Guys, I'm not dead, although I might as well have been considering the long hiatus I took. For all of you who want to hear me ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶a̶i̶n̶ ramble about life then feel free to do so, but otherwise enjoy this long, adventure packed chapter, hopefully. Now back to the unnecessary detail of why I've been away for so long. There are two main reasons: 1)I was very busy with school, I think this year of college has been the most stressful year yet, justly so as I am taking many upper level classes, but I did this to myself as I choose the science life. 2.) I had written this chapter last June, but sadly I had issues with my laptop, I thought I had saved all my fills. Clearly I did not and 4000 words of work was lost, that really pissed me off and made me lose all form of motivation. Also, I went aboard for 2 months in the summer, fun but not conducive to writing at all. So basically I am bombarding you readers with many excuses and all I can ask is that you forgive the lazy me. Thank you to all the readers who've stuck around, my appreciation for you guys is endless. Much love and I wish nothing but the best for you folk! Now without further ado, the long awaited chapter 14.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
Tokyo winters were deplorable. The cold breeze blown in from the coast caused unbearable wind chills and the skyscrapers created these vicious demons known as wind tunnels. Justly so, the daily commute to work was loathsome. Gintoki rose before the sun, a daily miracle that he himself had no explanation for, and trudged his way to the subway. Every morning Gintoki wanted the day to end before it even started. Thus, winter became Gintoki's least favorite season. This year was different though. Excluding the not-so-shocking revelation that Sofa-kun and Kagura actually liked each other, people could feel their sexual tension from miles away, a series of so-called unfortunate events befell Gintoki. Firstly, he went on the worst omai of his life, courtesy of the one and only Otose. Then, he had the misfortune of meeting the said violent woman once again. Oh what a coincidence it was, of course the Yatos and her were family friends, and what a bigger coincidence that Kagura, oh loveable yet infuriating Kagura, would try to set her two favorite people up on another date. If there was a recipe for disaster, then this was the granddaddy of them all. But alas, Gintoki spoke too soon (damnit Murphy's law, every time, every time). The violent woman's mother just happened to be lifelong friends with Otose. And what is the cherry to top off this sundae of disaster you may ask? Well simply put, both mothers are crazy! In a whirlwind of subsequent events, Gintoki was forced to move from his perfectly good bachelor pad (may the JUMP manga that were lost in the move rest in peace) and into the violent woman's apartment. Then he was forced, as he always is, to not only sleep in the same room as her, but also on the same bed. Lo and behold the magnitude of how much his life sucked. Reflecting back on these past 3 months Gintoki swore he had somehow sinned greatly in his past life. No decent human being deserved the punishments he was delivered (Gintoki categorized himself as a decent human being anyway). Luckily there were a silver lining to this whole ordeal. Who would have thought that he, the dead fished eyed, JUMP loving, strawberry milk-aholic bachelor, would fall in love. Yes, he said it. Now, he and the violent woman would live happily ever after. Well not quite, he was exaggerating but nevertheless, the recent turn of events were unexpected to say the least.
Gintoki looked up from the seemingly endless stack of essays he was grading. He glanced at Tsukuyo's back. She intently stirred her stew( with plenty of beef, just how he liked it) with a ladle and added the finishing touches to their dinner. Gintoki couldn't have felt more content with this scene. Here he was, lounging at home doing the most mundane of things while she was graciously cooking them both dinner. What an unimaginable sight to behold. The Gintoki of half a year ago would never have expected this sort of future. Honestly, Gintoki anticipated a couple more years of bachelorhood before Otose forged his name onto a marriage form with some female he's never heard of. Otose would be fed up with his passiveness towards marriage and take matters into her own hands, quite literally. Gintoki wouldn't really care at that point and just marry the poor girl because Otose was crazy and why not. In hindsight, his foresight was downright awful, but how serendipitous that things turned out as they did. The fool couldn't help but smile. Perhaps being a domestic man wasn't so bad after all.
