Oh, I'm glad it seems everyone is enjoying the prospect of a baby for our lovely stubborn couple! Any thoughts on whether it should be a boy or girl? I actually still don't have any ideas myself, so I'd love to get some opinions. Of course, our darling oni-fukucho needs to find out first!

Chapter Thirty Seven

Declarations

He wasn't paranoid.

Paranoia suggested unrealistic belief that something was conspiring around him. Hijikata knew this to be a fact, thus not making him paranoid so much as justifiably weary.

Anything that made Souji laugh the way he kept doing almost guaranteed it. He wasn't even attempting to mask it…and that wasn't even counting the times he and the female spawn were together. Saya was every bit her father, as far as Hijikata was concerned, and he could feel the ulcers forming every time one of them started laughing. The feeling he got when both of them started – especially while staring right at him – didn't even warrant thought unless he had a generous stash of antacids handy.

This would be so much less stressful if Mitsu weren't also avoiding me like the plague. He'd gone beyond frustrated to being slightly depressed about that, quite honestly. Everything had been going pretty damn well…or so he'd thought up until two months ago. And Keisuke was no help…at all. He knew what was wrong, clearly. Hijikata wondered how he could've forgotten their old friendship…and how strong it was despite the fact that they didn't exactly go out of their way to spend time together. It was always a different sort of friendship in comparison to some of the others…like Sano and Shinpachi's. Those two were always attached at the hip. Even Souji and Saitou, in their bizarre way, were the same despite having very opposite personalities.

Of course…Saitou's worrying me the worst with all that…fussing. It was equal parts worrisome and amusing that he seemed to be more or less trailing after Mitsu whenever they went to the house to have dinner…which was fairly often, to be honest. Neither he nor Mitsu could cook worth a damn. Saitou and Souji seemed to be making an extra effort to stop there too. Everyone, actually. It's almost starting to feel like living at the Yagi House all over again with all of the people who're typically around that dinner table lately.

Tonight, of course, was actually a fairly light night, all things considered. Saitou and the Idiot Trio 2.0 (because there really was a more trouble-prone trio then Sano, Shinpachi, and Heisuke apparently when Shiranui got tossed into the mix) were there, but Souji had taken Chizuru out, while Heisuke apparently was over sniffing around the female spawn's home. Hijikata tried not to think much on the latter pairing at all, since if he did it just tended to make his head hurt. Heisuke always was pretty damn prone to finding difficult situations…though at least he seems happy about it this time. He hasn't stopped grinning in the last two weeks since the female spawn returned.

Of course, the same can't be said about Saitou right now. The last person at the table was something of a surprise for all of them. He'd never met Takagi Sada, otherwise known as Tokio, in person yet until today…but he could see how she'd fit Saitou with her composed and almost tranquil demeanor. She wasn't shy though, talking as easily with Keisuke as she did with Shinpachi.

"I'm sorry to impose on you last minute, Kin-san," she apologized. "I told father this wasn't even necessary since he would only be gone a night or so…"

"Nonsense." Kin made a rude noise as she waved it away. "He's been a good client of mine, your father. I wouldn't have been able to save the money for my new restaurant were it not for all of his catering requests."

"Some good use to all of his political parties, then…" she sighed before her eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh…dang it…"

"You're a very honest girl, aren't you, Sada-chan?" Sano said with a slight grin, flustering her all the more. Hijikata had to hide his own smile as Saitou's eyes narrowed at his gently teasing tone, clearly bothered by the undertone of it even as he tried to ignore that she was right across from him at the table.

"Please call me Tokio." She cleared her throat, head held high even as color continued to race up her face. "Everyone else does."

"Tokio-chan then!" Shinpachi's grin was as wide as Sano's; Hijikata sighed as he mentally reminded himself to go over the definition of subtlety with those two at some point…again. "We're always happy to have a cute face join us!"

