Chapter 10: Careful when you've been drinking, or you might make a mistake you can't take back

Rating: T

Pairing: Gintoki x Kagura

Here is some more fluff featuring one of my favorite pairings in anime, Gintoki x Kagura. They are just so good together. Anyway, in this chapter, Gintoki stumbles home after some heavy drinking. Kagura keeps him company. Will they cross a line that they shouldn't? Read to find out. A little bit racier than I have gone with this pairing, so let me know if it's too much. Comments always appreciated. Enjoy.


With a stuttering step, Gintoki found himself face first on the stretch of wood just outside his front door. The loud crashing sound rang wildly in his ears, creating a strong pulsing sensation throughout his head. His whole face felt pressure, as he lay there motionless on the rough, hard wood.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, first onto his elbows, then finally into a semi-sitting position. Hunching over, he clapped his hands tightly to his temples, rubbing them in a vain attempt to quell the aching, pounding sensation in his brain. It felt like a thousand huge drums were being bashed at once, his stomach threatening to spill its contents at the intense pain.

"Ah, I think I'm going to quit drinking." he muttered weakly, his words slurred from the huge intake of alcohol. The self promise was followed by a loud wincing of pain, all the minor sounds of the night adding to the feeling in his head. Gathering all his effort, he tried to stand, only to come tumbling down once again, his back crashing with a thud against the wall.

"Looks like I'll be sleeping outside tonight." he answered to himself, comforted by the fact that the night was rather pleasant. Tilting his head back, he drank in the scenery of the night, watching as the neon signs flickered against the darkness. All tones of blue, yellow, green, pink, all shades of the rainbow played against his eyes. Pulling a knee up towards his chest, he rested his elbow upon it, the forearm hanging loosely over the appendage.

Sucking in a deep breath, he felt a warm breeze blow by, setting some strands of his silver hair in his eyes, casting small lines across the neon landscape. Letting the air escape his lungs, Gintoki let his alcohol addled mind wander, drifting to different places and people he had experienced, both good and bad. Pleasant memories fought with ones of bitter agony, the results of a varied life.

As he sat there, back against the reddish colored wall adorning his little office/home, Gintoki felt himself losing any sense of time, people coming and going all the while. With each intake of breath, the pain in his head subsided a bit more, but he knew it would not leave fully for a while yet. Sighing in defeat, he figured he should make one last attempt to make his way into the small home, hoping for at least the comfort of his cheap sofa.

Planting his palms squarely on the ground, he attempted to lean forward, gathering his bearings as best he could. But just as he rocked forward on his haunches, the young man heard the familiar sliding of the front door opening. Turning his head slightly, his eyes narrowed in the dim light to see who it was.

"Gin-chan? What are you still doing out here at this time of night?" Setting himself back against the cool wall, he felt an odd sense of guilt in him.

"Ah, what are you still doing up Kagura-chan?" he asked seriously, wondering what had kept her up so late. As he had left the bar, it had already been past one in the morning, an hour anyone with common sense would have been asleep at. But here, some unknown amount of time later, stood his friend and associate, her slender body covered by a loose fitting pink pajama set.

As he sat there, he heard the soft padding footsteps as they approached him. Keeping his eyes trained on the young red haired alien, he watched as she gingerly took a seat next to him, pulling her own knees carefully toward her chest. Quirking a curious brow to the young girl, he wondered if she truly intended to sit there with him the night, leaving behind the comfort of her makeshift bed. As if in answer to his unasked question, the girl cocked her head slightly, resting her cheeks on her raised knees as she smiled at her friend.

"You could use some company, right Gin-chan?" The sincerity and innocence in her words drew a smile from the young samurai, his kimono's sleeves fluttering playfully with the warm breeze. Stretching a leg out in front of him, Gintoki let the feelings of the night wash over him, pairing nicely with the warmth after so much sake.

A sole long, black cloud hung in front of the full moon, casting a shadow over the street below, before moving on. Sitting in the soft moonlight, Gin felt his companion draw closer to her older friend, turning his head to gaze at her fully. In the eerie glow, her skin looked even smoother, acting nearly like a mirror for the soft light with its light tone. She looked most unearthly, like a spirit acting as his companion. With a start, Gintoki found his thoughts turning unwholesome, her warm body pressing still closer into his own.

'Hmm, if she were only a little older…' Catching himself from thinking anything more than that, Gin mentally slapped himself for thinking of her in that way. Casting his gaze wearily back onto the night scene of the town, he tried to shake thoughts of his young friend in more "mature" circumstances from his mind, knowing that if anything ever did happen, the consequences would be most dire.

For one, he had a distinct feeling that the violence he had experienced at the hands of Shimura Tae would be nothing to what he would experience. Similarly, he did not particularly want to make enemies of the galactic ally known bounty hunter Umibozu, Kagura's father. The thought of having to deal with two of them at once was more than he felt comfortable with.

"Gin-chan, are you cold?" her concerned and curious voice pierced his thoughts, and he realized that he had been shivering. 'No, but I did get a frightened chill. he thought to himself, feeling the color drain from his features at the thought.

