Disclaim: I claim what I claim and when I don't I disclaim to a gorilla's name. Peace out.
Chapter 10: Keep Your Socks With You At All Times
Gintoki was trying to focus on the game. Swear to god, cross his heart and hope to die he was. His attempt was not even prompted by trying. He really had to win the stupid game or else everybody in a radius of fifty miles was on to some third degree burns and painful agonizing death. A nice way to spend the weekend some would say, nonetheless Gintoki had to disappoint the minority and save the rest. He was used to it really. What he wasn't used to though were the tantalizing images that kept flashing inside his head during one decisive match of Ztreet Fighter X against those wretched aliens. It was a matter of life or death and yet the lechery persisted. Gyu's outbursts of Hadouken! and his cries during the combos were easily transformed into needy moans and deep grunts of pleasure which Gintoki couldn't stop his brain from replaying. It had been too good. Gintoki was not even sure he had deserved that much and now Hijikata couldn't get out of his mind. To say it was insane would be an understatement. The desires which used to beckon Gintoki were fueled to a new unparalleled extreme he had no power over. As he punched the buttons of the controller away, completely without skill giving the mental distraction, he was certain that if he did not die from the explosion which losing the Ztreet Fighter X Tournament would ensure, then he was definitely going to die from being such a degenerate perverted old fool. Or he could simply die from an overdose of aroused Hijikata or the provocative sounds that he made when Gintoki was inside h-
"I'm losing my fucking mind here!"
The aliens, all twenty of them, gave him a malicious sideways glance and snickered, whispering little snippets of amusement to each other. They were winning 4 to 0 and thus Gintoki had lost both his boots, his kimono and his pants. He had thought the latter to be the safest choice since discarding his shirt would present a rather questioning state of his back to the aliens, however, as his erection became more and more perceptible through the fabric of his boxers, Gintoki quickly regretted his decision of discarding the pants. The stares fixated on his back would have probably brought back the memories more easily but at least the result of recalling them would have been better concealed.
"Hey, Trout-face, if I win this round you don't have to strip. Just gimme back my pants. What do you say?" Gintoki suggested.
Nineteen aliens turned to glare at him. Most of the shoal yelled a NO in response and two short chubby ones shrieked "It's Trout-sama for you!" in high-pitched voices. Gintoki mentally named them Fat 1 and Fat 2.
"Shut up you lot, I was asking Trout-face" Gintoki replied in an annoyed tone.
The aliens had masked themselves as humans during the contest so nothing about their shady business and nature could be noticed. It had been an effective measure were not for the smell that had begun to stink during the award ceremony. Okita swore it was something quite rotten as he unfolded the story to Gintoki on their way to the Oedo Terminal. At the time Gintoki gave little attention to the account and preferred to give free reign to his imagination allowing the true form of the aliens to be some sort of mermaid-like thing but noooooo. He was dead wrong again. They were bipedal things, scaly from head to toe, with big wide eyes and fish faces, some salmons, others sardines, others tuna, lots of tuna, and then their leader the Trout-face. Their plan was to kidnap the winning team and fatten them up in order to feed the Trout-face's pet back on their home planet. Apparently human flesh was its favorite candy and the freak had just hit the jackpot with a double treat. The walking-sashimis had fled from the ceremony taking with them not only the prizes but the two teams who had reached the final level: Hasegawa's and Katsura's. The leader of the Joui faction had infiltrated the contest with his loyal sidekick Elizabeth and they had been part of another of the other four teams that had participated.
Gintoki's initial fight against the army Trout-face had left standing by his spaceship had been a pushover, especially after rescuing Kagura and Shinpachi from their imprisonment. Gintoki found them with Hasegawa tied up inside a water tank with only a breathing tube keeping them alive. It took Gintoki a mere swing of his bokuto to break the thing apart. Afterward, while the kids and Madao dealt with a new wave of alien troops and went about to find Katsura, Gintoki went looking for the mastermind. He believed if he managed to capture and deliver him to the Shinsengumi perhaps they would give him a much welcome monetary reward and maybe a certain Vice Commander would reward him as well in a completely different fashion.
Nonetheless, to Gintoki's utter puzzlement the Trout-face had challenged him not to a sword fight, which he would have undoubtedly won, but to a tournament of Ztreet Fighter X Strip Edition. Declining it would have obviously gone against Gintoki's intellectual pride and so he found himself in his current predicament: not being able to stand the memories of his past night while trying to hadouken' the hell out of Trout-face's player, Qen.