"Especially since the little onna-bugeisha and Yukimura-chan are otherwise occupied," Shiranui sighed dramatically. "Saya-chan hasn't even come to visit her Kyo-niichan since she got back…Sigh…"

"Oh, come off it," Mitsu sighed. As she always did when talking to Shiranui, it sounded as if she was torn between amusement and genuine annoyance. He was always the most amusing of the demons he'd ever encountered, Hijikata remembered, but it was tiresome to be around him for extended periods of time. And while he was thankful he got along with Sano and Shinpachi so well – seeing as those idiots kept pouting over Heisuke never hanging out with them much anymore – the Idiot Trio 2.0 got into mischief that far surpassed anything the original formation had ever gotten up to. Like the police car incident that I never want to think about again…

"Let the young ones be young," Kin told him pertly, shaking her head amusedly. "They're having fun." She loved Kyo, of course. If she ever went in on one of those 'great' ideas with the Idiot Trio 2.0 one day, they'd probably have Interpol at their doorsteps next. Thankfully, Hijikata had the peace of mind knowing Keisuke, at least, occupied her free time quite thoroughly. Though he needs to just marry her already…

Marriage. Just thinking the word made Hijikata glance at Mitsu who was mostly picking at the remains of her dinner, face scrunched in that same troubled expression she'd been wearing all night. His family was on his case about marriage with renewed vigor in the last few months…but it wasn't something he'd even gotten to talk with Mitsu about. And he remembered clearly several instances where she'd stated she was never going to marry during their high school days. I didn't realize it was the memories of her disastrous marriage to Rintarou fueling that at the time, but I get it. He left more than physical scars. Marriage is simply an official form of commitment, though. I don't need a piece of paper to know I want to stay with her.

Try as he might, however, Hijikata couldn't completely put out of his mind the fact that part of him – the one ever striving to be a good son – did want that stupid piece of paper. To slip a ring on her finger and visibly declare her off limits to males stupid enough to even look at her sideways. He couldn't quite hold in his sigh as he brought his interlocked fingers up in front of his lips and stared at his own plate that he'd long since cleared. I've been meaning to talk to her about it…but it seems there are other things I'll need to address first. I just don't have the faintest idea as to WHAT it is though.

"Mitsu-nee." Kin's unusually stern voice jolted Hijikata from his thoughts, blinking as the younger sister actually glared at her. "You've barely touched your food!"

"I'm just not feeling that hungry, Kin," she offered apologetically. "I know how much you hate wasted food."

Oh shit. The tableware actually rattled as Kin stood and slammed her hands down, her temper apparently at its end. "I could give a rat's behind about the food! I'm worried about you, baka onee-san!"

"Oh, please don't fight…" Tokio murmured in distress.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Tokio-chan," Sano drawled, waving a hand dismissively. "They argue all the time."

It didn't seem to reassure her any; if anything, she seemed even more concerned. "But it can't be good for Mitsu-san considering her condition…"

Though she didn't raise her voice, it may as well have been shouted from how deathly silent the table fell. Admittedly, Hijikata's eyes jerked to stare at her as well, confused. "What do you mean her 'condition'?" He looked at Mitsu, eyes narrowing in suspicion. All the blood had drained from her face while Keisuke…

Keisuke was very carefully showing nothing once so ever.

It only served to heighten Hijikata's anxiety, as well as his temper as he whirled on him, irritation blazing. "Something's wrong and you don't tell me?" The feeling of betrayal cut deep…especially because he'd thought they'd put this all in the past. The lies and secrets. No more secrets from each other. It was the only rule between us, albeit an unspoken one. Honesty.

"It was not my secret to tell." That unflappable calmness in his voice that Hijikata usually envied only managed to piss him off further and he barely noticed the others evacuating the room with dignified haste as he stood up himself, seething. He actually had the gall to turn and look at Mitsu, his expression vaguely annoyed as if he'd expected it to be told much sooner. Hijikata had never felt jealous at all about their friendship, but in that moment he really felt the selfish desire to want to rip it apart.

Why the hell did she talk to him and not ME?

"Toshi…" Mitsu scrubbed irritably at her face, sighing, "Damn it, I didn't want to say it this way."

"If you hadn't dawdled…" Keisuke chastised…though it was gently delivered with his usual smile.