"Tsukuyo." He called out over the humming of the kitchen vent.
She didn't turn around, instead too intent on cooking, "hmn?" was her reply.
" I love you."
Tsukuyo finally turned around, ladle still in hand and she gave him that look. Gintoki could not tell if Tsukuyo was annoyed and wanted him to shut up or if she wanted to throw that ladle at him, maybe a mixture of both. Gintoki smiled a goofy, lopsided grin.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Proclaim my love once more I shall to this cruel mistress of mine. I love you."
He swore that a blush now dotted her face. For such a stoic and career oriented woman , when it came to relationships her face was an open book.
" Well hello there Shakespeare. " she said sardonically, not pleased with the teasing. She may deny Gintoki's claim that she was a tsundere, but truth be told, when it came to him she was.
Grabbing a nearby kitchen towel, she threw it at him, only nearly missing his face. Gintoki laughed, as expected of the queen of tsunderes. Raising from the couch, he trotted over to the kitchen where his cruel mistress leered at him. " I must be a masochist for liking the way you treat me. Dear god, what have I become?"
Tsukuyo pouted, a habit that he recently noticed. She looked downright adorable, not matter how out of character it was for such a sophisticated lawyer such as herself to be pouting of all things. He liked to think it was a secret no one else knew, a gesture meant only for his eyes.
" I would like to defend myself by saying that my mean words and gestures are all for the greater good of building you back up."
"After breaking me down you mean, and did I miss something? I haven't experienced this building back up part yet." He said jovially. He wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling the blonde into a back hug.
Tsukuyo laughed, " It's a work in process, you should not rush perfection."
"Good jolly woman, if I don't rush you then I may never see this so called perfection. You sound frighteningly similar to Otose right now. She use to justify her 'parenting' as a breaking me down to build me back up. Till this day I have yet to experience the building back up portion of her deal." Gintoki shuddered. "Is this what it feels like to live with an Otose 2.0?" Goosebumps appeared on his skin at the mere thought. Gintoki loved Otose but he could never imagine living with her ever again, the woman had more than a few loose screws she wasn't willing to admit.
Tsukuyo turned around in his arms, now facing the perm haired man. "Otose is a wonderful woman, Gintoki. You're exaggerating. How terrible could your childhood have been? Not much worse than living with my tyrannical mother. Would YOU want to live with her for 18 years?"
" Mind you, violent woman, I value my sanity. Sooner is the day I enter monkhood than the day I, Sakata Gintoki, am willing to live with Hykka Reiko. No offense."
"None taken." She answered with a chuckle.
"And who is this wonderful woman you refer to, violent woman? I only remember a grumpy woman who smoked too much and yelled at innocent children ( or me specifically) like it was no one's business."
"She really cant be…."
Gintoki cut her off, " Do you know the saying that there is nothing to fear but fear itself? Well, Otose is the personification of fear. Look at these goosebumps." He said, breaking the hug and pointing to his arms. " The thought of her is giving me the heebie jeebies. She has some otherworldly power on people, I swear."
" It was quite coincidental that we saw her at the store a few weeks past, why do you think she was in this part of Tokyo? I though she lived much farther away."
"Beats me." Gintoki said with a shrug. " Her Otose senses must have told her that there was a shift in the cosmic balance."
"Gintoki, us dating did NOT shift the cosmic balance." Even though they were like water and oil, hypothetically it wasn't impossible for them to have ended up together, right?
"Did YOU ever imagine we would be together? It's great that we are but considering our horrible first meeting, apologies on my part, and the antics of your crazy mother and my crazy mother, I was expecting one of us to either 1.) be in an insane asylum, or 2.) dead via jumping off a bridge from the absurdity of the situation. I once seriously considered jumping out of there." Gintokit pointed to the glass door leading of the balcony. " That one time you mother decided to grace us with her extended stay."
