A/N: okay so I know I said I won't be posting in a while. I LIED. haha. Just kidding. I was just thinking I already had this chapter ready and it's sort of not really connected to the plot twists I was having so much difficulty figuring out so I'll just post it anyway. I had this very random instinct to just throw Souji and Akane in one room and have them create beautiful babies and live happily ever after so I came up with a chapter that will practically be about nothing but the two of them. Needed to feel that they are making progress, right? Anyway, I hope you can let me know about how I'm doing. I know I have a silent pool of readers from the story stats page and I'm more than happy about all of you. Drop me a review if you have some time, okay? okay.

P.S. I've recently fallen in love with Saitou and Chikage because of all cute pictures I see of them in Tumblr. Who has a tumblr account here? tell me your username and I'll follow you!

'Come on, open your mouth.'

'No.'

'The food will get cold, kitten. Come on. Be a good girl.'

'Stop it!'

Akane slapped away the hand hovering in front of her face impatiently. Across from her, Heisuke, Harada, and Shinpachi snickered on their seats. She threw a death glare at Okita who merely smirked and winked at her. She almost cursed herself when she felt heat travel from her neck to her cheeks. She looked away and inconspicuously edged towards Hijikata who was sitting beside her. Who would be crazy enough to entertain the idea of inching closer to the vice-captain who looked so serious and stern so early in the morning? Turns out to be her. All because of a stupid man with stupid green eyes.

With her real identity still being kept a secret to the rest of the Shinsengumi, Akane was asked to mingle as little as possible with the other members of the group. She rarely goes out of her room except when she had to train with her squad, have private lessons with Saitou, and go on patrol. The only times she went out was to help Heisuke with she shopping and to prepare breakfast with Harada who is now assigned to be her partner in the kitchen. That was also the reason why every day, in her three weeks in the headquarters, she ate all her meals together with the captains.

It was weird for her at first. Thankfully, Heisuke, Harada, and Shinpachi seemed to have made it their mission to make her as comfortable as possible. They included her in their jokes to make sure she didn't feel left out and they even sometimes told her old stories to make sure she's not missing out on something. It helped her a lot especially with the stress of still not finding her friends and the chilling night where she met the man that scared the soul out of her. For men who haven't exactly lived with a girl, they were doing great as friends.

Every meal had been peaceful and fun. Until today.

Akane opened the door to the room where they eat their breakfast.

'Good morning,' she bowed respectfully before entering and occupied her seat beside Hijikata.

'Good morning,' Hijikata answered before taking another sip of tea from his cup. She scanned the room and saw that almost everyone was already there. She smiled as she looked at Heisuke, Shinpachi, and Harada who were still looking bleary-eyed and spaced out in front of her. Must have spent last night drinking out late again, she thought. Saitou and Sannan were already picking out at their bowls of food serenely.

Her eyes fell on the empty seat beside her. Ever since their embarrassing encounter in the bathroom, Akane has never crossed paths with Okita again. She heard from Heisuke that he was sent to go to Osaka to look for possible recruits and will not be back in a week or two. Needless to say, her life has been peaceful since then. Suddenly, an image of him lying below her in the bathroom flashed in her mind. She flushed and shook her head a little. That was the last thing she wants to remember right now. She picked up her chopsticks to finally start eating.

'How rude, you've all started without me,' a voice from the door playfully said and she froze. The others looked up from their own businesses.

'Ah, Souji! Welcome baaaa-aaawwwwn,' Heisuke yawned, then shrugged, not even bothering to finish his sentence.

Beside her, Hijikita put down his cup and looked at the newcomer.

'Welcome back. How was it?'

Okita slumped on his seat. 'Fine. Was able to look for a couple of new ones. I doubt they will do well though. They all looked so frail to me.'

'Good work. Let's have a meeting after this to talk to the recruits.'

'Haaaaaiii,' he said, rolling the word in his tongue in his typical teasing way. Then his eyes fell on the girl sitting beside him. His lips quirked into a grin.

Akane stiffened on her seat as she felt his gaze on her. Not today. Not today. Please spare me today. She chanted in her mind as she tried to take hold of a piece of fish with her chopsticks.

