xxx+xxx
Arty Glamor
xxx+xxx
Looking back when hearing her footsteps, Souji slowed his walk as she came to his side, green eyes soft. "Glad ya took my advice." He said.
"Sorta; Kondou-san asked me to keep an eye on you. Seems to think we behave when we're together." Kawa corrected with a chuckle at the notion.
Smirking at that, he laughed slightly, "Or he knows you're more level-headed between the two of us… Although what ya pulled the other night throws even that into question." He mused, giving her a knowing look.
Cheeks reddening, she looked elsewhere as they were coming closer to the wharf, "I didn't draw blood, if that's what you're concerned about." She stated calmly.
Their eyes met and he puffed as his shoulders slumped a bit, his dominant hand finding her shoulders and squeezing. "As I said, I pity the bastard that pisses you off, princess." He lamented.
She smiled at his words and giggled, hugging his waist with her dominant arm, "but you're right about the place… explains why Toshi stalked off earlier." She admitted.
Pouting slightly at the change in subject, Souji commented, "I thought ya were pissed at him for keeping ya from gutting that man."
"He and Kondou-san pleaded for your life, dummy, it's hard to stay mad at him after that." Kawa reminded, calm voice quieted at the memory, looking up at her companion.
Souji minded her renewed respect for the other man, wondering for curiosity's sake, "Yet you were willin' to die for my sake, weren't you?"
Kawa's eyes saddened at the thought and hardened at the same time, and she replied, "Like you're willing to do the same for me."
Both had stopped at that, recognizing that the unwavering loyalty one had for the other was equal by all rights. The brunette had released her to instead brush back some of her black fringe from her left cheek, his eyes soft again when she kept his hand, thinking about that same night. "Didn't do too bad with that kiss, by the way."
"I was surprised you didn't try anything in the process…" She chuckled, cheeks rosy at his reminder, inhaling when he ducked slightly to steal a kiss. Her hands bunched in his haori collar as she returned the favor eagerly, grey eyes opening when he drew away and softening when he bumped foreheads, affording a soft giggle. "Souji…"
"I didn't because I'd rather ya let me, Kawa." He admitted in the same soft tone, drawing away with reluctance to mind their surroundings, a pout crossing his handsome face. "This whole town has bad vibes." He mused.
She nodded a bit in agreement, lamenting, "makes Edo look like a paradise."
xxx+xxx
Tapping her foot on the walkway as she watched him practice, she said, "You're not fair!"
Glancing over at her and minding her displeased pout, he exhaled and lowered the wooden sword. "You know I'm doin' this for your own good, Kawa. The Aizu don't need to know that there's a woman in the ranks of the Roshigumi… never mind that Kondou-san already picked the partners." He reminded.
She huffed, keeping her hands at her sides with her pout changed to a pursed-lip expression, "Those windbags won't bat an eye if they see ya lose to Heisuke…" She mused more to herself.
"You're always brattier than usual when you're denied something, y'know," he retorted as he ignored her comment about his assigned opponent, kicking his sandals off as he joined her on the walkway, catching the handkerchief she tossed his way with ease and wiping his face. "It'd be another thousand years before you grow out of that." He added.
Kawa ignored the redness in her ears at that, resting her hip against the nearby post. "It's one of the reasons you keep me around, dummy. That and Toku-chan would have your head if ya left me to face the world alone." She reminded, knowing and having known for years that said woman wrote him often.
"You wouldn't be alone per se, not if Souji had anything to say about it." Toshi stated knowingly, a sideways look crossing his face when she brought up his older sister, smirking at the resigned glint that flashed in her eyes. "He seems happier now." He mused for her sake.
"I'm glad for that… Dummy would do anything for me, really, and it's only fair I do the same for him." Kawa smiled fondly as she looked off at the sunlight that brightened the courtyard, glancing up at her friend whose knowing look had returned, and her brow twitched as she slugged him. "You'd meddle less if ya actually had a love life, y'know."
"Ow…" Toshi rubbed his arm gingerly, having half-expected her to punch him granted he had forgotten she could punch like a man, perking his ears at her comment and his cheeks reddened, "The day that happens, you'll be the last to know about it!" He fired back, scowling when she had broken away to walk down the walkway.
"Doubt that! Men are dense about love, and you're no different, Toshi." Kawa called leisurely, placing her arms behind her head as she went.
Pinching the bridge of his nose at her words that rang true –even though he'd be dead before he ever admitted that— Toshi snapped, "Brat!" His ears burned when hearing her barked laugh.
xxx+xxx
"Dumbass!"
"Ow, that hurt!"
Kawa deadpanned.