"No, no, no, I'm not cold." he hurriedly excused, hoping she wouldn't press the matter. No such luck for him, it would seem. To his chagrin, he watched as the girl positioned herself directly in front of the young man, pressing her forehead against his to stare directly into his crimson eyes.

'God, why does she have to be so sickeningly sweet sometimes?' he cursed to himself, hoping that his face did not heat at the touch. Her skin was just as soft and smooth as it looked, contrasting with his undoubtedly clammy skin, a result of being out in the elements so often. It pained him when someone was concerned for him, as with his current group of friends, it would usually end badly for him.

With a wince and another shiver, he recalled the time he had been injured fighting Nizou, and the… "care"… that he had gotten from Tae and the others. The injuries had only gotten worse, and it was a miracle that he had survived at all. 'Why are my friends all so crazy?' he lamented to himself, watching with fogged vision as the girl leaned back a bit. Her eyes, despite the late hour, were impossibly clear, a depth that he had not seen before. At least, not that he could remember.

"We better get you inside, Gin-chan." She said at last, standing abruptly in front of him. Gintoki felt his heart beat just a bit faster, watching the soft flutter of her sleep garments with the movement of her body. He was just glad that the clothing was quite solid, no sheerness to be seen through.

"No, I'm fine Kagura-chan." he tried to explain, waving a hand plaintively in front of him. But Kagura was not hearing any of it. Roughly grabbing the man by his black shirt, she quickly hauled his body through the still open door, his feet dragging loosely against the hard floor. With a quick curse to himself, he figured that it was impossible to go against Kagura when she had her mind set on something.

All the pain in his head came back in one sudden burst, the young girl roughly tossing him up onto the sofa. Eyes shut tightly in pain, he tried to get past it, but he felt an odd sensation on his legs. Kagura had set herself squarely on his knees, back facing him as she tried to remove his black boots. He tried to reach out, stop her, explain that he could take care of it himself, but no words came out. Only an unintelligible mumble, which left him quite befuddled. 'I must be worse than I thought.' he considered vacantly, letting his head rest against the blue material.

Looking up at the ceiling, things began to swim in taunting circles around him. Briefly he wondered if it was the result of the alcohol, or maybe a concussion from being pressed so harshly against the blue bench. He would have to invest in a good couch one of these days, he thought idly to himself. Narrowing his eyes tightly, Gintoki tried to get a bearing on his surroundings, to very little avail. As the world seemed to disappear around him, only one thing still stood in his senses, the warm sensation on his legs.

With no real sense of what was happening, he reached towards the feeling, taking the warmth in his hands. Through his increasing haze, he felt a soft sensation against his palms, the warmth increasing slightly with that. He was only vaguely aware that there was a body on his legs, feeling it shift slightly in a circular motion, as though turning to face him.

"Gin-chan?" the voice echoed only lightly in his mind, as though he were hearing it from a hundred miles away. White stars seemed to shine in his vision, illuminating the deep darkness to some weak degree. Squinting, he tried to get a better look at the shape near his mid section, knowing it was someone close to him, but he just couldn't quite make them out.

"Ah, you must be Kagura-chan, right?" he mumbled, a sort of relief rolling through him. The words simply fell out of his mouth, his mind having a hard time focusing on anything just then. He really must have been more drunk than he thought.

"Yeah, it's me, Gin-chan." the girl answered, worried over the sudden slur to the older man's words. She wondered whether maybe she was too rough in getting him onto the couch, wincing at the thought.

"That's great." he slurred, his face etched in a near drunk grin as he reached towards the blurry figure, grasping her tightly by the shoulders. "Just the person I wanted to see." Even knowing that something was definitely wrong with Gintoki, Kagura felt her heart jump at his words, a sort of hopeful fear coursing through her. Was he being serious? Was it all the head trauma? What was he getting at?

Her thoughts were interrupted as his strong arms pulled her body down toward him, her hands landing squarely on his chest. The girl felt her face heat considerably, nervous at the close contact that the samurai had invited. Her heart thumped madly in her chest, threatening to leap through her ribcage. She wondered briefly if Gin could feel the intense beating of her heart.

Gintoki, in his concussion induced stupor, could feel her heart beating against his chest. His arms closed squarely around the girl, he sighed at the feeling of the warm body near his own. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted as much of that warmth as he could get, to never let it go. A small voice rang in his head, telling him that it was not right, that he should let go right away. 'But it feels so right.' he tried to tell the voice, hid mind an unorganized mess.

Kagura lay there, hands pressed firmly against his chest, tensing in surprise as his big, strong hands found their way underneath the edge of her shirt. Running roughly along the sensitive skin, the girl found her heart beating even faster. The callouses on his palms created a unique sensation on her smooth skin. Never had she had a feeling like that before, and the girl had to bite her lip to suppress a soft moan.

She would never admit it to anyone, but for as long as she could recall, she had had a crush on the idiotic samurai. His carefree, 'live as I please' attitude had drawn her to him at first, as he was an amusing person to be around. After all, who else would ignore the plight of two young teens in an attempt to locate a copy of Weekly Shonen JUMP?