Tsukuyo was laughing a bit harder than she should have. " I am not sure if the universe wishes to pull us together or apart. I feel as though it does both in equal parts. I'm rather surprised that my mother hasn't called me in the past few months. Its already early April and this supposed summer wedding is happening in June. You would think she'd call and make sure that well, we were together. Or alive as you previously put it." In that moment Tsukuyo's cellphone, which was sitting on the countertop next to the now forgotten stew, rang.
" What are the odds…" began Gintoki.
" It's her."
Gintoki had lost the ability to be surprised, but he was impressed at the woman's impeccable timing. " You know, Reiko should consider a career as a psychic. I swear it's clairvoyance! "
Tsukuyo gestured for him to hush as she picked up the phone after the fourth ring. " Hello mother. Lovely April we're having isn't it? ( no not really)"
" It truly is a lovely April although it is a shame that the sakura have not yet bloomed due to the cold."
"Such a shame mother, such a shame." Tsukuyo wanted her mother to get to the point.
" But my dear child, do you know an even lovelier phenomenon?" Tsukuyo did not answer as she assumed this was one of her mother's rhetorical questions. " Love. " The blonde rolled her eyes.
" So I hear, but how does love and sakuras pertain to me?" Gintoki noticed that Tsukuyo was becoming impatient by the unremitting tapping of her fingers on the countertop.
" My child, I am requesting that you, as well as Gintoki, free your schedule next weekend to attend a hanami with your mother. "
"What if we're busy?"
" Nonsense. You and Gintoki will attend this hanami. The alternative being that I once again stay at your apartment until you two find free time to spend with this lonely old woman. "
"We'll go." Answered Gintoki who had been listening to the conversation after it was set on speaker. " Please, just don't come back to the apartment. It's not as though we mind your visit ( though he really did) but it must be so small in comparison to your house. Why would you want to come to this humble abode when your own home is much more hospitable, right Reiko-san?"
" Oh my. How pleasant it is to hear from you Gintoki. I would never wish to intrude on your daily lives." Tsukuyo rolled her eyes once again at the hypocricacy of her mother's words. " And I do enjoy the comfort of my own home, but if your schedules truly do not allow either of you an inkling of time, I am willing to patiently wait at the apartment. If that is what is required."
" It's not required at all, Reiko-san. You can send Tsukuyo the details and both of us will be there. It was wonderful talking to you once again but sadly Tsukuyo and I have made other plans that we must attend. Alas, we must talk another time. Goodbye." And with that Gintoki hung up.
"You're a pansy, I hope you know that, Gintoki." Tsukuyo said with her arms crossed.
"What? I rather sit through one hanami than have her come live with us again. Have you forgotten the part when I told you I was seriously considering jumping off the balcony? That woman's crazy!"
" How are we even suppose to go to a hanami when the sakura are not even in bloom?"
"Knowing Reiko, she'll some how force the trees to open their blossoms. We'll find out next weekend won't we, violent woman." Reiko will work her voodoo magic per usual and Gintoki would not be in the least bit surprised.
" Every bone in my body is trembling with excitement." Tsukuyo said even more dryly than usual. What was her mother scheming now?
Tsukuyo and Gintoki both dressed casually that Sunday afternoon. Tsukuyo wore a warm, black, Adidas hoodie and as pair of jeans while Gintoki wore a maroon Harvard sweater and some slacks. The blonde deeply questioned Gintoki's reasoning for purchasing a Harvard sweater in the first place considering he graduated from the affluent Kyoto U instead. The perm haired man shrugged, saying that it was a cool souvenir idea at the time. When visiting Harvard, obviously you have to pick up a Harvard sweater right? That's what all the cool American kids did. Tsukuyo rolled her eyes, Americans and their college sweaters. Tsukuyo once again shook her head at the antics of Gintoki.
" My mother will think you attended Harvard, are you ready for that level of interrogation?"