"Say what?" He didn't mean to raise his voice, but Hijikata was having a hard time reigning in all of the anger he was feeling at the moment. "What the hell is going on here!?"

"I'm with Toshi-san," Kin quipped, scowling in a way that made her look eerily like Souji. "What's going on, Mitsu-nee?"

A thousand possibilities of what might be wrong ran through his head, each worse than the last, but even he had to admit, what she did end up saying…honestly never occurred to him.

At all.

"You're going to be an aunt, Kin." To him, she looked him straight in the eyes as she said even quieter, "Congratulations, Dad-to-be. We're having a baby."

A…child? All the anger bled out of him as he sat back down heavily on his seat, blinking in shock. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears though, else he'd have thought that had stopped too. "A…baby? How?"

Mitsu's look turned scathing, though he did see her lip twitch despite it. "Surely I don't have to explain the birds and the bees to you. Bad enough I gave Souji that talk a few years ago."

He opened his mouth several times to say something – anything – but nothing he could think of was managing to form into words on his tongue as he continued circling back into the shock.

I'm going to be a father…?

"I'm going to be an aunt!" Clearly, Kin was having no such problem as she all but knocked the table over in her rush to grab Mitsu in a huge hug. Excited didn't even begin to describe her bright-eyed expression and huge smile that didn't even falter when she whirled on Keisuke and slapped him on the back hard. "And you knew!"

She's thrilled. Years of practice allowed him to tune her out. Kin reminded him a lot of his own sisters; was, in a way, like the younger sister he never had since he was the youngest of his family. She could get very loud in her excitement and he'd mastered the ability to just…tune it all out when he needed to focus and concentrate. It was even easier when he had something else to think about…which he did at the moment. Mitsu's pregnant. I'm…going to be a father. She's excited. I am too, underneath the heavy wave of shock…a child! God, I'm really going to be a father. But…

…With everyone so happy, why does she look so miserable?

"Oh, stuff it, I did it again. Why do I always do it...?"

Despite himself, Hajime's lip twitched as he watched Tokio pace in the garden, verbally kicking herself for saying too much...again. It'd seemed the best place to take her while Mitsu and Hijikata...talked. She hadn't complained either, eagerly leaving with him, though she'd started her amusingly familiar diatribe the minute they stepped outside into warm summer air.

"You seem surprisingly calm about the announcement, Saitou-san," she noted, apparently mostly over her moment of over sharing.

"I'm happy for Hijikata-san, of course." And he was extremely pleased for the vice-commander. He just couldn't explain - to her - why the news made him...nostalgic too. Hajime didn't particularly like dwelling in the past, but it made him think of his children - his boys, now long gone - and remember the moment when he'd first learned he would be a father. He'd been so consumed by the terror of thinking enemies would use them against him, he hadn't enjoyed the news as most would.

Children were always a weak spot for people.

And they did try. Just remembering made Hajime's blood boil. His rarely-seen temper prickled at the back of his neck, as strong as it had the day he'd come home and found out his eldest had been assaulted. they'd tried to kidnap him - to do gods only knew what - but he'd at least managed to fight them off in large part due to the self-defense he'd stressed during their childhood. Swordsmanship and hand to hand. Always be prepared. Tsuyoshi, at least, never complained about his oft-times harsh teaching style after that. But he also knew more than Hajime had ever wanted to let him know about his past after that, too.

"Saitou-san? Is everything alright?" A cool hand pressed against his forehead and Hajime jerked, barely grabbing the edge of the fountain in time before his instincts took over and he smacked it away...or worse. He didn't get the knee-jerk fight reaction to sudden touch as much anymore, but in times like these where he let himself think of the past he could feel it as strong as ever. "You seem troubled all of a sudden. Was it something I said?"

"No." Gently, he removed her hand, though he held onto it lightly and didn't actually let her go, simply staring at her long thin fingers and overall delicate hands. Everything about her always screamed delicate, even though her spine was made with the finest of steels. "You didn't say anything. I'm just...being odd again."

"You're odd a lot," she noted honestly, though it was tempered with a smile that he reluctantly returned. "You can tell me if something is bothering you, if you like. I'm told I'm a passable listener."

