Chocolaty Confession
By Eliza Natsuko

Pairings : HijiOki

Disclaimers : PMK doesn't belong to me.

Summary : How can chocolates help Souji confess to Hijikata?

A/N : Just a random idea that popped into my head while looking at some sweets. Hope you'll like it.

It was Okita's off day. As usual, he wore his white yukata, had his hair untied and strolled around the town after playing with the neighbourhood kids. He walked into his favourite shop- the candy shop. Since he was a regular, the owner knew him well enough to know what type of sweets he wanted, and even charged him a lower price (or sometimes, more sweets with the same price).

"Ah, Okita-dono, the usual mixed candies again for today?" the owner, Musaru, asked with a big smile on his round face.

"Hai," Okita replied with a smile too.

The owner scooped four spoonfuls of mixed candies, packed it in a white cloth bag, took some coins from Okita and handed him the white bag. As Okita was walking out of the shop, his violet eyes spotted some brown cubes.

"Ne, Musaru-san, what are those brown cubes over there?" Okita pointed at the shelf where the brown cubes are.

"Those are chocolates. They're new. Quite delicious, I would say," Musaru said, by way of introducing the new product.

"I see…" Okita trailed off. "Alright, Musaru-san. Thanks for the sweets. Bye!"

"No, thank you," Musaru smiled and waved at Okita.

'I'll ask Hijikata-san to buy me those chocolates.' Okita thought silently and chuckled at the image of Hijikata's scowling face whenever he mentioned sweets to him.

-x-

"Hi-ji-ka-ta-san!" Okita called as he peeked from behind the shoji of Hijikata's room.

"Yes, Souji? What do you want?" Hijikata looked up from his haiku book at the man who just entered the room.

"Ne, Hijikata-san." Okita went behind Hijikata and started to massage his shoulders. "Let's go to town."

Hijikata gave him an uninterested look and wanted to say 'No.' Instead, he let out a sigh and decided not to go against Okita, knowing that the smaller man would pout and whine until he agrees, anyway. "Alright, but no sweets."

"Alright!" Okita exclaimed happily.

-x-

"I thought I said no sweets?" Hijikata looked a little annoyed when they stopped in front of the candy shop.

"Yes, no sweets. There's a something new called chocolate, Hijikata-san." Okita's eyes beamed brightly. "You'll buy me some of those for me, ne?"

Hijikata remained silent for a moment, then just walked away from Okita. Surprised, Okita quickly catch up with Hijikata.

"Hijikata-san?" Okita called out as he quickened his pace to catch up with HIjikata. "Hijikata-san, wait up!"

Hijikata entered his room and shut the shoji closed once he reached home. Okita knocked on Hijikata's room shoji but received no reply. Left with no other choice, he spoke from behind the shoji.

"Hijikata-san?" Okita waited for a reply or at least a grunt or something. "I'm sorry. It's ok if you don't want to buy me those chocolates."

Okita waited for several seconds but decided to leave when he did not receive any respond from the man inside the room.

Hijikata heard footsteps fading away. He assumed that was Souji walking away. He heaved a sigh. 'Why am I so angry anyway? It's not like he lied to me or something. Well, he did lie that we weren't going to the candy shop but he did not asked for sweets. He wanted… Choco? Cholate? Cocolate? … Just something like that.'

After pondering for another moment, Hijikata sighed for the third time that day. 'Guess I'll buy him some of those brown things later.'

-x-

"Ne, Saizou," Okita brought his pet pig to his face level from his chest. "Why is Hijikata-san so mad at me? Had I commit something bad?"

All he received was a snort from his little pig.

"Maybe he doesn't like brown. Guess I'll have to apologize again later."

-x-

Okita stopped in front of Hijikata's room with a tray in his hands. He took a deep breath and knocked on his room shoji. "Hijikata-san, I brought you tea."

"Come in." Okita slide open the shoji full of wary, afraid that Hijikata might still be furious at him.

Okita places the tray with a steaming cup on it, in between Hijikata and himself. He picked up the cup and presented it to Hijikata, who took it. "Ano, Hijikata-san, I'm-"

Before he got to finish his sentence, Hijikata shoved a white packet into his hands. He looked at Hijikata, who was avoiding his eyes by sipping his tea, and proceeded to untie the bag. He opened the bag and found the chocolates he wanted so much.

"For you." Although fast, Okita was certain he heard it right from Hijikata's mouth.

"Oh, Hijikata-san, thank you so much!" Okita jumped on Hijikata and gave him a brief hug. He began swallowing the chocolates.

Hijikata slowly sipped his tea and thought of how childish Okita acted. A small smile managed to find its way to Hijikata's lips.

-x-

A few hours later….

"I can't believe you actually finished the whole bag!" Hijikata was half amused, half shocked when Okita threw the empty bag on the floor.

"Yum! That was delicious!" Okita was all red by now. "Hijikata-san, I want more."

"No. You're so red. You've eaten too much."

"Red?" Okita chuckled out loud. "There must be some problem with your eyes, Hijikata-san. I looked perfectly fine and I feel good." He hip-cupped. "Well, maybe a little tipsy." And he laughed again.

"Souji, you are…" Hijikata paused as if he was searching for the right word to describe Okita. "… drunk."

"Hijikata-san, how can I be drunk by eating chocolates? You're so funny!" Okita laughed again, this time, louder.

"Souji, you're drunk. I'll take you back to your room." Hijikata grabbed Okita's arm to help him stand and bring him back to his room.

"No!" Okita almost shouted and pushed Hijikata's hand away. "I want to stay here!"

"Souji!"

"I want to stay here with you, Hijikata-san." Souji's arms circled Hijikata's neck tightly. "I don't want to go back to my room."

"Souji, it's already late and you need to rest." Hijikata slowly removed Okita's arm from around his neck but Okita tightened his hold on Hijikata's neck.

"Then I'll sleep here. With you," Okita started to whine like a small kid. "I've always wanted to spend the night with you, Hijikata-san. To listen to your voice before I sleep. To be embraced by you when I sleep. To see you when I dream. To see your face first thing I wake up." Tears started to well up in Okita's eyes. "But, but I know it's impossible."

"Souji…"

"Hijikata-san, I don't know why I feel this way. Maybe, just maybe I…" Tears streamed down Okita's cheek.

Hijikata reached out his fingers and wiped those droplets away. Okita closed his eyes when his cheek came in contact with Hijikata's warm hand.

"Maybe, I love you…" Okita's voice was below whisper. He then fell asleep. Hijikata gently carried his head and pillowed in with his lap. His eyes turned soft as he looked at the sleeping figure in his arms. He brushed away the bangs that covered Okita's eyes and planted a chaste kiss on Okita's forehead.

"And maybe, I love you too."

Hijikata, too, fell asleep, leaning against the wall with Okita in his arms.

-x-

The next morning…

"Ah, Hijikata-dono. You took the wrong bag yesterday." Musaru visited Hijikata with a small white bag hung around his fingers. "The one you took was actually chocolates with alcohol contents. Here, these are the one without any." He handed Hijikata, who looked lost (and at the same time speechless), at the white bag.

But thanks to the mistake Hijikata committed, Okita was able to spent the night with Hijikata, listen to his voice before he slept, embraced by Hijikata when he slept, see him when he dreamt, and see his face first thing he woke up not only for that night but every night ever since.

That's it. Please review and let me know how was it, ne?