* more detail on this chap is explained in the A/N below. enjoy! :'D
VII
Birds chirped in the mid-morning solace.
Exhaling steadily, she lowered her sword a little and readied herself.
With a grunt she dashed forward, pretending the straw dummy had arms that lashed out to grab; sharply turning to get behind her foe, she lashed out viciously at where its neck was.
The swordswoman huffed quietly and flicked her blade clean of invisible blood and sheathed it just as the top chunk of the dummy dropped onto the ground.
"That was scary." His voice said from near the porch, perking her ears.
Kawa glanced in his direction and slid her eyes closed momentarily, turning to head back inside and kick off her sandals as she stepped onto the porch, walking past him as a means to get to her room which was around the corner.
His hand caught her wrist, halting her. "Kawa."
She looked at him with one brow lifted, gray eyes stoic. "What is it, Okita?" If her curtness wasn't enough of a hint that she was still miffed, then her usage of his surname was sure to get the point across.
Souji exhaled, ignoring the urge to wince at recognizing he was still not off the hook, keeping his eyes on her own. "I said I was sorry fer doin' what I did in Osaka, okay? It was stupid and those idiots started the whole damn thing in the first place." He said evenly, noticing there was still the need to draw back in her eyes; he gripped her wrist reflexively. "Kawa."
"I'm not angry about you cutting them down, dumbass." Kawa exhaled steadily and scowled, pretending the design on his haori was interesting as she added, "I just… I thought things were going well between us, and then that happened. And you… you sounded serious, that night, about wanting to commit seppuku…" She trailed off as a look of revulsion and pain glinted in her eyes.
"Pft, like I'd ever be able to go through with it; Hijikata-san was lookin' to kill me before I could ever dream of doin' it. And anyway, I made ya a promise didn't I? I'm not goin' anywhere, Kawa." He reminded, squeezing her hand instead of her forearm, watching her eyes widen a little.
She gingerly slipped her hand free, exhaling; she slugged him hard in the right shoulder, making him wince.
He grimaced slightly at her iron fist, swearing she'd prolly cracked the bone, blinking when she pulled him into a tight embrace. He looked at her in slight confusion. "Kawa…"
"You're such an idiot, you know that…? You're the biggest moron I've ever met in my life…" She said hoarsely into his haori, fingers digging into the back of his shoulders, eyes closed even as heat flooded her cheeks. "But even so, I… I love you." She admitted humbly, perking his ears.
He recalled that morning after he'd bested her in a spar that felt like it was decades ago even though it was only a few months past, and he quieted; he smiled, arms encircling her waist and squeezing possessively. "I love you too."
Souji blinked once.
Given a certain worry-wart had come down with a cold since the previous evening, he had deemed it courteous and just-plain-thoughtful to cook some porridge to help the man.
Of course knowing how stubborn the oni was, he didn't doubt he'd have to force-feed him if the need called for it…
"It smells like oranges in here, princess." He said with that trademark smirk, trudging to put his sandals on and resume fixing the porridge, coming to her side.
Kawa smiled knowingly at him, slicing the second orange effortlessly with the knife, squeezing the juice into the already-brewing pot of green tea. "You're not the only thoughtful person here, y'know." She replied, setting the used orange aside and pouring the tea mixture into a cup, steam slowly rising in thin translucent slithers.
"I thought the tea already had enough citrus…" He mused, checking the labels on the spices he was going to use.
"It does, but when you have a cold, extra citrus will help fight off the ailment." She answered calmly, noting the spices and feeling a sweatdrop form on her brow. "Are you trying to kill his taste buds? Geez, Souji…" She asked, looking at him.
He rolled his eyes, poking her nose with a finger. "Relax, will ya? The oni will be just fine eatin' this…" He assured, smiling cheekily as her cheeks puffed slightly at his cocky tone.
Kawa sighed and shook her head a little, leaning up to lightly press a kiss to his lips. "Don't come cryin' to me when he tries to strangle you for food-poisoning." She returned the cheeky smile and stepped away to take the cup of tea to said man's room via the main porch.
::::::::lDl::::::::
"Toshi, I brought some tea…" She said as she opened the door, blinking once and then again at seeing him sitting at his desk writing. She scowled and exhaled patiently, closing the door behind her entrance. "What in hell are you doing working? You should be sleeping!" She scolded, placing the cup of tea on his desktop rather pointedly.
"Lay off on the sick person, will you? It's my life, I can do whatever I want…" He remarked snippily before noticing the tea she'd brought; he huffed. "I don't need tea… I'm alright."
She felt a vein twitching on her brow and folded her arms. "Drink it or I'll pour it down your pants… How the hell can you function properly without wantin' to get better?" She said cattily.
Hesitating as he contemplated pressing the issue, he grumbled in defeat, taking the cup. Knowing her, she really would pour it on him… "You're one forceful nurse…" He muttered, taking a sip and blinking once, adding, "You put orange into it."
Smiling contently at cowing him, she sat down next to his desk and huffed. "Citrus helps colds, dummy. 'Sides, I figured extra citrus wouldn't hurt a strong lunkhead like you." She added, rubbing her neck.
Toshi pouted slightly at her, left brow twitching. "The name calling wasn't necessary…" He took a generous sip and exhaled, looking down at his paperwork. "Thanks for the tea." He added.
Kawa blinked and her face softened; she shrugged. "Said the grateful oni." She mused, smiling lightly.
"Hijikata-san, are you awake?" Both of them blinked at hearing the bluenette's voice from the porch.