He wanted to. In that moment with the sun setting behind her, casting an almost rosy blush onto her otherwise pale skin, he was seeing the Tokio of his memories with her gentle smiles and steel-enforced strength of will. The woman who his mind insisted was his wife, but who he knew in his heart wasn't. They may look the same, but they aren't the same woman."It's something of a complicated matter," he settled for saying, though he squeezed the hand he'd been holding onto lightly in thanks. "I will remember your offer, however, Takagi-san."

"Oh, gads, please call me Tokio as well," she murmured with a grimace, though he could see a slight bit more intensity of color in her face. "I'd like to be your friend, Saitou-san, and none of my friends ever call me 'Takagi-san'."

"Tokio-san...then?" It was...odd to let her name pass his lips after so long, but as he'd thought it rolled off his tongue almost too easily. It was...all too easy to fall into his old patterns with her despite his attempts to remain at something of a distance from her. "It seems only fair you do the same for me then, does it not?" It was a poke, if not a slight tease, and he knew it was a bad idea the minute the words slipped out of his mouth. Remember your promise.

"Hajime-san, then." She said his name with no hesitation and her usual smile, but Hajime looked down at his lap where his hands were fisted, heat prickling unbearably at his face. It was made even worse by the fact that she could see it, laughing lightly as she told him, "It's hardly something to be embarrassed about."

He stood abruptly to his feet – almost hastily, one might say. "We should return! Inside, I mean." He could still feel the heat crawling up his neck, but he almost glared at her as she continued looking at him with those eyes that were very clearly laughing at him. Hajime began walking, content when he heard her slowly continue after him, though he almost faltered as he heard her murmur to herself in a voice so low he was sure she didn't intend for him to hear her.

"It's a shame Isa-chan said he doesn't like girls..."

And…suddenly I understand Souji's reaction far more clearly now when Kin-san said something similar to him in front of Chizuru when she still didn't remember him. Hajime closed his eyes, physically pained as he actually had to grit his teeth from doing something very similar to what Souji had done. It would be best to let her continue thinking that. Easier. You weren't going to go near her, right? She won't bother looking at you, this way. It's…more convenient.

Right?

Hajime stopped walking abruptly, and he felt her actually walk right into his back, startled at his abrupt stop. "Tokio-san."

"Is there something wrong, Hajime-san?" He couldn't bring himself to turn around and look at her – didn't trust that his expression would be as neutral as he wanted it to be – but he could just imagine her eyes blinking in doe-like confusion at the back of his head.

"Isa-san is regrettably misinformed," he finally settled on saying with a fair bit of intensity. He heard Tokio squeak, startled again and very obviously flustered from the odd little sounds she kept making, as if trying to find the words and finding them sadly beyond her ability to speak. Turning just enough so he could glimpse her out of the corner of his eye, he said with a slight twitch of his lips, "I like girls just fine."

Her face was an almost impressive shade of red almost instantaneously, mortified at being heard, but he could visibly see her gathering as much dignity as she could muster as she stumbled out, "That's…good to know. I think I hear them calling us though, don't you? We really should get back inside." Tokio didn't run, he noted, but she certainly walked a great deal faster without waiting for him, his face unable to keep a rather self-satisfied smile from creeping up onto it as he watched her disappear into the house. Hajime took a much more leisurely pace, pausing only when he saw Shinpachi at the back door leaning near it with his arms crossed and an amused grin on his face.

Shinpachi was always amused by something.

"Tokio-chan looked rather flustered, I noticed," he said lightly, eyebrows arching. "Something happen while you two were out here escaping the demon commander's temper?"

"Nothing worth noting." He stared at the larger man for a long moment before saying with a slight smile, "I'm just being mean, I suppose."

"You and I have very different definitions of mean," Shinpachi snorted, confirming what Hajime had already expected the minute he saw him. He was watching. Of course he was watching. Sano was probably watching what was going on inside too. "She's a good lady in this time to, Saitou. What the hell is keeping you from sweeping that girl off her feet already?"