But being around him more often, she noticed the strong sense of justice, the willingness to go to any lengths to protect what was important to him. His friends always came first, many times at great peril to his own safety. Kagura remembered the appearance of her father, and the seemingly cold attitude Gintoki had displayed to her when he told her to leave. It had hurt more than any physical injury she had experienced. How could someone she cared about just abandon her?

Then when he had come to rescue her from danger, the happiness had drowned out the sadness. She had managed to find out that he really did care, even if he was probably too clumsy to show it accurately. Over time, she had witnessed him give his help to nearly any who asked, sometimes with ease, sometimes with intense injuries.

Being a growing teenager, Kagura knew that she was a bundle of hormones, and anyone would say that she was just having a crush on Gintoki. Maybe they were right. But something kept her close to him, wanting to be near him at all times. When he got himself hurt, she could almost feel the wounds herself. Any time he went on one of his crazy missions, she would worry about him endlessly. Even if everyone around her told her that it was just a childhood crush, something in her told differently. She was in love with him.

Many a night she had laid in her makeshift bed, simply imagining all sorts of things. She found her body occasionally with an ache, a need to be close to him. Common sense told her that it could never work out, with so many factors against it. But her heart refused to listen to her head, and she pined so strongly for his strong touch.

Yet now that she had it, her deepest fantasies coming true, it seemed wrong. Not because it was with him, but because it just felt strange. Like it wasn't really Gintoki below her, not his hands caressing her soft skin. As pleasant as it felt, she knew deep down that his heart wasn't leading him.

"Gin-chan, stop." she whispered, her voice a lusty whisper. Clearing her throat, she attempted to speak more clearly. "Gin-chan, something's wrong with you. This isn't right." Looking into his magenta eyes, she could see the usual Gintoki deep inside, a waver to his actions through the fog. With a smile, the girl felt his hands slowly slip from underneath her shirt, shivering at the light touches of his fingers as they scraped down the soft skin. A memory she would hold for a long while.

As she sat up straight, her chest heaving lightly from the exertion, Kagura watched his eyes flutter open and closed, sleep winning over his delirious state. For a moment, his chest stopped moving, and she felt her own breath catch in her throat. The moment seemed to go on endlessly, her world stopped along with his chest. Then, with a heavy sigh, his breathing set again, a loud snore piercing the silence of the humble home.

"That's my Gin-chan." the girl whispered, carefully brushing a stray lock of silver hair from his peaceful face. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he got more peaceful in sleep, as he always looked so relaxed. With a bright smile, Kagura stood to his side for a minute longer, simply taking in all that had happened. It was a night she was certain to remember for a long time. 'Good thing that Gintoki is so strong willed', she thought to herself. If it had been any other man she had met, she wondered, would the results have been the same.

"Ah, Kagura-chan…" that familiar voice rang out to her, sending a tension into her chest. Looking down, she realized he was simply talking in his sleep, maybe now the results of his heavy drinking.

"I'm here Gin-chan." the girl spoke sweetly, kneeling beside the older man as he slept, feeling his palm involuntarily run its way up to her soft cheek. The young alien shivered a bit at the touch, wishing she could simply lean into his embrace, and sleep beside him this night.

"Kagura, you're my favorite…" he muttered in his sleep, his words threatening to stop her heart once and for all. Luckily, she managed to simply lean backwards a bit, resting idly on her legs. Shaking the surprise from her mind, the girl slowly made her way to her feet, placing his arms loosely on his chest.

"You're my favorite too, Gin-chan" she whispered, giving him a soft, innocent kiss on his lips in reward. At the touch, his sleeping face brightened, eliciting a small giggle from the girl. Even in his sleep, he was an interesting guy.

Slowly tearing herself away from his sleeping form, Kagura made her way back to her impromptu sleeping quarters. Her body tingled where Gin had touched her, warmth spreading through her small frame. A part of her was truly sorry to have ended it, had wanted to keep going. That part had wanted to be his entirely, society be damned. But the stronger part of her, the part that admired him for his strength and principle had told her no, that it wasn't right. Just then, as she crawled under her thick comforter, Kagura wished she could tell that voice to shut up and just enjoy the sensations.

But as she lay wide awake in her small quarters, the girl made a compromise with the two voices in her head. It hadn't worked out tonight, but she would gamble that he had revealed his true feelings in sleep. Someday, she would truly be his. And something told her it would be an unforgettable experience.

With that, she felt a familiar warmth in the pit of her stomach, a smile crossing her soft lips. A familiar fantasy played in her mind as she tried to sleep. "Someday…" she whispered to herself, allowing her mind to focus on her truly favorite person.

Wow, good thing indeed that Gintoki is usually so strong willed. And, for those of you who might be doubtful, some parts of this are indeed based on symptoms of a concussion. Kagura is really strong after all. Check the Wikipedia article on it if you doubt it. Might do a sequel to this one, with Kagura trying to get through his thick head, but not sure. Let me know how this one turned out. Until next time, loyal readers.