The trout had his eyes glued to the big screen in concentration. His reply to Gintoki's request was an evil grin.
"Shaddup. It'z not my fault you'z bad at Zzzzstreet Fighter X" he said in his creepy accent.
Gintoki groaned frustrated and kept hitting the buttons. He failed to make Gyu's combo again, yet the urgency of hiding his hard-on brought forth a surge of focus.
"Take thiiiiiiiiiiissssss!"
Trout-face felt defeat for the first time. Surprisingly the alien didn't complain much. Gintoki gave a loud hysterical laugh of mock and victory but he wasn't sure if it was more an involuntary outburst of anxiety instead. To grieve his situation he saw Trout-face pointing towards one of his minions, a skinny pale Tuna-face, telling him to take off his pants. The Tuna-face did as he was told and Gintoki just stood there aghast, mouth ajar.
"Hey guys, I'm not following" he said tentatively "Trout-face, you jerk-off, what do you think you're doing? You lost this round, get rid of a shoe at least!"
"I did" he said with a mischievous grin.
"No! Tuna-face here took off his pants!" Gintoki exclaimed and pointed a finger at the innocent-looking Tuna-face in his briefs "Either you take off yours or this is a seriously fucked up development!" Gintoki's voice was close to a shrill by the end of the sentence. Trout-face just caressed the controller in his hands in a disturbing way and spoke softly.
"Thiz iz my team. For uz to win we have to ztrip you entirely, for you to win you muzt ztrip all nineteen of my troopz, and me" he purred the last word and Fat 1 and Fat 2 gave Gintoki a wink.
Gintoki felt a horrible chill run up and down his spine. If he wasn't so enraged at the stupidity and injustice of the sudden game rule he would have pondered more on the sick perversion of the aliens, but who was he to say anything about perverts anyway? He couldn't even keep his south friend limp at the image of Hijikata's bare legs. Moreover, blocking the latter's naked and lewd figure out of his mind proved to be a greater task than he ever thought possible. It was difficult to ignore all those mental images without running the risk of getting inconveniently hard and even if he did manage to keep his nether regions under control it wouldn't matter much since he probably already had a penthouse waiting for him in Hell because of all the other filth that usually floated about in his mind. He snorted and reached for his bokuto.
"I can always finish the damn thing the old way" Gintoki announced confident, but his new found hope was crushed sooner than expected.
"Thiz conzole is directly linked with the zpacezhip'z auto-deztruction activation device. If we don't finish it the zhip will blow up and incinerate the whole Oedo Terminal. It'z your doom, Curly bro"
A vein popped up in Gintoki's head at the nickname and he was about to open his mouth and rebuke something smart when he noticed a few aliens staring at his crotch with curious faces. Gintoki sat back down instantly and grabbed the controller.
"OK LET'S DO IT! JUST DO IT!"
After a dozen rounds Gintoki managed to strip two Tuna-faces completely and still retain his boxers and socks. Always leave the socks until later. Oldest trick in the book. He thought reassuringly to himself. He was playing in a somewhat curled up position to better hide his crotch view and so far it was giving him quite a boost of luck. I can do this. I can do this. It's not like Hijikata is going to appear all of the sudden sweaty and moaning and- shit! I'm so fucking sick. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Each curse was followed by a pressing of a button. He could barely feel his thumbs by now.
"Quite a winning streak, Curly bro" Trout-face mused somberly. Gintoki took a deep breath and ignored him to avoid any kind of manipulation. That was always the tactic of the losing team.
"You're ztill hoping to win aren't you? There are eighteen to go and you only have your underpantz and sockzz" he pointed out with a laugh. Gintoki shrugged his shoulders.
"I have two socks" Gintoki replied.
"Eighteen to go. How many pieces of clothes do you think that iz?"
