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Waiting on a bench for her flight to depart, Kagura tried to figure a way as to how she would find Kamui.
Lost in her thoughts, a very familiar voice soon brought her back.
-KAGURAAAAAA! GET OVER HERE, YOU DAMN BRAT! IF YOU DON'T, I'M GONNA KICK THAT SMALL ASS OF YOURS! YOU HEAR ME?!
She gulped. Obviously, Gin-chan's tone wasn't the one of a father bidding goodbye to his beloved daughter...
Taking advantage of the uproar caused by the samurai, the girl escaped to hide somewhere 'safer'.
Fleeing on her tiptoes, she then bumped into someone.
-ACK! Sorry! I didn—
-Leaving without a goodbye...? Grinned Sougo. This ain't very nice, China~
She froze. If she didn't want to face Gin-chan now, she wanted even less to face him.
Clearing her throat as if she wasn't disturbed at all, she sniffed and averted her eyes from his, crossing her arms in a displeased stance.
-What do you want, Sadist?
-Don't play that game with me now, he warned.
-Huh? Excuse-you? What game? I don't know what you're talking about! She retorted.
-Oh, really~? I was wondering if, perhaps, you could explain to me what was the 'nice' part you talked about with 'Zaki…?
Her heart skipped a beat.
-Wh-What? Wh-When? I don't remember a-anything like that!
-Let me refresh your memory, then... He gritted.
Tilting his head closer to her face, he whispered in her ear.
-Was it when you said you trusted me and I let you hide into my own room? Or was it when you burst in tears and I held you in my arms? Perhaps when we slept together, you snuggling against me? Or maybe… when we kissed?
She blushed. Hearing those words coming out from his mouth and remembering how nice it felt –everything was nice, to answer his question- her heart thumped loud and fast in her chest.
She tried to escape into the crowd, but he quickly gripped her arm.
-Tsk tsk! You won't run away that easily~
-What, now?! She launched.
Narrowing her eyes menacingly, she whispered in her turn.
-Don't tell me… you thought I was serious…?
Looking at his silent glare, she knew she was right on track.
She forced herself to laugh, knowing she would undoubtedly hurt him.
-HA HA! That's the best! She exclaimed. After all these years, the Sadist fell for the China girl?!
Brushing his hand off from her arm, she glared at him the best she could.
-I'm sorry if I broke your poor little heart, Mr. Policeman~!
-What shit are you saying? He grunted.
-Don't try to deny—
-It's been ages since I fell for you! He cut without hesitation.
Her eyes widened and mouth fell open.
-You're so thickheaded you would never notice anyway! He added.
Speechless, she suspected her panicked brain to have misunderstood something.
As Sougo heard the voice of the yelling samurai slowly coming closer to the both of them, he quickly pulled her into a nearby service corridor.
In the blink of an eye, Kagura was in the Sadist's arms, hiding from the shouting silver-haired who soon walked past their position.
-Geez… you're always such a pain in the ass, sighed Sougo.
Awkwardly lifting her face from his chest, she eyed him with longing eyes.
-Is that true…? She whispered softly.
-Huh? What is?
-You said that… you… about me…
He averted his eyes, feeling somewhat uneasy.
-Unfortunately for me, yes, it's true… he complained in a sigh.
-HAH?!
What was that?! This nonchalant and rude way to agree?! Couldn't he say "Yes, I've always loved you~!" like in the movies she usually watched on TV?!
-What?! He retorted. Have a problem with that?! Well, sorry for not being—
Grabbing his ugly cravat, Kagura abruptly dragged his face down to her and shut him up.
Her rough move surprised him. Her sudden kiss even more.
Closing his eyes, he slid his arms from her shoulders to her waist and pulled her closer into his embrace.
Kagura felt like cradled. The way he hugged her, the way he kissed her...
Aaaah~ so that meant he honestly was in love with her?
What about her own feelings, then? How did she feel about him? His warmth, his lips, his scent… she had to admit she did miss him, but… was it really love?
When she broke the kiss –to Sougo's disappointment- she stared right at his red eyes.
Kagura knew the outcome already, but somehow, she couldn't suppress a smile because the truth is, well, his confession really made her happy.
Before he could say anything, she voiced something he barely had the time to record because the girl had punched his stomach so hard that Sougo fainted.
-I'm sorry, Sougo…
When the man woke up, it was on one of those horribly uncomfortable benches of the O-edo Terminal.