" Nahhh, I'm too dumb to attend that fancy smacy school. I barely got into Kyoto U. Otose's close friend was one of the deans there and through sheer luck and connection I was accepted. I think this is a pretty great sweatshirt if I do say so myself, it's incredibly warm and soft, characteristics of a great sweater obviously."
Oh Gintoki, Tsukuyo was at a lost to how to respond to his idiocy, albeit a very endearing idiocy.
" By the way, where did you go to school, violent woman? Knowing your family it must have been somewhere super fancy like Tokyo U."
The blonde continued walking down the street towards Ueno. " Yeah." She curtly replied. " Got in the same way as you, via connections. I never told you this, Gintoki, but my father is a member of the cabinet, he's the Minister of Education, Science and Culture, Hykka Hirakazu, a mouthful I know."
Gintoki stopped in his tracks. He knew that Tsukuyo's father was some hotshot politician but not any average joe becomes a minister. Also, if he was the minister of education then technically that meant the violent woman's father was his super boss, seeing that he worked for a high school and all. For some reason he was becoming nervous now. " Umm, will your father be at the hanami? Should I perhaps not have worn this Harvard sweater? No matter how nice and warm it makes me feel I highly doubt its proper attire for meeting a minister. I think we have enough time to go back and change. But first I'll need to dig out the nice suit that I use for funerals."
Tsukuyo linked her hand with his and tugged the bumbling man forward. " I guarantee you he won't be there. It'll just be my mother and whoever else she may drag along. Bet you a strawberry milk that it's Otose. Also, I can't believe you only use your nice suit for funerals. But at least you have a nice suit, exceeding my expectations as usual."
He let Tsukuyo gently pull him along, " I would be more offended by your suit comment if I wasn't so paranoid that your dad is going to be there. And you know, I honestly would have never thought of investing in a nice suit until Otose forced me to attend funerals with her. For such a grumpy and unsocial woman she surprisingly has a boatload of important friends." Then realization dawned on Gintoki. " Oh god! Otose may be at the hanami. Why hadn't I considered that possibility? She'll never let me live down wearing this sweater."
" Too late now." The blonde said as they entered the incredibly crowded Ueno park. Her mother must really possess some form of divine power for the sakuras to now be blooming so beautifully. The formerly bare trees now were cover in brilliant pink sakura blossoms. And the park boomed with activity. Street performers were singing, children were running about and adults lounged on their tarps leisurely enjoying the view and sipping sake. Tsukuyo thought the view was beautiful, but probably so did every other resident of metropolitan Tokyo. The odds of obtaining a prime hanami spot appeared to be slim, that is if the person looking for the said spot was anyone but Hykka Reiko. With the same voodoo magic her mother used to make the flowers bloom, Reiko had also managed to procured a prime spot, a bit away from the cachophany of the other hanami enjoyers. She managed to complete a seemingly impossible task, kudos to her. And as she had previously said to Gintoki, her predictions were right. Her father was nowhere in sight but Otose sat serenely, or as serene as someone like Otose can appear with her deep set frown, sipping sake. Her mother sat a few inched away, cradling her own cup of sake and nibbling on mochi, the limited-edition sort of unaffordable and unattainable mochi she most likely procured as a gift from another politician's wife. The wives of politicians always did like winning the favors of those above their husbands.
" I told you Otose would be here" Tsukuyo whispered to Gintoki as they approached the two older women.
"Why are you wearing that stupid sweater again, Gintoki? I thought I told you to throw it away years ago." Said Otose the moment she laid eyes on him.
"Anddddd I told you she wouldn't approve of the sweater." Gintoki said glancing sideways at Tsukuyo. "But you know, she doesn't approve of much so big surprised there." He quickly whispered to the blonde.
"If you got something to say then say it like a man, Gintoki."
Gintoki forced a smile. " It's wonderful to see you as usual, Otose. Reiko-san." He said nodding to the elder Hykka.
"Cut the bullshit and just sit down already. We have important details to cover and I don't want to be here all day."