"I have two socks"
"I'd zay, a lot. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"I have two socks"
"Maybe you should juzt let everyzing burn"
"I have two socks"
"MUHAHAHAHA"
"I HAVE TWO SOCKS I HAVE TWO-"
The computer sealed door of the room they were in suddenly met with a strong impact and resounding boom. Trout-face and Gintoki both pressed pause to look back at the door perplexed. The other aliens also turned towards the source of the noise, even the two naked Tuna-faces who were standing up against a wall in shame of their nudity. A deadly silence followed during which nothing happened. No one breathed, the pirated copy of Street Fighter X didn't have any background music either. Everything was quiet. Then in a heartbeat another clamor shook the room and the door blasted open. Gintoki had to rub his eyes to believe what he was seeing. From behind the rubble and debris came Hijikata, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect Shinsengumi attire, sword unsheathed. Gintoki felt himself stiffen harder at the sight if it was any possible. Half of him didn't want to believe what he was seeing and the other didn't want Hijikata there. His physical presence was not only disgruntling to him physically but also emotionally. More than Gintoki's lust, his feelings came bubbling up at the sight and all he wanted to do was smash his own face with the controller he had in his hand.
Hijikata bore a grave expression. Some kind of troubling and worrying were swimming in his eyes and when Gintoki locked his red ones with those azure pools he almost felt his heart explode. He unpaused the game unwillingly and the reflex earned him a glare from Fat 1 and Fat 2.
"Who iz thiz?" Trout-face asked pretentiously. He was examining Hijikata from head to toe and Gintoki chuckled inwardly for the Vice Commander was not one to take those kinds of looks lightly.
"I'm the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi and you slug bastards are all arrested" Hijikata roared angrily.
The statement issued a loud chattering among the alien shoal and a few unsheathed their swords and brought out their guns.
"I'm afraid that won't be pozzible Vize-Commander" Trout-face raised a hand to stop his subordinates "We're in the middle of a mozt important game" he sniggered.
"Shut your trap before I shut it for you" Hijikata snapped. He glanced once more at Gintoki and furrowed his brows. He was probably wondering what he was doing there barely dressed.
"Hijikata-kun don't be mean" Gintoki told him calmly "Hey Trout-face, he'll be on my team, let's get on with this"
"What the fuck?" Hijikata blurted out confused "What the hell is wrong with this place! Your spaceship is fucking collapsing out there. What do you-"
"Come sit here beside me" Gintoki patted the spot next to him and resumed his play along with Trout-face ignoring Hijikata's outburst. Fat 1 and 2 approached Hijikata and took him to his seat while explaining him the game rules.
"This is Ztreet Fighter X Strip Edition Tournament sponsored by Trout-sama" Fat 1 told him rubbing his scaly hands together.
"You mean Street Fighter?" Hijikata corrected him a bit disoriented.
"No! Zzztreet Fighter X!" Fat 1 corrected him.
"Strip edition!" Fat 2 added.
"It's a pirated version. They don't know shit" Gintoki joined in.
"You shut up and play!" Fat 1 screeched. The cry earned him a blow on the forehead from Hijikata's scabbard. The short alien stumbled backwards and yelped in pain while holding his head.
"Sorry didn't see you" Hijikata mumbled as he sat beside Gintoki. The latter had to control himself not to break into a foolish grin. His heart was hammering in his chest and he rapidly lost track of the game. Hijikata's presence demanded every fiber of his being to pay attention solely to him. Gintoki lost that round pathetically.
"Strip!" Trout-face demanded.
Gintoki turned to Hijikata nonchalantly. Hijikata lifted an eyebrow and glared at him.
"What?"
"For fuck's sake, I'm in my socks and boxers, just take off your damn jacket!" Gintoki blurted out with indignation. Hijikata clicked his tongue in displeasure and threw away his jacket.
"I swear I don't know how you get your stupid ass in shit like this, much less myself" Hijikata muttered furiously, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"I don't know either, darling"
"Ugh! What the fuck was that shit for, you creep!"
"You were being so pleasant I thought you would like me returning the cordiality, assface"
"If you keep playing like that I'll give you an assface if you like"
"Fuck off"
"You fuck off, I didn't want to be here"
"You're fine here, I don't want to end up naked. Hey take off your vest I lost this one too"
"Fuck you. Why don't you take off your fucking socks?"
"When all you have besides them are your boxers you will save them too, fucking idiot"
"Smartass" Hijikata muttered "Here, no vest, fine?"