He groaned in pain as his ribs were aching. Perhaps it wasn't only the bench's fault, he thought to himself while remembering the previous hit that the girl had landed on him...
"Tch!" Damn those Yatos and their freaking strength!
"I'm sorry, Sougo…"
Because he had no idea what a broken heart was, the man simply felt really pissed off.
Damn that girl and her fake smile!
Her way to trick him with her kisses and sad blue eyes! Her way to toy with his feelings every damn time!
She kept coming to him, but kept pushing him away too.
She didn't want his 'help', but still asked him for his roof.
She cried in his arms, and he thought she would open up to him, but she didn't, and would have left if not for his idea of the jail.
She kissed him, and he thought they were on -really- good terms, but she left, and he discovered how much he was mistaken.
Sougo actually knew nothing of the Yoruzuya's girl, that insanely strong and attractive redhead.
Yamazaki had relayed her shitty speech and empty thanks to him.
Alas for the Shinsengumi 1st Unit Captain, it was already too late... Despite everything, the guy couldn't go back to how things were before all of this shit happened.
So Okita Sougo decided to run after her.
And what for?
To tell her what took him so long to realize? What he couldn't ignore anymore? To possibly hear the girl confessing the same?
Ha ha! What a joke!
The only thing he got in return was a punch, and not a little one! Because clearly, for him -as for her, he assumed- that kiss didn't count at all...
He could have been happy if it wasn't -undoubtedly- a fake...
"One more fake"
And he would have been happy if it wasn't -undoubtedly- a trick...
"One more trick"
He wondered how that alien girl managed to get in so deep into him like this...
And he sighed tiredly.
-Back from the dead? Asked the silver-haired.
Sougo only 'tch'-ed at the samurai's comment.
-Guess you found her...
-Kinda...
-Guess she didn't want your help...
He tilted his head to the samurai, raising his eyebrows as he mentally retorted "Nooooo~ Really?"
-Well, don't say I didn't warn you! Scoffed Gintoki.
"How?"
"How can that man really not worry?"
"Aren't they like family?"
-Danna...
-Hmm?
-You seriously won't go after her?
The samurai looked at the young man at his side.
-Since when do you care so much about her...? He inquired, curious.
The young man tried to remember when exactly he began to feel like this around the girl and if the samurai's question was some kind of trap to make sure about his feelings... well, he didn't care anymore.
-I don't even know myself, he admitted bluntly.
The samurai cleared his throat.
-You know, I'm not Kagura, but I can tell she certainly cares about you... Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered to stop you from following her...
Sougo gave him a long blank stare.
-Are you trying to say that she hit me because she 'cares' more than she 'hates' me…?
He laughed at his own words.
-Don't give me that crap! Since the first day we met, she swore she'd kill me! Any normal people would have already dropped dead by now!
The samurai shrugged.
-Kids always fight, he justified. But you two kept fighting even after turning into grown-ups...
-Precisely! She kept pushing me away! Even the few times I've tried to be nice...
-Hey! She is a Tsundere, remember?!
He rolled his eyes.
-Wouldn't a Tsundere act all shy and flustered after kissing someone she likes? Yet she punched me without the slightest remorse, so clearly you're wrong
-Wait, what?! She kissed you?!
He averted his eyes.
-...nope...
-Souichiro-kun... grumbled the samurai, you better not lie to me!
-...I-I did nothing wrong.
Gintoki stared at the flaxen-haired, mentally cursing 'Okita the womanizer'.
Yet the man in front if him had nothing of the Sadist that his substitute daughter had the habit to curse aloud.
-Does it hurt?
-Danna, she's a Yato... Of course, it hurts.
The samurai sighed. Why did Kagura have to fall for a dull tax-robber even worse than herself?
-You know I meant your heart, right? He deadpanned.
-Huh?
His heart?
Oh!
Right.
Now that he thought about it, Sougo could feel it. There it was, beating inside his chest... And heck, it did hurt.
Just as he realized that he was suffering in a totally different and unexpected way, the samurai's hand came to land on his shoulder.
-She'll come back once she had settled her problems with her brother, announced the silver-haired. So keep waiting for her until then, he winked.
Kagura had managed to sneak into the baggage hold of a ship.
Hidden between suitcases and heavy boxes, she kept remembering a certain flaxen-haired guy's words…
"It's been ages since I fell for you!"