Reiko smiled sweetly at the duo as they proceeded to sit down. She then handed both of them sake cups and offered some mochi. " Please feel free to eat as many as you like, they are exquisite."
Gintoki dubiously reached for the mochi, fearing some form of poison laced the tops instead of flour. Reluctantly, he placed it in his mouth but happily discovered that the mochi tasted great, correction, this was the best mochi he had in his 29 years of existing on this planet. The perm haired man relished in the gift offered too him and failed to notice when Reiko began speaking again.
" I have ardently anticipated this day." Reiko looked over to her friend." While the union of two houses is an auspicious occasion indeed, it is rather the news that I will be a grandmother that sets my heart fluttering with joy. When can I expect the baby to be born, Tsukuyo?"
" Mother, for the last time, I'm not pregnant." Tsukuyo swore she saw Otose's lips curve upwards in the briefest of grins. That woman found her pain funny! " And I never said I was getting married. That was simply your delusions."
" Oh my. With due reason, having the child after the wedding is ideal. It would stop any nasty rumors that may arise. Nonsense, Tsukuyo, the venue has been decided and I have taken the liberty to schedule an appointment with a dress shop."
Tsukuyo is used to stubborn people but talking to her mother was the same as talking to a wall, a wall that somehow was able to say all the things that aggravated her right back. " Mother, let me say it again. Gintoki and I agreed to date, nothing more, nothing less. Marriage will be for US to decide in the future."
Reiko set down her sake cup. " If you view it objectively, dating is the youth's vernacular for marriage. Therefore, the logical course of action is to get married. Tsukuyo, regard it as beneficial instead of detrimental. "
" You have your priorities all wrong, mother. The answer is final, I am not going through with this June wedding." Tsukuyo genuinely was peeved. Her mother, after the strife she experienced as a demoted house wife, still felt the need to force her daughter into a similar situation. It made no sense to her. " Right Gintoki?"
Having stuffed so many mochi in his mouth so now that his cheeks puffed liked a chipmunk's, he nodded as his mouth clearly could not answer. He suddenly felt the intensity of all their stares, quickly he swallowed the mochi, which he might say was not the best of ideas. " Yeah, what she said." He managed to croak out. Otose gave her ward a giant slap on the back. While it hurt it did dislodge the mochi stuck in his esophagus, clearing his windpipes and allowing him to breath.
" Gintoki, June wedding yes or no." said Otose sharply. He winced at her tone. He knew what she wanted to hear, that's why it pained him to croak out a feeble.
"No."
Otose was silent for a few moments. Gintoki thought those would be the last moments of his life. Reminiscing, he wished he have had drank more strawberry milk and eaten more strawberry shortcake, but that otherworldly mochi slightly made up for any sorrow he currently felt. He could die a content man, well more content if he knew how One Piece would end, but that is something the world may never know.
Otose turned to face Reiko, " If the kids really don't want to get married then maybe we should hold off on the wedding for now. They're dating, I think that's a step in the right direction. If Gintoki breaks up with her I promise to kill him, but vice versa I can't do anything about."
It genuinely shocked Tsukuyo that Otose was being so reasonable about the situation. She looked to Gintoki for any potential answers. He appeared as equally shocked at Otose's statement.
All three of them looked to Reiko for her response. She was silent for a moment, clearly troubled by the opposition to the marriage not only from the children but also her friend. " August, that is the latest I will compromise for."
"Why does it have to be so soon, mother. Is there really a need for this rush?"
Amidst the commotion neither Tsukuyo nor Gintoki saw the older man approach.
" Reiko is rushing for my sake. Sadly I don't think I will make it pass the coming of next year.
Reiko bit her lips as the other hanami viewers stared up towards the man who intruded on their conversation. He dressed sharply and Gintoki could tell he had been handsome in his youth. Disregarding the graying hair and other visible signs of aging such as the wrinkles, this man was still handsome for his age.