"Great. Now shut up. I'm getting beaten up already"
"How surprising"
Gintoki noticed the crew of aliens staring at the two of them, skeptical looks plastered all over their faces. Even Trout-face stole a weird glance at them every once in a while. They seemed to be torn between feelings of victory over the strange duo and feelings of worry. Gintoki would have brushed them aside as he did most onlookers on his and Hijikata's fights, but the stares were so intense he could not but be self-conscious. He was gradually becoming more acutely aware of the major ass he was making of himself losing that easy game (which was definitely rigged for its owner's purpose) and he knew sooner or later they would have to drop the pleasantries and avoid the explosion somehow. All of this without any clothes on apparently. Fortunately for him, Hijikata's tendency to talk back until he won an argument was enough to keep him mildly distracted.
"Fucking bastard, just give me that. You've lost five rounds in a row! How is that even possible with the amount of free time you have to play shit like this?" Hijikata yelled angrily stealing the controller from Gintoki's hands.
"What free time? I bust my ass working unlike some sour dogs who only know how to spend my taxes!"
Gintoki lunged at Hijikata to retrieve the controller. He was not going to let the bastard win the game for him. Besides, who knew if he wasn't going to mess up as well? There were still seventeen aliens to strip. It was impossible to win. Hijikata was already down to boxers and pants only. They were fucked. Wait a sec? Pants? Why pants?
"Why are you still in your pants!" Gintoki cried out in disbelief "Don't you know the secret rules of strip games? Why did you throw out the socks, you asshole? You've ruined our luck. The balance is off now you f-"
"Shut the fuck up! I'll take off what I damn well want" Hijikata grunted.
There was a slight blush on his cheeks which made Gintoki suspicious. He let Hijikata proceed with the game and stood back to observe him. He knew Hijikata was onto him just as he had been onto Gintoki while he played. Hijikata's eyes had roamed the expanse of his back, probably admiring the marks he had left everywhere the past night. Gintoki knew there were some nasty scratches there, he could feel them when he flexed his muscles and though they stung a bit, it felt good to know they were there. They always reminded him of why and how they ended up engraved on his skin. His neck and collarbone were a mess of love-bites as well but nothing compared to Hijikata's. Now that Gintoki was able to look at him properly, without the game to disturb him, he could see the red expanse he had bitten and sucked to exhaustion. It was nothing like the old times, when they had casual sex; when they were afraid of each other's embrace. These were possessive and savage marks that Gintoki had no control over whatsoever. Hijikata had driven him to that extent. How was Gintoki supposed to help himself? That peachy soft skin bare and inviting to his touch. Gintoki had to restrain himself not to jump Hijikata right then and there before those stupid aliens. He just wanted to take the dark haired man back to the hotel and have him again. Fuck him senseless until he could feel nothing else. Kiss his swollen lips while he rammed himself inside over and over again.
"Fuck" Gintoki bit his lip and looked away. He was so hard it was painful. Nonetheless, his miserable condition brought him the answer he was looking for. He took a deep breath and then stole a quick glance towards Hijikata's loins.
"Very exciting game isn't it?" his voice was pure tease and Hijikata knew him well enough to sense it, though he would always be too gullible to perceive Gintoki's intentions at first.
"Shut up. I'm winning" Hijikata spat with a shrug.
Gintoki inched closer to him, careful not to be close enough so their shoulders would touch.
"Nope, that's not it. You're going to lose. This Gyu is not made of the same strict, solid and hard training of Street Fighter's Ryu" Gintoki breathed softly, leaning his head a bit. Hijikata reddened profusely but before Gintoki could rejoice in the effectiveness of his teasing he took an elbow to the face.
"You fucking asshole! How many fucking times have I told you not Gin-san's face? Fuck!" Gintoki whined and rolled back painfully in his curled position.
"I told you to shut up. You're distracting me. Look at this shit- fuck, n-no, nonononononNO!" Hijikata groaned angrily at his loss. He threw the controller against the ground in rage and a couple of pieces flew away.
"Shit! Look what you've done! There goes the fucking square and L2"
"Stop talking!"
"Let me see that. Fuck, R1 and R2 are jammed and L1, oh shit"
"Get your hands off!"
While Gintoki and Hijikata wrestled for the broken controller and fought about the missing buttons the aliens stared at them confused.
"Are they not from the same team?" one Salmon-face wondered.
"Didn't know humans were so disagreeable as this" a Sardine-face added.
"These two seem very energetic. Maybe we should take them back home too Trout-sama" Fat 2 suggested.
"They have lots of battle scars too"
"Are they mating?"
"Silence!" Trout-face yelled. His voice was full with irritation, even more so when he noticed Gintoki and Hijikata had not stopped their quarrel at his command.
