A/N: OH HEY look it's two chapters in 24 hours! Kind of. This isn't a full chapter, it's just a little bit of Shinpachi/Keiko fluff to add in to the story. Enjoy. :)
Chapter 5.5
Keiko awoke with a start to the sound of someone knocking obnoxiously on her door frame. After the previous night's events, she had been more tired than usual and it seemed that she had slept in as a result. She sighed, pushing herself into a sitting position.
"Yes I hear you." She said in a monotonous tone, glaring at the door. It slid open slightly, and Shinpachi stuck his head in, a huge smile on his face.
"I didn't take you for a heavy sleeper! I've been knocking for a while!" He exclaimed, and she only grunted in response. He beamed at her, obviously amused by her disheveled appearance and her lackluster attitude. Keiko rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, forcing herself to stand up. "How long do I have before breakfast?" She spoke without enthusiasm, sluggishly making her way over to a cupboard which held her day clothes and her comb.
"Not long. You really slept in." Shinpachi snickered as he leaned in the doorway, watching with mirth as Keiko's expression quickly changed from an unenthused tiredness to utter horror. "You should have come sooner!" She exclaimed, dropping the comb in her hands and rushing to grab her clothing. "Shut the door! Don't be pervy!" She threw a shoe at him as she yelled, rushing to undress from her sleeping yukata. She could hear him bellow with laughter at her outburst as he shut the door behind him.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're angry? Keiko-ch-"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Keiko snarled, cutting him off, only to be met with more thunderous laughter. She hated being addressed as 'chan'. She had never considered herself to be cute, and she had always had a certain pride that she just couldn't let go of. Perhaps she was too prideful, but she absolutely refused to belittle herself to such nonsense. It just… Didn't suit her.
"You better hurry or there won't be any food left." Shinpachi teased, and Keiko huffed as she pulled her sleeves on and secured them in place. She hastily tied her hair into a ponytail, hoping that would hide it's messiness. She grabbed one of her flats and slid it onto her foot, desperately looking around to where she had thrown the other one. She ran to the door, peering down at the floor where the shoe should have been. She glared at the silhouette of her muscular companion, huffing as she slammed the door open.
Shinpachi jumped at the sudden noise behind him, turning slightly to see a very unimpressed Keiko standing in front of him with her arms crossed. He noticed that she had tied her hair into a high ponytail rather than just tying the ends, and he didn't dislike the look on her. She still looked disheveled and tired, he noticed that her sleeves weren't evenly placed and the bow around her waist was tied haphazardly. And to top her look off, she only had one shoe on. Shinpachi bit his lip, trying desperately to suppress his laughter, his hands tucked tightly behind his back.
"Give it back." Keiko demanded, staring daggers at him. Shinpachi looked away innocently, leaning back on his heels slightly. "What do you mean, Keiko-san? Are you missing something?" He asked casually, barely holding back from snickering. Keiko's glare hardened and, despite himself, he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. He still kept his hands firmly behind his back, but he allowed himself to laugh heartily at the expression on her face. She huffed and pouted, placing one of her hands on her hip and holding the other out expectantly.
"I know you have it. Give it back!" Keiko couldn't keep her menacing glare while Shinpachi laughed like that, so she opted to pout instead. When she saw he wasn't budging she sighed. "Honestly how old are you? This is very childish." She stated as she glanced off to the side. Shinpachi chuckled. "Even so, your expression was worth it." He stated simply, finally bringing forward her lost shoe. Keiko let out a relieved breath and went to take it, only for Shinpachi to suddenly pull his hand back. Keiko stared at his hand for a moment, then cast him an unimpressed glare. He smirked, raising a brow at her. He took a step back from her when she reached out again, then stepped to the side of her, dodging her attempts.
Finally, Keiko snapped, her pride getting the better of her. She bent down, took off her other shoe, and proceeded to violently hurl it at Shinpachi's face. He dodged it without much effort, but was surprised by the outburst nonetheless.
"There! Have both of them! Are you happy now?!" She exclaimed, heat reaching across her face as her frustration surged. Shinpachi only chuckled. "Yeah I'd say I'm pretty happy today." He beamed at her. Keiko huffed as she stormed away from him, leaving both of her shoes behind.
That man! He could be so frustrating, and to keep both of them from breakfast?! She was beyond angry at this point. Hunger and tiredness were clouding her mind and making her more and more irritated, and his antics were only serving to worsen her mood. She could vaguely hear him calling out to her, trying to get her attention again, but she was adamant about ignoring him. She stormed towards the dining hall, barefoot, with an apologetic Shinpachi on her heels.
She arrived at the hall, visibly irate, and slid the door open. To her surprise, there was no one in the room. She stood there, staring at the empty dining hall, blinking a few times in confusion. Shinpachi caught up with her and gently took her hand, pulling her into the hall.
"Surprise…" He murmured, trying to be careful not to set her off again. He gently set her shoes down on the floor outside the room then walked over to where two breakfasts were placed on the floor. He gestured to them, a small smile on his face. Keiko was stunned, she had no idea what was going on. Shinpachi sighed as he sat down casually in front of one of the meals.
"I heard from Kondo that you had a bit of a rough night last night." He began, motioning for her to sit next to him. She did so hesitantly, still looking at him in confusion as he continued. "Everyone else actually had breakfast really early this morning, and they've all begun their duties already. I've got today off, and I thought it would be nice for you to be able to sleep in for once, especially after a tough night. So I, erhm, I made this." He spoke quietly as he gestured to the meal in front of them, and a light blush touched his face as he did. Keiko looked down at the meal, her eyes softening. She felt her heart stirring and her throat close up, and suddenly she couldn't find words to say to him.
The two of them sat in silence for a moment, before Keiko's hunger betrayed her and a low rumble sounded from her stomach. She blushed slightly, before picking up her chopsticks to begin eating. "Thank you." She murmured, giving Shinpachi a soft glance before she started eating her meal. She saw him sport his signature wide grin from the corner of her eye, before he also settled in to enjoy his meal.
To her surprise, the food was actually quite good. She noted that he was a fairly skilled cook, and she found herself wanting to see what other things he would surprise her with. He could be frustratingly childish sometimes, and everything about him was loud and large. Yet, he was very thoughtful and sweet, and he had many different skills. She respected him as a warrior and as a man, and she found that she was growing to trust him. She felt like she could rely on him to be there for her and to keep her secrets.
She pondered over her growing affections for the man beside her as the two of them peacefully ate their meals together. She looked over at him to see him heartily eating his meal, a pleasant expression on his face, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
PS. If you haven't already, please feel free to check out my other story - Lucky Cat. It's an Okita Souji fic, with a twist! Also I only ever write it when I'm drinking, so that's fun I guess. Thanks for reading guys! :)