Tsukuyo gasped, " Father, why are you here?"
The realization hit Gintoki hard, oh shit a minister was standing right before him and he was still wearing the dumb Harvard sweater. " I told you I should have changed! Now what am I going to tell people? I met the minister of MEXT is a Harvard hoodies even though I clearly did not attend that school?"
The older man laughed. " To answer your question first, Tsukuyo, I came because I was invited by your mother. And now to quell your concerns. I rather like your sweater so don't fret, Gintoki-san."
Gintoki gasped, " He knows my name." he whispered to Tsukuyo, giddy like a school girl who's senpai noticed them. Tsukuyo disregarded Gintoki and instead stared down her father, of whom she has not seen in about a two years.
"Father, what do you mean you may not make it pass the year. Are you sick? Mother's never mentioned you having any ailments nor have I noticed any signs."
Reiko gestured first for her husband to sit down, " Hirakazu, you should sit seeing that this may be a long conversation." He did as his wife instructed and placed his briefcase nearby as he sat directly across from Gintoki. The perm haired man tried not to make eye contact, this was currently the worst hanami of his life.
Hirokazu began to speak once more. " You're mother has never mentioned my illness because it had been benign."
" You had cancer all this time and you never old me?!" Tsukuyo said, indignation overcoming her.
This time Reiko spoke. " We did not want to needlessly worry you. The tumor was benign and the doctors reassured us that it could be removed with surgery, thereby fixing his health ailment."
"Im assuming the surgery didn't go well then?" Tsukuyo asked, both worried and angered by her parents. She should be told important information like this!
" No the surgery was successful. The skin tumor was removed. It was then that they diagnosised me with pancreatic cancer. The doctors discovered it early. They were confident that it could be removed, but as luck would have it the cancer spread fast and it has metastasized outside the pancreas. I am already at stage four. "
Tsukuyo was fuming now. " When did you all plan on telling me this?! After you died? Because that seems like how it was going."
" I'm sorry, Tsukuyo. My pride had prevented me from telling anyone until now. I am retiring in a few days, that was when I planned on telling family and friends. Currently, besides those sitting under this sakura, only you mother, my trusted personal secretary and the doctor's knew."
"How long has it been?" she asked numbly, the information that her father had stage four pancreatic cancer sinking in.
" 5 years since discovering the skin cancer, 3 years of close monitoring of the pancreatic cancer, and 1 month since a squadron of doctors have confirmed that I indeed have stage four pancreatic cancer."
The lively strumming of a guitar and the muffled chatter of the other hanami viewers filled the silence that soon fell upon this viewing party. The world directly outside the corner where they set up the hanami was bustling, teeming with life, and yet in this corner it was silent and the sakura somehow lost their allure. Death has a tendency of painting even the most vibrant of colors, and the most beautiful of sights, a stark and unsightly grey.
"You're rushing the marriage so that Hirokazu can see his only daughter married before his death?" said Otose, as emotionless as ever. Reiko's eyes were beginning to water.
" As someone who has lost her husband." She began in a strained voice. " You can empathize with others when they mention their regrets. I fear my biggest regret would be for Hirokazu to pass without soundly knowing that Tsukuyo is in good hands."
In an uncharacteristic gesture, Otose placed her hand on top of Reiko's. " As someone who has more regrets than you can imagine, I understand you sorrows. However, it is ultimately the choice of the children if they want to get married. Reiko, there are some things in this world that you can't force, especially if the opposing party is adamantly against it. "
A lot of information had been thrown at Gintoki. If he went with the flow of the conversation then out of obligation to a dying man, and his super boss, he would say yes to the June wedding, or whatever month it had been changed to. However, it was crucial that he thought prudently. Glancing at Tsukuyo, Gintoki could see the blonde was riding a roller coaster of emotions. She was in no condition to provide a logical answer either.
" Can we think this over?" Gintoki asked. " I don't think any of us are thinking coherently. I'll take Tsukuyo home and we'll seriously consider the wedding. But as Otose said, in the end it will be our decision, not yours. Deal?"