"Not nearly as much as there used to be," he muttered, eyes narrowing thoughtfully at the darkened sky above him. He'd never spoken of his later life with anyone, but this wasn't just anyone. He saw us. Knew us. Our names were different at that time, but he at least knows. "I put her through hell last time, Shinpachi. Always making her watch over her shoulder for the next attack because of who I was."

"That's the risk women had to accept when they chose men like us." He followed his gaze, eyes softening slightly. "Aki-chan too. I wonder if she's out there, sometimes, you know? She was a good woman too, like your Tokio-chan."

Hajime nodded. Sugimura Akira was an extraordinarily patient woman, considering she'd always seamlessly handled Shinpachi's energetic personality. Though he'd changed his name, his personality hadn't one bit, and Hajime often had wondered how she could put up with him all the time. Even he got tired after a while, though they'd remained good friends up until their deaths. "It would seem likely, don't you think?"

"No guarantees, though." A brief flash of sadness actually passed over Shinpachi's face, though he was still grinning cheerfully. "I asked the little missy about it, actually. It's kind of scary how similar to Souji she is without ever being raised by him, you know? Told me with brutal honesty that sometimes lives get…out of sync. You can be reborn with a hundred years between each life, or as little as thirty or forty years. It was why she wanted to do that whole ritual thing for Chizuru-chan – so the people she'd cared about so much would always be kept in sync with her. But in doing so, it may have thrown us out of syncwith others we were connected to."

Unintended consequences. Everything has a price. Personally, Hajime would be happy if he never had to deal with demon rituals and the like ever again. Still, I can't say I'm not…at least a little relieved to know these people will always be around.

"Granted, I am kind of attached to all of you bastards," Shinpachi added, as if he'd heard his own thoughts. "I'm kind of glad to know we'll get to stick together in each lifetime. I just wish…well, I guess I'm just a bit envious of you, Saitou."

"Of me?" He blinked, surprised. "Why?"

The look he gave him was nothing short of incredulous. "Why? Your girl is right in front of you, and still obviously interested in you. She's in arm's reach. You just have to knock some sense into your head and grab hold of her before someone else does."

Before someone else does… The thought was…displeasing to say the least, but Hajime looked down at his hands, remembering the instinctual tension that had nearly made him hit her hands away earlier. Things like that were better ever since his own awakening, but he still had a lot of his past habits drilled into him – not the least of which was always being ready to strike back at a moment's notice if someone came at him. And I could never forgive myself if I hurt her, because she did something as benign as surprise me. She deserves someone who can be more honest; someone who won't have to lie because he has memories that he shouldn't possess and can't talk about with anyone but a select few.

"I'm not sure what's holding you back, Saitou, and I won't pry." Shinpachi's expression was subdued and sympathetic – like an older brother counseling a younger brother. He always did think of himself as an older brother figure to those of us younger than him. "It's not my style and you know that. Just…make sure you don't regret it, alright?"

"I will…keep your words in mind," he promised, nodding slightly. "And for whatever it may be worth, I'm sure you will see Akira-san again too. I doubt there is another woman alive who could deal with everything that makes you…you."

Shinpachi scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "Aw, you…wait. Oi! Saitou, you bastard! That was an insult, wasn't it!? That hurts, man!"

Hajime coughed to hide his grin that curled his lips. "I've no idea what you mean. We should get inside, though. I imagine Kin-san has already started breaking out the alcohol in celebration…"

"Yeah, she has…but…oi, Saitou! Get back here!"

Hajime merely ducked into the house, a smile still tugging at his lips.

Joking aside, he really was glad Shinpachi, at least, would never change at all.

All her joking aside, Souji was actually pretty good with romantic gestures when he put his mind to it.

Despite being…the way he was…Chizuru had a lot of memories of him doing the sweetest things. Old fashioned things, some might say. Opening doors for her, making that wreath of flowers with his nimble hands that she was still damn jealous over…

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me now," he chided with a chuckle in her ear, nipping at it and making her shiver. "The food's going to get cold, you know."