"Ibuki, what is it?" He returned, having been writing as the boy opened the door and poked his head in.
Ibuki perked up at seeing him at his desk, opening the door wider as he stepped inside. "H-hey, what're you doing up?" He asked alertly, looking at the man's younger 'sibling' seated by his desk. "Eh, Kawa-chan?"
"Working, what else?" Toshi huffed.
Kawa shook her head again and exhaled, "Don't bother tryin' to dissuade him from work, I already tried." She declared as he started to open his mouth.
"Maybe I shouldn't have worried, then…" Ibuki muttered, sighing slightly and adding, "You've got a cold, you should sleep." He said.
Toshi scoffed, "Stow it, I've already taken medicine and Yasakawa just brought tea; I'll be fine. If you don't got anything else to add, you can leave. I'm busy."
"It's only because of you bein' busy," Ibuki remarked, reaching inside his shirt to place an overly-sized orange onto his desktop. "Everyone is worried and tryin' to do something for ya, y'know. This's natsumikan; Harada picked it up."
Kawa looked at the fruit and lifted it, measuring the weight in one hand. "Looks kinda like a fat orange…"
"You're up already? Looks like ya don't need the porridge I made." Souji's voice broke in from the doorway of his room, making the trio look as he stood present with a prepared dish on hand, not minding the stiffened Ibuki that had seated himself near their vice-commander.
Toshi raised both brows, "You made porridge?"
"What, ya don't want it?" Souji returned with a catty edge to his voice slowly gaining strength.
"No; I mean, thanks." Toshi nodded.
Kawa tilted her head slightly at Ibuki's suddenly-nervous state. "Ne, what's eatin' you, Ibuki-kun?" She asked curiously.
"U-um, Hijikata-san…" Ibuki started to say.
Souji shot the bluenette a brief warning scowl, "Pipe down, Ibuki-kun." He chided as he set the plate down on his friend's desk.
"Pickled radish?" Ibuki blinked once and then again in surprise.
Kawa made a disgusted noise and shook her head, "Blegh… How you can eat that is beyond me…" She muttered as Souji plonked down with her.
"You're not the sick person, so stow it… imoto-chan." Toshi smirked rather smugly at using the nickname she hated.
"Bite me." She blew a raspberry, looking away with an indignant pout.
The brunette snickered, tousling her hair. "Ne, ya sound like you're gettin' better already, Hijikata-san."
"More citrus tea?" Said 'patient' wondered as he took a sip of the second tea brought to him, looking at the couple.
Souji huffed, scritching the back of his head. "The princess left it out, so waste not want not." He excused, catching the slightly surprised expression on his love interest's pretty face.
Cheeks coloring slightly, Kawa looked down at her gathered knees and exhaled, slugging his shoulder on reflex. "Lunkhead samurai." She muttered, eyes closed.
He pouted sorely at her and began to say something but for the knowing glance earned from her 'brother', he sighed and dropped it, crossing his arms.
The rest of the afternoon went by at a calm pace. At the combined effort of comments from Souji and patient urgings from Kawa, Toshi ate the dish if only to pacify the couple. Saitou popped in only twenty minutes later with a pack of medicine and a cup of normal tea. And a bit of an hour and a half after that, Inoue-san came at hearing news their reputed 'oni' vice-commander had caught a cold with sweet red-bean soup and rice cake.
By this point the patient decided it was either eat what was brought to him or he would be hearing about it for the rest of his life (namely from Kawa).
"Toshi!"
All five heads perked up as Kondou practically barged into the room, earning a couple of sweatdrop-expressions from Kawa and Ibuki.
Toshi raised a brow, "Kondou-san, what's up?"
"I heard that you were sick, Toshi. Are you in pain?" Kondou asked concernedly.
"'Am I in pain'? Not really, no." Toshi shook his head, starting to get up.
"N-no, don't get up; I'll go get you some medicine!"
"Saitou already got it."
"Right, then how about some porridge?"
"Souji made some."
"Ah, what about citrus tea?"
"Yasakawa brewed a pot of it a while ago."
"How about sweet red-bean soup with rice cake; you'd like that!"
"Gen-san brought some."
"Oh wait, I know! What about 'that' fruit; that's great for colds! Come to think of it, there's some growing even in summer. I saw a vendor…"
"Harada already brought one."
"…Well alright. In that case, at least let me sort your documents…"
"Heisuke beat ya to it, actually."
Thoroughly stumped, Kondou's brow furrowed in what appeared to be brainstorming as he folded his arms and started thinking. "Hm, then what can I do…?" He mumbled as San'nan-san poked his head in on the group.
Souji failed to cover an amused snort as he began laughing.
Kawa, who had been fighting off a stubborn giggle while watching the scene, covered her mouth as she laughed softly, hearing Inoue-san chuckle as well; laughter seemed to be contagious today.
Toshi smiled slightly at their amusement, looking at his friend, "Thanks anyway, Kondou-san; your sentiment helped." He said.
Kondou looked at the three laughing members of the clustered group and smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck, "Is that right?" He chuckled.
A/N: real quick note, guys. this episode was basically a filler, mainly compliments of the anime as the majority of the chapter was centered on an OVA episode from the Reimeiroku season called "Illness in Summer". the episode, as i rebooted on here, was mostly adorable fanservice focused on Hijikata. anyway, that's all for now. gonna head to bed in a min, so 'night all.
hope to hear some sort of feedback from you lot but i'm not rly keeping my fingers crossed.. anyway, lates! (;