Reiko opened her mouth to retort but Hirokazu stopped her. " Deal, Gintoki-san. Please inform us of your decision. It was also a pleasure to meet you, Harvard sweater and all."
Gintoki unconsciously grinned as he helped a limp Tsukuyo stand up. In their brief 10 minute encounter, Gintoki had grown partial to the minister. Besides his sense of humor, a trait tragically not inherited by Tsukuyo. Hirokazu superficially appeared to be a pleasant guy. For the fancy-smacy hot shot he was, the Minster of Education acted similarly to the average joe, but lingering in the back of Gintoki's mind was the story Tsukuyo had spoken to him in a hushed voice. Then he remembered the limited time the Minster had on this planet, Gintoki frowned. Even if Hirokazu deserved retribution for being well, a shitty husband, death was far too heavy of a punishment. Gintoki knew Tsukuyo resented her father, but no child wished death, especially the agony of battling multiple cancers, on their parent. Conveyed with her countenance, Gintoki sensed Tsukuyo's sorrow. It seeped out from her very soul as if a black orb of negatively had swallowed her whole. Remaining here had no merits, thus, Gintoki hastily bid his farewells and hailed a cab back to the apartment.
The cab pulled up to their apartment in record time, 15 minutes to be exact. After paying the friendly cab driver, Gintoki slowly lead a sullen Tsukuyo to their 5th floor apartment. " It'll be okay." He repeated to her on their short ride up the elevator.
Once inside the apartment, Gintoki urged Tsukuyo to sit down on the leather couch as he graciously brewed a cup of warm tea for her. Tsukuyo mindless did as she was told, the news of her father's imminent death still consuming her thoughts. He was going to die. He was really going to die. She rubbed her hands against her face in disbelief. As a child she had prayed that Hirokazu's end would be unpleasant, to atone for the sins he committed against her mother. Twelve year old Tsukuyo would cynically laugh and say this is what he deserved, but as an adult Tsukuyo understood that humans are complex. Her father was an awful husband but he was a person of morals, as ironic as that may be. Hirokazu was too young to die, she didn't want him to die, not now, not so soon, she was only beginning to forgive him. And then Tsukuyo thought about her mother, her perfect mother, the perfect wife. The blonde recalled her mother's pained expression when the woman told everyone it was cancer. Reiko was devastated that he was dying, he treated her so poorly and yet she still suffered for him.
A steaming cup of tea appeared before Tsukuyo, curtesy of Gintoki. She held the warm cup in her hands, letting the scalding heat burn her them. It hurt, but the pain in her heart hurt more. The pain of her father dying, and the pain she felt for her pitiful mother. That woman did everything for his sake, EVERYTHING.
" She wants us to get married for his sake. Not for her own reasons, but for him." Tsukuyo looked away from the teal ceramic cup that formerly captured her attention and stared at Gintoki with pleading eyes. " He's dying, Gintoki. Can we deny a dying man his one last wish?"
Gintoki roughly ruffled his hair. Yes, Hirokazu was dying. As tragic of a fate as that may be but Tsukuyo should not feel any obligation to fulfill any of these "dying wishes."
" This is going to sound corny but hear me out. You should marry another person because you WANT to, not because you HAVE to. Dying or not, this is still your life, not his, Tsukuyo. In the end, the decision is still yours."
Tsukuyo shook her head, " The decision is also partially yours. Marriage is a two way street, both parties must mutually agree." She took a deep breath and grabbed Gintoki's hands. " I want you to seriously answer me, Gintoki. Would you actually marry me? No jokes, no sarcasm, please answer me sincerely."
Any male's natural reaction would be to panic, and quiet honestly this may have been the most serious conversation that Gintoki ever had in his life, but coincidentally he already knew the answer.
"No."
Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki mortified, she was expecting him to say yes like any protagonist of a good shounen JUMP manga would. " Whattt?!" she sputtered out. Clearly rejection affected Tsukuyo more than it should have, but she essentially proposed, and he said no. Wow. She acutely felt the pain of all those poor saps whose proposals were heartlessly rejected.
Gintoki removed his hand from hers. He then pulled her into a tight bear hug. " Violent woman, when did you become a dumb woman? You just demoted yourself." Tsukuyo felt deeply offended. She tried to pry herself out of his bearhug but the perm haired man did not budge. " I'm not going to marry you." This man was rubbing salt on the freshly inflicted wound. In place of the initial shock, anger began to set in. She continued to push against his embrace but Gintoki easily held her in place and continued talking. " I'm not going to marry you right now, not because your father or mother, or even my own mother, told us to. When the time comes I'll get on one knee like they do in those movies, say some cheesy sentimental words, and ask you to spend the rest of your life with me. For all the times you've called me a lecherous human being, Gin-chan is a traditional romantic at heart. I'll marry you because I love you, Tsukuyo. But right now is not a good time, you know it as well as I do. If we rush things then it'll be a disaster."
Tsukuyo was now blushing. Three time today she had been shocked speechless, her heart could not handle any more surprises. " You know I was very earnest in my proposal, and you still rejected me so coldly. You are a cruel man, Gintoki."
"And I was very earnest in my rejection, give me some credit, violent woman." He cupped her cheeks between his hands and began give her peppering kisses. " Forgive me?" The spiteful side of her wanted to answer with a no, but Gintoki currently was preventing her from speaking as his lips were on hers.
When he finally broke the kiss they both were breathing heavily. " I'm assuming that since you kissed me back I'm forgiven."
"You're an idiot." The blonde said, leading him to their bedroom.
" But I'm YOUR idiot." He said laughing.
After entering the room, Tsukuyo promptly pushed him onto the bed. " I still haven't forgive you for rejecting me." She said in between kisses to his collarbone.
He laughed again, " When the time comes I'll sell my most prized possessions and buy you a ginormous rock, how does that sound."
" Old issues of JUMP don't sell for much money. I guess this ginormous rock is going to be rather small." She was now proceeding to take off the dumb Harvard sweater.
" I take offense to that, while old JUMP may not have monetary value, they're priceless in my heart." Tsukuyo chuckles because Gintoki really is an idiot. " And I promise I'll get you a ring worthy of praise."
" I don't care about any of that. Save the money, we can buy something nice with it later." The Harvard sweater was now gone and Gintoki wore a tight compression shirt that showed his defined pectorals and biceps. Tsukuyo took a moment to ravel in his fitness. " Why do I not remember you being this fit before?"
Gintoki gives her a lazy smile. " You work a lot of overtime, I don't. And it has been a couple months since we last had sex, people change. Did you get fatter by chance, violent woman?"
If she wasn't turned on by his physical fitness then she would have gotten up and left him before he got anything. But she was in a gracious mood today. So instead of killing him for insinuating that she got fat, Tsukuyo instead just rolled her eyes. " You really know how to kill the mood, Gintoki."
He was now the one peppering Tsukuyo with kisses. " I'm kidding. You're not fat. You're perfect the way you are."
"Killing the mood, Gintoki, killing the mood. " And they both laugh because they just bring each other so much joy.
I like to think that a lot happened in this chapter. Wow, I'm surprised at myself right now. I had different plans for this story, but I guess things change after you take a year break, my b guys. Also, excuse the Harvard sweater joke that clearly I killed, but I would like to say that american college kids and their school sweaters. With that being said I should probably show some school pride and buy one of the school sweaters here. I hoped that you guys enjoyed this chapter and that you were given a brief refresher of what the story was about in the first paragraph. Truth be told, I kind of forgot some minor details to this story as well even though I am the author, it has been a long while, once again that's my bad guys. Tell me what you guys think and I promise the next chapter wont take a year!