"I'm not sleeping." It was tempting though as they lay in the grass on the hillside, watching one of the many sets of summer fireworks being set off in the sky over the river. The food he spoke of – sandwiches and the like that had been purchased from a convenience store on their way here – lay mostly forgotten as she just enjoyed being in his arms and remembering…other nights they'd spent laying out in the grass, once upon a time. With only the songs of the cicada as their music…much like they were tonight. "I was reminiscing, actually."

"It does bring back good memories, doesn't it?" Without much effort at all, he tightened his grip on her waist and turned onto his back, grinning up at her where she now sat straddling him with a boyish charm that never failed to do crazy things in her chest. "Do you think the twins were conceived during one of those memories?"

"You're horrible," she huffed, smacking his shoulder even as she felt the heat rise to her face. "You were doing so well up until that moment, too."

"Hnn…" He didn't seem particularly bothered by it, and honestly Chizuru didn't actually care. Maybe it's because I'm thinking about…before." His hands ran up her side, just at the edge of her shirt, and she shivered again for a completely different reason. "It was Saya's birthday again last week, right? And then there's Mitsu-neesan's own joyous little bundle. It got me to wondering what you looked like while you were pregnant with them."

"Very round and grumpy…or so I'm told." She remembered aching so much but not really caring because she could feel them both kicking away whenever she touched her stomach and told them stories about…everything. Of the father she knew…of the Shinsengumi…even the demons and what little she'd been able to learn of her own clan. Chizuru privately believed Saya was the one who'd always kicked the most during the stories, considering how she'd taken to them the most.

Souji eyes followed his hands as they grazed her stomach, clearly lost in his memories. "You were beautiful." His voice held little doubt about that, his expression one of his rare honest ones. "Do you think we'll have any? This time, I mean."

"You always did like to think ahead…" She sank down to lay on top of him, her head resting over where his heart was steadily thumping in his chest – vital, healthy, and unencumbered by illness or diseases that would eat him away from the inside out. Chizuru closed her eyes and just listened to it, the dull thump the best sound in the world to her ears. "I'll always think of Saya-chan as my child. I don't think I could stop even if I wanted to."

She could feel him nodding. "I know. I do too, in a different sort of way."

Yes, you do. It made her love him even more, watching them together. Chizuru could barely contain her smile when she saw them side by side, laughing or grinning about something, because she remembered how badly she'd wished for just that – for Saya to have that chance to meet her father and have the relationship with him she'd always known her daughter had craved. And Souji was always such a natural with children in a way Chizuru definitely hadn't been. She'd had to figure it all out as the twins got older, usually accompanied by a fair amount of hair pulling. "I couldn't see not having any with you," she finally said quietly.

"Chizu-chi…" He held onto her tighter, not letting up as he inhaled deeply. "You're happy, right? Not because of the people we were, but the girl I have in my arms now…right?"

It would be a lie to say her memories didn't factor into her feelings at all – especially since they were so strong in relation to him. But when she thought of the Souji before her – the less jaded, more emotionally open one – Chizuru couldn't think of a time she didn't find him appealing. Though it was hard to remember clearly, she'd been intrigued by him even when she had no memories of their shared past or anything else and he was just the boy with a grin full of mischief and secrets. With as much certainty as she could muster, she told him firmly, "I would've gravitated towards you whether you liked it or not – memories or not."

It took hardly any effort at all for him to lift her so she was eye to eye with him, his lips leaning in to capture hers in a kiss that was both gentle and demanding. Souji couldn't seem to figure out which, as if he couldn't quite keep a lid on the emotions that were desperately trying to spill out of him. He held onto her like a drowning man would cling to a lifejacket though, green eyes shining with an intensity that shook her to her very core. Souji's voice was heavy with emotion even as he tried to maintain his usual lightly joking tone as he said, "See, now you did it. I'll never be able to let you go, Chizu-chi. You win our little challenge." He placed heated little kisses along her neck and shoulder, fingers trailing light touches down her arms. "I love you, Chizuru. Past. Present. Future. It's all the same."

Don't cry, dang it. They would be happy tears, admittedly, even as she sighed into his ear heavily. "I love you too, Souji."