'O-ha-you, kitten.'

She inwardly groaned.

'Ohayou, Okita-san,' she politely but indifferently said and continued to eat. Of course, her subtle act of brushing him off didn't affect him one bit. She even saw him lean more towards her in her peripheral vision.

'You didn't miss me?' She felt her ears slowly starting to burn at his teasing tone. Still, she steeled herself from retaliating. The man seemed to enjoy it more when he sees her out of sorts and she won't give him the satisfaction.

'I believe I don't have a reason to miss you, Okita-san,' she answered coolly and took a bite from her food.

'Eh? But you seemed to be so interested in me while we were in the bathroom last week.'

She choked.

The boys around her looked up in interest. Shinpachi's groggy look was gone in an instant as he asked, 'Bathroom…last week?'

'Ah yes. I was about to take a late afternoon freshening up when I saw her there. I wasn't even able to close the door properly because she was suddenly on top of m-'he wasn't able to finish what he was saying as Akane suddenly stuffed his mouth with the food from her chopsticks. Expect him to make an accident seem like the lewdest of moments! Her face was hot and she can feel the gazes of the men in the room trained at the two of them. The man beside her, however, looked as unfazed as always and only widened his grin. He started chewing on the food she forced on him to shut him up, his green eyes glinting with mischievousness.

Akane was just about to tell the others what really happened when Okita leaned a little backwards on his seat, putting his weight on his hands. His eyes never left hers. The movement caused his kimono to open in the front and showed more of his chest than usual. She gaped at the sight, utterly speechless. The images of him in the bathroom popped in her mind again like bubbles and she blushed brighter than usual. She's probably as red as Harada's hair by now.

She was shook from her reverie as she saw the chest she was avidly gawking at move in silent laughter. Akane tore his eyes away from the sight and glared at him. He seemed to be putting all of his energy not to burst into laughter in front of her. Her eyes widened before turning into slits.

He intentionally did that! He knew it. He knew his effect on her!

'Please cover yourself. I feel scared for your health with you being exposed like that,' she almost growled at him.

'Will you take care of me in case I get sick?'

She ignored him, picked up her chopsticks, and turned to her food again.

'Hey, kitten.'

Silence.

'Kittennnn.'

Ignore him. Ignore. Him.

'Psst!'

'What?' she asked, her teeth gritted. The other captains continued watching them in interest, clearly entertained at their little show. Even Hijikata stopped in the middle of drinking his tea and was studying them earnestly.

'Look at me.'

'I refuse.'

'Please? Just one second? I have something to show you.'

'No.'

She felt him shift in his position. The next thing she knew, she was leaning so close to her, his breath fanning the few stray strands of hair that had fallen on her face.

'Fine. Then I guess I'll just go to your room to show it then,' he whispered in her ear.

The sudden warm breath on her cheek and his words caused her to look at him in shock.

That was a bad decision.

He was leaning so close to her that she can almost see inside his kimono. Of course, her eyes' instinct was to immediately fly to his torso. To add insult to injury, she lost her grasp on her chopsticks as she stared and she heard them clatter to the floor in an almost painful, mocking way.

Okita's grin turned into a full blown smirk and he pulled away looking satisfied with himself.

'Having trouble eating now? I can help you with that,' he reached out for the chopsticks, lazily wiped it off with the napkin on her tray and snatched the bowl from her.

'Souji, it's too early to harass someone,' Hijikata sighed and continued with his breakfast.

The boy beside her just smiled widely at her.

'It's never too early to play, right kitten?'

And that is the reason why Akane decided that she will always choose to snuggle up with the demon vice-captain beside her anytime than to sit so close to Okita Souji.

Akane tightened the rope around her hair and looked outside her window. Darkness was quickly enveloping the surroundings and the headquarters looked calm and serene under the light of the soft moon. She reached out for her sword and fastened it securely on her waist. With one final look at her mirror, she slipped on her sandals and readied to go out for yet another patrol tonight.

She was just about to head towards the gates when she saw Saitou turn around the corner.

'Good evening, captain,' Akane bowed to him respectfully. He nodded to her.

'I was just about to call for you. Our patrol is cancelled.'