"Unfortunately for me, yes, it's true…"
The memories drew a smile on her lips. He loved her~
But then, she recalled how she had lamely lured him…
She knew he would have tried to know about Kamui and the reason she was hiding from him... and in the end, wasn't it best to avoid those two in meeting each other anyway? No one would like to see two heavy Sadists 'playing' together, right?
"Because you were scared to face him and couldn't bring yourself in lying to him anymore, you kissed him to better strike and escape? Wow! Nice move, Kagura! Really!"
-Ha ha~ He probably hates me now, right?
If her life hadn't so drastically changed, Kagura would have been so happy about the Sadist's broken heart! She would be dancing in joy, thanking Heaven and Hell for this priceless victory!
However, so many things had changed before she could even notice that the only thing she could feel right now was a hard, bitter, and strangling lump in her throat.
This wasn't funny at all…
When she finally landed on Rakuyou -her home planet- she put a mental note to visit her mother, but only once she had found back her idiot brother. Of course, getting a ship for the old Harusame's stronghold would have been impossible if the girl didn't know who to ask in the first place…
-Oi, she voiced to the man.
He turned to look at her. The gorgeous lady in front of him was kinda the rare specimen...
His stern expression quickly changed for one of the most charming ever.
-How may I help you, miss~?
-Where is he?
-If you would tell me a name, perhaps I—
-Don't play dumb. I'm talking about that Baka Aniki!
He blinked.
"Aniki…?"
The man knew a lot of idiots, but not much 'Aniki'...
Not to mention Yatos -because he could tell she was one- and much less with such bright blue eyes and vermillion hair…
He gulped at the impossible thought crossing his mind.
-You…! You can't be—
-Yes, I'm his little sister, deadpanned the girl. And once again, I'm gonna find him and kick his stupid ass!
Abuto rubbed his eyes many times as if to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He remembered about a flat-chested brat trying to rip his head off a few years ago and actually beating the hell out of her whimsical brother, but certainly not about a beauty like the one standing before him!
The redhead had grown so much since the last time he saw her that he didn't even realize it was the same girl!
So the little Missy was now a woman…?
And what a woman on top of that! He would have loved to learn more about her if she wasn't actually inhabited by some freaky Yato monster whose brother's was just as bloodthirsty!
Not sure that said brother would really appreciate seeing his old subordinate hitting on his dear little sister, by the way…
He cleared his throat.
-I'm sorry missy, but I have no idea where that idiot's hiding
-I swear I'll kill you if you dare lie—
-Oi, oi, calm down! I don't know what he did, but last time I saw him, he was looking to meet with his 'Baka Imouto'
She frowned.
-Is that true…?
-I tried many times to help that crazy family of yours in reconcile, what would I gain in lying now?
Her shoulders slumped hopelessly.
-I see…
"Aw… don't give me that look now! This old man here can't take cute girls being all depressed!"
He cursed himself for his own weakness. Those two siblings and their goddamn family matters would -sooner or later- send him right into his grave!
-Maybe… I could lend you a hand…? He proposed awkwardly.
-Really?! She cheered happily. Let's visit the Harusame then!
-Wait, what?!
-What 'what'? If this idiot didn't come here, then that means he's still up there, she nodded. Hurry up and let's go find a ship, old man!
-OI! Don't call me that!
-Hmpf! Whatever~
~…~
Thanks to Abuto's connections, the two of them were able to board a ship in order to find Kamui who -Kagura was positive about it- was hiding in the old stronghold of the -in-famous space pirates.
-Boss! An unidentified ship is asking permission to berth!
-Unidentified?
-They said they'll destroy us if we don't let them in…
Kamui's eyebrows rose.
"Destroy...?"
How funny~!
-Show me the control cameras
"Huh? Isn't that one of the Kihetai's ships? What is Shinsuke doing here...?"
-Let them in, ordered the redhead, and bring them to me...
-A-At your command, Boss!
~…~
Kagura and Abuto were led to what was the old Admiral's office.
-It sure brings memories, sneered Abuto.
The girl eyed the luxurious room before to switch her gaze back to the man sitting in its armchair.
-So that's where you were hiding, huh…? What were you thinking?! She scolded.
-I wondered for a second how you could catch up so fast, but now I get it… stated Kamui while throwing a quick glare to his ex-subordinate.
-Don't look at me like that! Argued the man, You know I'm weak against ladies!
A smirk escaped Kamui's lips while he remembered the good old times at the veteran's side.
He rolled his eyes in amusement and turned to look at his sister.