"Silence! Silence! Silence! Silence! SILENCE!" he repeated, his mouth opening wide and shutting tight in repeated motion.
"He really does look like a trout" Gintoki noted to Hijikata.
"Indeed"
"How much do you think they'd give me for his head at the fish market?"
Hijikata deliberated quietly about the price but the screams for silence suddenly changed to shouts of Strip! Strip! Strip!. Gintoki sent him an expectant look, a bit too devious for the occasion.
"Don't look at me! I only have my pants and boxers! You have socks! That's two to three" Hijikata argued.
"But pants are still part of the large clothing which precedes the smaller clothes. Suck to be you Hijikata-kun"
"You want me to fucking kill you Yorozuya?"
The chanting of Strip! Strip! Strip! continued.
"Yeah sure, with any weapon of your choice" Gintoki's eyes betrayed his speech and he ended up looking at Hijikata's crotch. The Vice Commander did the math pretty easily and shot him a flustered look.
"You fuck!" he reached for his sword but one of the aliens had taken it away and Fat 1 and 2 appeared out of nowhere pulling Hijikata's pants down. Gintoki gave a victorious cheer.
"You see Hijikata-kun, if you don't take them off someone else will take them off for you" Gintoki's voice resounded in his throat hungrily and he had to prevent a chuckle.
He was enjoying the display of the Vice-Commander struggling to keep the two short aliens off him while trying to maintain a hold on his remaining clothes, when Hijikata's pants slid down a few good inches below the navel and all it showed beneath was bare skin. Gintoki's first instinct was to grab the pants by the waistband and pull them up quickly. Hijikata jolted with the sudden move and though it was originally an honest gesture it only had bad repercussions to follow. One of them inclusively had Gintoki pressed bodily against Hijikata, his erection brushing against the latter's backside most eagerly. Gintoki wanted to die in a pool of mortification. He didn't see his life flying past before him, but he did see all his humiliations run by and not one of them was close to this, not even that time when he grabbed Tsukuyo's boob.
As most things in Gintoki's life, the situation went from bad to wholly-fucking-terrible. Their current display did not paint a pretty picture. His naked chest was pressed against Hijikata's bare back and a whole group of weird fish aliens was looking at them with blank expressions. Gintoki's hands were still gripping the waistband of Hijikata's pants and he was having a semi panic attack. He knew by Hijikata's tensed muscles that the dark haired man was completely aware of the bump touching his ass, Gintoki didn't need a psychic to tell him that.
"H-h-heeeyyy guys, chill" Gintoki said in fake amusement, stretching a leg to Fat 1 and 2 "Take my cock- I MEAN SOCK. Take my sock. Sock. Sock. Sock. Sock"
They took one sock off and scattered away towards their group in quick heedful steps.
"You've grossed them out" Hijikata deadpanned. Gintoki was glad he couldn't see his face.
"No I didn't" he denied childishly.
"And me too"
"What? You're the one who came here with nothing under your pants, what the fuck?"
"I must have forgotten" Hijikata muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, that's a really clever answer" Gintoki snorted.
"Shut up! I didn't even want to enter this stupid spaceship! I should have stayed outside, fuck this"
"Oh, you entered of your own free will Hijikata-kun? You're out to steal my heart then"
"Against my will! AGAINST IT! Are you deaf!"
"You're the one screaming asshole"
"You're the one with the-" Hijikata halted abruptly once he understood what he was about to yell at the world. Gintoki whispered it for him anyway.
"Cock pressed against your ass, I know. Nothing new to be sure" Gintoki said devilishly. He was on the verge of his patience. He was on the limit of his usual indifference to situations. His hands had begun to tremble. He just needed the right push to send everything to the devil and get the hell out of there.
"Let's resume" the Trout-face said.
"No wait!" Gintoki interjected "Can't we have like a five minute break? We don't have scales on our fucking fingers. I am almost bleeding here!" Gintoki shoved his fingers in the aliens' faces and they peered vaguely at them. His thumbs were not in their best shape.
Trout-face gave a grunt and after a few seconds of silent deliberation dismissed them with a hand gesture. His two plump goons hurried to a small door at a the corner of the room and slid it open.