'Ah? Why?' she asked, disappointment clearly evident in her voice. She had been quite expectant to go out and continue her search for her friends tonight. Her lack of leads about their whereabouts and condition was clearly taking a toll on her lately and she is turning more and more desperate with each passing day. The thrice weekly patrolling of their division was definitely not enough for her but it was the only time she can actually use to go around and search in her own way. She knew that she had earned most of the trust of the captains by now after her stint in their first mission but she can still feel some of them being wary of her sometimes. Not that she can blame them. It's not like she's exactly being honest with them.

'I was asked to go to Shimabara tonight by Hijikata-san.'

Her face fell. Saitou noticed it and looked at her closely.

'You always seem so eager to go out.'

Akane looked up and tried to erase the disappointment on her face. She can't let him doubt her.

'No. It's just that I've always been cooped up inside so I'm always looking forward to go around freely.'

Saitou stared at her as if calculating his words.

'You can't really blame the commanders. After all you're still…' he trailed off.

Your hostage. In a way. Yes, I know. She stared at the floor.

'If you want you can go with the division taking over our patrol tonight.'

She peeked at him, trying to gauge his expression if he's just testing her or not. He looked serious and sincere though.

'Will that be okay?'

'You're already prepared anyway.'

'Thank you, Saitou-san.'

He did not immediately answer.

'I trust you.'

She felt a pang of shock in her chest at those three words. The shock turned into warmth and she smiled at him gratefully.

Her captain suddenly looked up and stared behind her as she heard footfalls on the hallway.

'Souji. Akira will be accompanying you tonight.'

She turned around in shock and saw Okita walking towards them wearing his usual blue haori. He seemed to have noticed her 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' expression on her face as he gave her a feline smile.

'That would be great,' he said to Saitou though his eyes were still trained on her. She looked away and openly stared at the yard ahead.

'Going to Shimabara?' she heard him ask. Saitou hummed a yes.

'Take care.'

'Yes. Akira, follow his orders. Consider him your captain tonight. I'll be going now,' she felt her mouth fall open but wasn't able to say anything more as Saitou turned his back on them and left. Beside her, she could almost swear she felt Okita internally cartwheeling with joy at the words 'follow', 'orders', and 'captain.' She sighed

'So, you and me tonight, huh?'

She only answered with a glare. He just smiled and started walking ahead.

'Well, let's get going kitten. You wouldn't want to make your captain wait, would you? I can be very creative when it comes to punishing my subordinates.'

She stomped a little after him, throwing dagger stares at his back.

Akane looked around every street they passed by, trying her best to inconspicuously ask around whenever Okita had his back on her. Strangely, she felt him watching her every move tonight. Despite of her eagerness to pick up information, however, she made it a point to steer clear of dark alleys. Every time she looked at the shadows, she can hear the voice of the man inside her head. His words held the confidence that says he can have whatever he wants, whenever he wants. She had never felt so scared in her life.

She internally shook herself and walked a little ways from her group who seemed busy checking out swords displayed in a newly opened shop. She approached a stall selling traditional fans and touched a white one with rose petals designed across its surface. It was beautiful.

'That would be the perfect gift for your lover, young man,' the kind-faced vendor behind the stall smiled at her. She smiled at his words.

'It's lovely. But I don't have anyone to give it too yet.'

He chuckled, nodded, and shuffled some of the fans displayed on his wooden table.

'Feel free to look then,' he motioned towards his merchandise and continued arranging. She stepped a little closer to his stall and leaned towards the displays as if to study the fans more closely.

'Um, Mister?'

He looked up at her.

'Is it okay if I ask you something? You see, I'm looking for my friends,' she dropped her voice as she lifted up the white fan in front of her as if to look at it closely.

'Oh. I see. Can you tell me how they look like?' the man kindly answered. She gave out Rika and Suzume's description. She was sure he wouldn't miss them if ever he saw them. They were too beautiful to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, he shook his head.

'I'm sorry but I don't think I've seen one of them. I'm here every day so that means they haven't gone this way yet.'

Her face fell and she bowed her thank you to him. She had just returned the fan on the table when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Finished window shopping, Akira?' she felt cold wash through her as she looked around to see Okita. His words were innocent but the look in his eyes clearly told her he knew she was up to something.