-Kagura. What I do shouldn't matter to you. Now, go back and—
-Make me.
His mood dropped, drawing a frown on his face.
-Why did you even come…?
-To bring you back home with me, tch!
-Back home? He chimed. Haha~ What home exactly?
-Our home, she trumped.
Abuto, feeling somewhat uneasy about the overwhelming tension growing in the air, quietly gestured the nearest door before to quickly let the siblings alone. Perhaps was it better to keep an eye on them, but then again, the old man that he was felt way too tired for meddling into matters that had nothing to do with him... After all, the few times he had the bad idea to involve himself in that family's business had been rather painful to his taste...
"Not like they'll try to kill each other anymore, right...?" he tried to comfort himself.
Now alone with his sister, Kamui sighed.
-Look. In the end, I'm not fit for a nice and peaceful life like you. And if you're scared for your little friends, then don't. Me taking back the lead of the Harusame doesn't mean I'll slaughter every one of them nor anybody else.
-Yet you still killed all those men at the docks…
-I... had reasons, he voiced unwillingly.
-And you think having 'reasons' is enough to justify taking people's lives?!
"When you are the reason and that they dared to harm you: Yes." he retorted mentally before to move on another topic.
-I didn't notice there were some of the kidnapped women left in the ship... They will be sent back to Earth, along with you, he pointed out.
-I'm not going back without you, she growled.
-Yes, you will, he ordered.
Kagura's tough face and strong voice softened sadly.
-Kamui… let's just go back together… okay?
Kamui looked at his sister with a cheerful smile.
-I'm afraid I can't do that~
-Why?! I… I don't hate you or anything, so—
-You don't understand… he muttered.
-Of course, I do! She reassured. But it doesn't matter to me—
-KAGURA!
She jolted at her name, surprised to see her carefree brother with such a grave expression.
-I lied.
-Huh? What do you mean?
He knew there was no turning back after that. No more fake words for him to hide behind...
This would undoubtedly worsen the situation, but... since he had no intention to follow her anyway, he had to do his best in pushing her away.
At the same time, it might -hopefully- lift a weight from his shoulders too, right?
He sighed.
-Give me your hands.
She eyed him suspiciously, not sure to know which part was true and which wasn't anymore.
-Your hands, he trumped.
Narrowing her eyes, she slowly extended her empty palms to him.
-The other side, he commanded.
Once she had turned her hands, Kamui grabbed them in his own, gently rubbing their back with his thumbs.
-Good girl~ Now… close your eyes.
-Kamui—
-Close your eyes, he cut. I'll show you the truth.
She looked at this pair of eyes, the exact same than hers yet with a completely different look inside.
Then, she closed her eyes, choosing trust over doubt.
As he kept massaging her hands with his, he told her to relax and she followed his lead, deeply breathing in and out.
-Think of the man you love
Her eyes flew wide open at these words.
-How do you— No, wait! What makes you think that I love someone, anyway?! She grumbled, obviously uneasy.
-First, your smell changed since then and next, you're blushing, he explained somewhat bored.
-Wha-?!
-Whatever… just close your eyes.
Again, she closed her eyes and tried to relax while imagining the face of a certain Sadist.
When her cheeks gradually became paler, Kamui knew she had calmed down.
-Remember; think only of him.
Approaching his face closer, he felt his heart about to explode, his pulse shaking every inch of his body.
He could still stop.
And he should stop.
Before it's too late...
At the same time, he really wanted to stop -and run away-... It was so scary!
But he didn't really want to stop either. He was so close! So close to freeing his heart...
He had kissed her many times already. What was so scary in kissing her once more?
That she finally learns that he truly was a monster?
His guts told him to not stop and Kamui obeyed.
Softly, he lowered his lips and kissed hers.
Sougo tasted one of Kagura's powerful blow after finally confessing! Poor him lol
On her side, Kagura -thanks to Abuto ;) - managed to find Kamui who, in front of his stuborn little his sister, decides to unveil the truth rather than hiding behind it.
How will she react when she'll realize her brother's true feelings?
What will Kamui do after showing her that hidden side of him?
Will Sougo heal from his broken heart and wounded body?
PS: I just can't get enough of the last chapters of the manga! OMG! Did you see my husban- I mean, Kamui's face? He looks so beautiful, so proud, so strong, and so happy! It's just... PERFECT!
Thank you SO much, Sorachi! *tears of joy*