Her whispered declaration only added fuel to the spark she could feel between them, the mostly innocent kisses from even earlier that evening transformed into something far more intense. Every touch of his fingers against her bare skin lit her nerves on fire – culminating in an ache that memory helped her identify. Desire. Want. Touches in the darkness of the night, listening to the wind howl outside their door, the warm puffs of his breath against already heated skin as he whispered guttural promises of everything they'd do…

"Tell me no, Chizu-chi." His voice was throaty as he rumbled the words against her shoulder, trailing fiery kisses along the bared skin as his hands kept sliding her shirt's neckline a little lower. "Tell me no or I don't think I can stop myself."

A large part of her wanted to stay silent. She wasn't ignorant by any means – Chizuru knew exactly what Souji meant in his unspoken plea. If memory served, it was a fairly similar plea to their first time in the past too. She hadn't said no that time and the results had been…far from unpleasant. Just thinking about it sent tingles of desire down her spine, but the specter of time being against them had been in the back of her mind in the past too, ever present and always reminding her that she wouldn't have years together with him. Three…maybe four or five before the tuberculosis or ochimizu took him from her if they were lucky. They'd rushed a lot, because both of them had known reality would be…unkind in a light of morning.

Not this time though. We have time for just us. Even despite the memories that were almost…taunting her with teases of memories of all they could have, Chizuru managed to gasp out, "You did say…you wanted to do this right."

Souji let out a frustrated his between his teeth against her skin, pressing his head harder into her shoulder. "I did say that, didn't I?" His eyes were…definitely a little brighter than usual, and almost darker as he glared behind her in clear annoyance at himself. "Why did I say that again?"

"Because you love me." Chizuru leaned forward to kiss him lightly, though her grin was edged as she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "And the tease is half the fun, ne?"

She laughed as she just barely managed to hop to her feet before he would've dragged her right back down to him, half pouting and half scowling as he breathed heavily and groaned, "I have the oddest feeling this is payback for something…I swear it must be. You're so cruel, Chizu-chi…"

"As if you don't like it." Chizuru's grin matched his as she helped him to his feet, his arm immediately reaching out to keep her pulled against him. "We should go, shouldn't we?"

"Not yet." Any signs of his previous frustration disappeared under his usual mischief filled grin, though she was definitely more than aware of it still considering he had her pressed very close. "Not until you dance with me."

"Dance with…?" It took her a moment, but she broke out into a wide smile as she wrapped her arm around him and grabbed his other, nodding. "I suppose we can do that."

There was no music but the calls of the cicada and the whistling of the summer breeze in the air, but Chizuru didn't care. It made her strangely pleased, in fact, that he even remembered. It'd annoyed him at the time that she was so interested in anything from the west, but he'd always humored her whenever she'd ask him to dance with her. They were a lot better at it now, admittedly, but the feelings in her chest as he spun her around were just as strong and very much the same.

For just a little longer, I want to stay just like this.

And so finishes Chapter 37! So Hijikata finally knows he'll be a daddy! Of course, Mitsu is still reacting oddly to said revelation, but that particular answer will be slow coming. Of course, the presence of a baby means a lot of things for our favorite stubborn couple…especially once he breaks the news to HIS family. Anyone else smell drama on THAT horizon? =)

Hajime is a…regrettably STUBBORN boy. Sigh. Though we do finally get to see a little of his peevish side. Hahaha. And while he was far less loud about it than Souji, he can't seem to let that idea Isa planted in Tokio's head pass any more than Souji could for Chizuru back in Part 1. XD

And I swear, does anyone know if there is a name for Shinpachi's wife? I couldn't actually find one and just pulled a random female name out of a proverbial hat after a while, but I'd love to go back and change it if it really is documented. Somewhere.

As for Souji and Chizuru…they've been due to step it up for a while now. Initially, it wasn't going to happen quite this early, but apparently the news that he was going to be an uncle shook up a LOT of things for Souji-muse. I won't complain. It just means I'll get to have fun sexually frustrating him more. XD

Anyway, please look forward to further chapters. As always, feedback is always appreciated!

Catch you next time! =)