'Ah, yes,' she gave one last smile to the vendor and turned back towards her group with him following closely behind.

'Captain, is it okay if we head out for a drink? We're finished for the day, right?' one of the members of the patrol asked the moment they were within hearing shot.

'Sure. Just don't go past the curfew.'

'Would you like to come with us?'

Okita laughed. 'No, I don't feel like drinking tonight. I have enough scheduled drinking sessions in my plate with Shinpachi and Harada anyway,' he made a good-natured shooing motion with his hand. The men chuckled.

'How about you, Akira-san?'

Akane was just about to decline when the boy beside her spoke up.

'He's not allowed to go out tonight.'

She stared at him, open-mouthed. Anger sparked within her as he looked at her in challenge.

'Actually, I would like to join you,' she turned back to the other men. She just started walking towards them when she felt a hand wrap around her upper arm firmly.

'I said you're not allowed to go out,' Akane inwardly flinched at the look on his face. His voice was cold and there was authority simmering beneath his smiling façade. It was the first time he looked at her that way. They stared at each other for a moment before she finally looked back at their companions who have started shifting uncomfortably in front of them.

'I remembered I have something to do after all. I have to help Okita-san with something,' she said, smiling back at the group. They all nodded and walked away, murmuring a little to themselves. She looked back at him then at the hand that was holding her arm. He let her go.

'Let's go back,' he simply said before walking away.

She stared at the ground as they walked in uncomfortable silence. A dull spot in her heart ached. The tension in the air was too high.

'Why did you do that?' she finally had the courage to ask.

Okita kept silent beside her for a moment but what he said next squeezed her heart with an unfamiliar emotion.

'Because I don't trust you.'

She realized what the feeling was after a couple of seconds.

It was pain.

Akane stared at the ground in front of her. It was around midnight and she had spent the last couple of hours tossing and turning in bed. After a while, she finally gave up and just decided to go out for some fresh air. Luckily, her room was just near the steps leading to the yard. She wrapped her sleeping kimono and robe around her tightly and sat down on the uppermost stair.

'Because I don't trust you.'

She closed her eyes as that one phrase repeated unwittingly in her mind. She knew there were still some people in this place who still didn't fully trust her. There were times when Sannan looked at her as if there was something going on in his mind that he just didn't want to say because it wasn't polite and there were those brief moments when Hijikata scrutinize her first with his sharp eyes before asking her to do something. Still, she took that as normal. Akane placed her hand over her heart and tried to analyze the pain there.

Is it because he was the last one she least expected to say that to her? He was always so teasing and playful towards her that she did not think for one second that he was harboring those feelings. More importantly, why is it affecting her so much? Why is he affecting her so much?

'Can't sleep?'

She yelped faintly and jumped a little from her seat. Life is really taunting her, she thought, as she saw the very boy troubling her thoughts leaning on the banister of the stairs. He was staring ahead with a serene look on his face, his hair lit up by the moonlight.

She composed herself and turned away from him.

'Why am I seeing more of you today than the number of times I've seen you in the past few weeks I've been here, Okita-san?' she asked. She hugged her knees and rested her chin there. She felt too tired to argue with him tonight.

'I actually also don't know,' he answered with laughter in his voice.

She stared ahead. He kept silent. Okita watched the moonlight play on her black hair that seemed to make it look like silver. She had a sad, faraway expression on her brown eyes that were usually only sparkling with innocence, laughter, and sometimes anger whenever she trained them on him. He was startled out of his reverie when she suddenly spoke out.

'Why do you hate me?'

He straightened a little from his leaning position out of shock. There was such sadness in her voice that stirred something deep within him.

'Who said I hate you?'

'You always make fun of me in front of the other captains,' she stopped as if thinking whether to continue or not. 'You don't trust me.'

Ah. So that's what's been bothering her.

It took him a while to answer. He rested his elbows again on the banister and looked at the moon.

'You're hiding something, aren't you?'

That made Akane widen her eyes. So many things started running in her mind all at the same time, stopping her from answering the question.