"Five minutezzzz" Trout-face said gravely to Gintoki "Then we play"
Gintoki nodded frantically and sprinted to the new open door puling Hijikata along with him. He ran past Fat 1 and 2 in a blur and heard them voicing something along the lines of private and toilet. Once the door slid shut behind them it took him less than a heartbeat to finally take Hijikata. He smashed their lips together, probing Hijikata's mouth as the man opened it invitingly. His hands gripped the black shiny hair spontaneously looking for the best angle. There were only haggard breaths as they fought in haste for touch. Their kiss took them right back to the previous night as if it had simply been prolonged, never knowing any end. Gintoki grabbed Hijikata's chin and pulled it back to lavish his jawline down to his chest. He lingered in the apple of his throat, delighting in the rushing pulse beneath. The moans were healing balms to his anxiety. Gintoki was in dire need of release and not for any responsible reason. He reached down a hand to unzip Hijikata's pants but the Vice-Commander grasped his wrist in halt. Gintoki frowned.
"Not here idiot" he breathed alarmed. Gintoki didn't even had the grace to sigh at the cute remark "The ship is completely destroyed outside this fucking gaming room! This shit is gonna explode at any second, what the fuck are we even doing out there playing with these motherfucking aliens, we need to get the fuck out-"
"After the whole day I've been through don't make me wait through another row of insults and violence, I want you now" Gintoki was not mindful of his snarl but Hijikata's hue was. He was red instantly, further stirring the fire in Gintoki's gut. He cornered Hijikata against the tiled shower with a push that screamed impatience. He unzipped the uniform pants and stripped Hijikata off his last piece of clothing easily. It was ironic how Gintoki's wildest fantasies always won against his better judgment when it came to Hijikata. Just hours ago he had been tantalized by mental images only to have the real deal in front of him now. It was needless to say which was the more stimulating version. Hijikata's naked body never failed to show the kind of vulnerability his convulsed personality was keen to hide. Gintoki had never quite known what to do about it except embrace it entirely. He just didn't know he could become so addicted.
"Shithead, they said five minutes, what if they storm in after-"
Gintoki silenced Hijikata with another burning kiss, pulling back just enough for a short reply "I only need five minutes". He removed his boxers and recaptured Hijikata's lips greedily. He could feel his cock pulsating feverishly and the heat spreading all over his body. Gintoki almost gasped in pain once his arousal touched Hijikata's own throbbing member.
"Shit" he stepped back a bit apprehensive and shut his eyes. Rage filled his head as he anticipated a speedy climax. Gintoki just couldn't hold it in anymore. Notwithstanding, he heard a husky snort and before he had the courage to open his eyes and face Hijikata's mock he felt a hand on his member and another on the small of his back pulling him close. Hijikata's hot breath washed over his cheek and then his ear as he wrapped his fingers around both erections and stroked them slowly up and down.
"No- Hijikata- I-!" It was enough to send Gintoki over the edge. He bucked into it, feeling his legs going soft as his whole body shivered with pleasure. Hijikata's voice was a grating sound in the distance as he came. Gintoki had to lean against Hijikata's body to keep standing up. His head was half buried in the other man's shoulder muffling his moans.
"Didn't need to rush" Hijikata's hoarse voice sounded amused but soon it was his turn to fall to broken whimpers. Gintoki pinned Hijikata's hands up and worked on the pumping himself, plying his revenge at a faster pace. When he was done their abdomens were a mess.
They slid down to sitting positions and Gintoki reached a trembling hand towards the shower tap. A stream of cold water fell down on them once he turned it on and Hijikata cursed instantly after a first jolt. Gintoki let out a breathy laugh and closed his eyes feeling the cool water pour down his skin. The flow ran past bites and marks, jutting muscles and bones, washing the surface entirely. When Gintoki opened his eyes his hair was completely soaked, covering most of his vision, yet he was able to catch a peculiar look on Hijikata's face. He wiped the water clouding his view and frowned with suspicion. One could never be too wary of Hijikata's queer expressions.
"What?" he urged.
Hijikata recoiled slightly, gulping down whatever answer he had before turning away. It was enough to leave Gintoki skeptical but in their current circumstances it wouldn't do to dwell on such matters. If Gintoki insisted on pursuing the subject they would certainly get into another argument and waste enough time for the aliens to come bursting in and catch them fighting again, naked. Gintoki shook his head and leaned against the wall to get up. However, a late grip on his wrist prevented him from standing up completely. He turned towards Hijikata impassively. After so much fussing he would never want to go on with their play, would he? Gintoki began doubting himself and how well he could actually predict Hijikata when his primal guess was proved right.
