she spoke of her only son. "But anyway, his dad helps out so hopefully he'll outgrow that phase soon."
"He's really cute, you should see him later," Shinpachi told Kirara.
Kirara smiled. "Of course! Anyway, that's a given...as his parents are very good-looking."
Tae's smile grew wider. "Kirara-chan, please do help yourself to some more sweets...my husband brought them back from Okinawa on his last mission. They're apparently very hard to get!"
Shinpachi sweatdropped. "Anyway Ane-ue..." he continued. "Kirara and I wanted to tell you and Hijikata-nii-sama something. But since he's away...and Kirara's only in town for a few days..."
"Congratulations!"
Shinpachi and Kirara blinked. "Eh?"
"You're getting married, aren't you?" Tae clasped her hands together.
Shinpachi's eyes bugged out in surprise. "H-how did you know?"
Tae shook her head. "You're 28, Shinpachi. If you weren't getting married I'd have made you get married. And Sougo saw you buying an engagement ring downtown a few weeks ago. He told me."
Shinpachi and Kirara sweatdropped.
"He just happened to be there, you know? Not because he was buying Kagura-chan a gift or anything. Nope."
Shinpachi sweatdropped again. "Ane-ue, I think you just spilled a secret you weren't supposed to spill."
"Anyway!" Tae smiled happily. "When's the big date!"
"Well we're thinking of-"
"I'm home. Oh, if it isn't Shinpachi."
"And Kirara," Shinpachi piped up. "I thought you were on duty, Nii-sama?"
"Well, yeah, I was," Hijikata handed his coat to his wife, who had gotten up to greet him with a peck on the cheek. "But if your wife asks you to get home early, you should. I left it to Sougo, it'll be fine. The dignitaries arrived a few hours ago anyway. Early morning flight. They're safely in town so I can reveal that without arresting myself."
Tae smiled happily. "See, because I knew you were coming to tell us something important and I don't want Toushirou to miss it." As she placed his coat on the hanger by the door, Hijikata took his seat across from Shinpachi.
"So when's the big date?" Hijikata asked, without missing a beat.
Shinpachi looked at his fiancee, who was blushing. "Well, we thought we'd get married next spring. It would be very beautiful then."
Tae joined them. "Kirara-chan, did Shinpachi propose properly to you? He better have." She poured tea into a mug. "Here you go, dear."
"What happened to my mayonnaise bottle mug?"
"We're having visitors."
"It's just Shinpachi."
"And Kirara," Shinpachi interjected.
"Your son broke it."
"...what!" Hijikata gaped at his still serenely-smiling wife. "Again? But..I had that custom-made.."
"Hai, hai. I put in an order already. It'll arrive next week."
Hijikata calmed down, visibly relieved. "Thanks, Tae. Is he still sleeping? I'm going to have a word with that son of mine when he wakes up."
"Like real," Shinpachi whispered to Kirara. "You should see Hijikata-nii-sama with Togorou. He turns into complete mush. I guess it can't be helped, since Togorou looks exactly like him so he probably can't bear to be strict with his mini-version..."
"Oi, I can hear you from where I'm sitting."
Tae clasped her hands again. "So! The wedding preparations-"
A sudden wail interrupted her. Hijikata's eyes brightened up. "I'll get him!" In a flash, he had disappeared.
Tae smiled. "He just can't bear to be away from his son for long. I swear, if I didn't put my foot down he'd bring him to work."
Shinpachi smiled. "Isn't that a good thing? Anyway, I would never have thought it of Hijikata-nii-sama...but he's actually really good with kids, isn't he?"
"No he's not. Just his own kid. He made Anna-chan cry the other day, when Gin-san came to visit. That was terrible. Those two..." Tae shook her head, smiling wryly. "They just won't stop picking fights with each other. Even though they're both old men now."
Shinpachi sweatdropped.
"I heard that." Hijikata walked into the room, carrying his sleepy son in his arms. "Here you go. Look, there's uncle Shinpachi and soon-to-be aunt Kirara."
Kirara's eyes widened. "He's so cute!"
"Would you like to carry him?" Hijikata held out his son to the bespectacled girl.
"Yes please!" Kirara eagerly held out her hands.
Tae and Shinpachi stared, as Hijikata held out his son to Kirara.
"Toshirou dear."
"Yes?"
"Let go. She wants to carry him."
"...Okay."
As Kirara bounced the black-haired, brown-eyed toddler on her lap, Tae cleared her throat. "Actually, we have news for you as well," she announced.
"Eh?" Shinpachi looked up from where he had been tickling his nephew. "What's that?"
Tae looked at Hijikata. "Would you like to do the honours?"
"It's okay, go ahead. I know you've been dying to let them know the news." Hijikata smiled and patted his wife's hand.
Tae smiled widely. "You're going to have a niece!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"See Kirara? I told you it would be fine." Shinpachi smiled at his fiancee as they walked away from the Shinsengumi compound.
Kirara smiled back. "Actually I was really nervous. But you're right, Hijikata-san and Otae-san are very nice people. Don't they make a beautiful family?"
Shinpachi smiled wryly. "Well...it's been five years. I can't say no. And ... I really didn't expect it, but Hijikata-nii-sama has made Ane-ue really happy. I'm happy that they got married. Although I hated it at first."
"Actually, how did they end up together? Wasn't there somebody else who was stalking your sister?" Kirara asked, taking hold of Shinpachi's elbow as they walked towards downtown Edo.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Well, what happened was-"
-tbc-
A/N: Haha! Yesssss. I dedicate this to all HijiTae fans. Next chapter: The story of Hijikata and Tae and how they ended up together!
Anyway, how does a preview sound?
Preview of Chapter 1: Hijikata and Tae aka Baiorensu Kappuru
Tae blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Matsudaira Katakuriko cleared his throat. "I would like to ask, on behalf of the commander of the Shinsengumi, for your hand in marriage."
Tae stayed silent.
"Otae-san?" Okita peered at her. "Are you okay?"
"No."
"Maybe you should have some tea."
"I mean, no. I refuse."
"But-"
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm not interested."
See you next week!