'I know you do. I can see it in your eyes. You're like an open book with those eyes of yours,' he said in his usual teasing voice though she noted the seriousness of his tone. She would have lied to him, tell him it isn't true. A part of her, however, seemed to stop her from telling him nothing but the truth.

'You see, all of us here are brothers. We live and breathe for one cause. We fight not for our lives but for what we believe in. In a way, you can say that the secret of one is the secret of all.'

Akane hugged her knees to her a little closer. His words stung. Guilt ate her from the inside. Yes, she's staying here because she wants to live. To find her friends so that they can all go back together from where they came from. She just realized that in a way, she was using them. She was not fighting for a cause or for something she believed in.

She was selfish.

'I'm sorry,' she mumbled, her words a little muffled as she buried her face deeper against her knees. She wanted to tell him everything but she doubt he will believe her. She was afraid of him rejecting the only truth she can offer.

He heard him straighten up.

'I'm sorry too if I can't trust you. Yet,' he said, his words unnaturally gentle.

She nodded and settled her gaze on the well beyond the yard. Her sight was suddenly blocked, however, by something red and rectangle. Akane leaned back her head and saw him standing behind her, dangling a red thing on her face. She looked at it and hesitantly took it from him. It looked like an Omamori amulet traditionally given away as souvenirs from temples.

'I got that from Osaka. There was this old lady who cornered me and dragged me to the temple while I was walking around. She forced me to give a donation and gave that to me in exchange for the money she literally forced out of my pockets.'

Akane continued staring at it then shifted her gaze at him.

'This is for me?'

He looked away from her with an embarrassed expression so uncharacteristic of him it nearly took her off track. She even thought he saw a dust of pink on his cheeks.

'I told you I have something to show you earlier, didn't I? You refused to look at me properly during breakfast though. Look, just keep it okay? I have no one else to give it too anyway. They don't believe on those kinds of things here.'

She couldn't help but smile at him suddenly. He looked even more attractive when he's embarrassed, she thought.

'Thank you, Okita-san,' she said to him earnestly. He looked down at her again, also surprised at her gentle voice. After a moment, he smiled. It wasn't a smirk or a grin. It was a real smile.

'You're welcome.'

She looked at the amulet and tried to read the golden letters embroidered on the silk cloth.

'What is this amulet for?'

'The woman said it was an en-musubi.'

'En…musubi…What does it do?'

He stared at her for a moment before answering. Okita cleared his throat, looked away, and touched the back of his head awkwardly.

'She said, 'for the acquisition of a mate and a prosperous marriage.''

She nearly dropped the piece of cloth in her hands. She felt herself burning.

'W-why are you giving me this?!' she asked, scandalized and embarrassed at the same time.

'Because I have no one else I can pass it on to and I don't want to waste my money! The old woman forced it on me saying 'a young and energetic man like you shouldn't waste his time and look for a wife immediately!' Then he forced that on my hands! Who do you expect me to give it to anyway! Saitou?!' he retaliated, looking as embarrassed himself.

She continued staring at him for a while then sighed.

'Still, thank you,' she mumbled. He huffed his acknowledgement. The silence that followed was still awkward but it was different from the one they shared earlier when they were walking home. After a while, he finally turned and made a motion to walk away.

'You should go to sleep now. It's late already.'

She nodded. 'I'll sleep in a while,' Akane shyly said.

'I'll get going then.'

'Hai.'

He had already taken a couple of steps when he stopped and turned to her once more.

'Hey.'

She looked at him.

'I don't hate you. If I do, you'd be dead by now,' he stopped reluctantly for a couple of seconds before continuing. 'The people I tease? They are actually the ones that I like.'

Her blush from earlier still hasn't subsided yet but she found herself getting awed at her body's capacity to burn when she flushed bright red again. Okita noticed and his lips turned upwards in his usual smirk.

'Good night, kitten,' he winked at her before finally turning and disappearing around a turn in the corridor.

Akane looked after him, still in shock. She cannot fathom how a man can turn from teasing, to cruel, to embarrassed, to arrogant so fast. He was like rain. Drizzle one second, then a full blown thunderstorm the next minute.

And that rain? It was currently raging a typhoon inside her right now.