"Hey, the other day, I mean... yesterday, I mean no, uh... today..."
Gintoki felt his eyes widen twice their usual size. He was trying to think of a time when he had ever witnessed Hijikata stammering so badly and failing miserably. What had just happened? Gintoki had to muster all his self-control not to break out in a cackle. His weak spot for adorable antics was suffering from a bad blow yet it couldn't overcome the deriding nature his longtime rivalry with Hijikata had etched deep in him. He always felt a bit triumphal when he drove Hijikata to such pitiful extents; accounting for the devilish Vice-Commander's personality anyone would too to be sure, but for Gintoki it had a special taste. Unfortunately he was about to pay back the joke.
"You were about to say something that time, what was it?" there was no longer any stutter in Hijikata's voice. He was certain of what he was asking and his face was as grave and serious as always.
Gintoki answered his question with a quizzical look, not quite knowing at first what he meant.
"When exactly?"
Hijikata's cheeks were still too flushed for Gintoki to notice any particular change in his features. His reply was specific enough though.
"Back at the hotel. I was half-sleeping but I think I heard you talking"
Hijikata had not even finished speaking when Gintoki felt insurmountable shame strike him fatally. He felt such a tremendous pang in his heart he wondered for a split second if he was having a heart attack. Hijikata's profound stare bore him further holes in his chest cavity and Gintoki was doubtful he could survive the present moment without passing out. At once he remembered his stupid delusions of a confession. He had been much too high on pleasure to have started that kind of indulging talk. That speech of feelings and love. What the hell had he been thinking? It was Hijikata he was talking about, it didn't matter how good the sex was, how much Gintoki might claim to love him. He knew it, he knew it was best not to involve feelings of any kind. Gintoki had already been hurt enough. Moreover, he acknowledged it had all been his fault for letting himself take things too seriously. He had never meant to fall too deep. Hijikata's sudden willingness had been a simple fancy in Gintoki's mind. It was actually just a result from a deprivation of three months, right? Right? RIGHT?
He had tried so hard to convince himself. He was going to let it all wither and die. One-sided loves were destined to rot anyway. He knew it to be true. However, all it took him to abandon such depressing ideas was simply to look at him. He was looking at Hijikata right now and his whole set of reasons to confess got a reboot. His determination, his resolve, his need, everything seemed right. But then dichotomy was a bitch too. His fears doubled equally. He was sure anything he said would sound dumb and ludicrous and this was the one thing in his life that he did not mean to screw up, though he probably already had. He absolutely refused to be the fucking moron to be laughed at. Also, didn't they say that the first to confess was the loser? He was not going to lose to Hijikata. The Hijikata Toshiro. Oh no he wasn't. But then, wasn't the Hijikata he loved the same person? All those times he teased and provoked him, wasn't Gintoki always a bit confident in some kind of consent, of approval, of some mutuality? Their relationship was too convulsed to take anything for granted and Gintoki acted on that basis. His brain just screamed ABORT ABORT ABORT ABORT MISSION and his lips shut tight, afraid of pronouncing one syllable more.
Did Hijikata even know? Did he suspect all the words Gintoki didn't say?
Although Gintoki didn't answer, his look offered Hijikata a peek. Gintoki would have given him another if only their moment hadn't been interrupted by a loud banging at the door.
"5 minutes! 5 minutes!" the screechy voices of Fat 1 and 2 rang in choir. It was enough to snap Gintoki and Hijikata out of their reveries. Gintoki was frankly relieved. They both scrambled to their feet, drying off with the nearest towels and putting on their remaining articles of clothing. When Gintoki got to the door he heard Hijikata snort behind him.
"What now?"
Hijikata was looking at his feet.
"You wet your sock"
AN: Oh my Gooooooooooooood. Finally! I've been in such a terrible writer's block for this story. I actually had the chapter all planned out for quite a while, only I never felt like writing the emotional stuff. College has been holding me back from writing and I only got the time to immerse my self in the Gintama universe again this summer. Praise them holidays! I expect to end this in two more chapters. But don't be surprised if I drag it on. I just can't help it. Thanks to everyone who has read this and left comments, favs and alerts. This fanfic has a really special place in my heart and nothing makes it more so than your support. Thank you all. I'll update this asap.