She had gone out with Sano to namely get away from Toshi in case he made her do more chores –which her quota was filled to the brim with for this week, even though it was barely Wednesday— and the two didn't get far into town before running into Ibuki. The boy had done something stupid by her guess, a side-effect of hanging with Heisuke and Shinpachi since the first day he had joined their gang, and the petite maiko that had strode off a good distance when they ran into him was further evidence.
Ironically it wasn't Kawa who whacked Ibuki for being disrespectful to the poor girl, it was Sano. The overgrown lug was the ladies' man between the three baboons, having hit on her only once, but he was more of a gentleman than anything. Chivalry lived through him, she often thought.
"Ya said that shit to that nice little maiko? It's no wonder she gave you that handprint!" Sano scolded the younger man, arms folded at his chest.
"Sano's got a point… I'd cover your ass if I didn't agree that you need to apologize to her, bonehead." Kawa agreed patiently, shrugging at the pout on his face.
Sano exhaled shortly, "come on." He lifted Ibuki by the scruff and steered him in the direction the girl had gone, putting him in a headlock when the other protested and squirmed to try and get free, "Kawa-chan, it'd be best if you went back without us. This manly thing has to come first." He looked back at her and winked.
"H-hey, where're we goin'!?" Ibuki demanded indignantly.
Sano's arm tightened reproachfully, "you dumbass, you're gonna go apologize to that little lady!" He barked.
Kawa rolled her eyes, "don't maim him just yet!" She remarked, being given a wave with his free hand, watching both men get further away and snorting softly at Ibuki's cursing. She sighed and turned to go back to the manor, arms folding at her chest. "Dense as a brick wall." She mused aloud.
Finding she wasn't greeted by a catty Toshi or any of the other men —which she was glad for— when returning, she went to the makeshift training hall, snagging the foldable target dummy from her room's closet in the process. She had made it years ago and it had served its purpose when she felt the urge to polish her knife throwing; she had caught Souji using it not long after she'd brought it to Shieikan, and every so often they would practice together.
A muffled 'thunk' pulled her from her thoughts as she was about to toss the knife in hand, and she blinked at recognizing the thin blade that had been tossed from the left.
"Surprised ya brought that ratty thing." The familiar brunette commented lightly when she turned a bit to find he had located her practicing, his trademark smirk shifting to a smile when she pouted at his sneaking up on her, padding into the hall to retrieve his knife.
She tossed her knife, the blade thicker than his by a few millimeters if she remembered correctly, watching it find its mark in the middle of the dummy's head. "Missed me that dearly, did you?" She wondered, smiling wryly as he had hesitated to retrieve his knife when she threw hers.
Souji pouted at the playful spark in her eyes, leaving the knife in its place to retort, "Only every second you're away, princess." His smirk returned when she stepped up to him, green eyes curious as he minded the pink in her cheeks.
Kawa smirked back and tilted her head a bit, "You are hopeless sometimes, y'know that?" She lamented, grey eyes soft, laughing quietly at his gaze he cast elsewhere. Lifting a hand to his cheek, her smirk changed to a soft smile when their eyes met again, and she added for his sake, "But I wouldn't have you any other way."
Chest swelling with some measure of pride, Souji exhaled and kept her hand on reflex, "I did miss ya, and if you'd have been gone longer I woulda had to kill Sano-san for dragging you off." He mused with an impish smile.
Kawa laughed again, leaning up to kiss him chastely, before detangling to retrieve her knives. "You can rest easy, noble samurai, I'm perfectly safe. 'Sides, he went off to deal with Ibuki; the dummy got himself in trouble with a maiko he's had the hots for." She explained.
Souji snorted amusedly at the thought and accepted his knife from her, tucking it back in place in his sleeve, "Doesn't surprise me, the dumbass stumbles his way through life so it'd be a shock if he did good with the ladies." He wasn't too worried about the bozu hitting on Kawa, namely for the mentioned slip-up, but he also knew she took pity on the mentioned whipping boy. "You're too nice to 'im sometimes, princess." He added.
Kawa rolled her eyes and turned to him as a thought occurred to her, "Don't be bratty, Souji…"
"I ain't being bratty, I just prefer to keep the woman I love from getting hurt, that's all…" Souji defended before stopping when she stiffened at what he said, also recognizing the cat was finally out of the bag.
"You do, huh?" Kawa wondered, voice quiet, a smile creeping onto her lips when seeing his cheeks turn pink.
Souji looked on her, the badass tomboy who made his days easier and whose smile he would kill for, the momentary embarrassment at his blunder falling away the longer their eyes met… He nodded, reaching to cup her cheek and smiling when she leaned into his touch as if it was second nature. "Y'know I do, Kawa."
Cheeks coloring at his confidence, a different variation compared to the one used in spades when they were in public, Kawa smiled up at him and replied with a soft chuckle, "I love you too, Souji."
xxx+xxx
Watching the wooden sword sway in his friend's grip, reminiscent of a cat's twitching tail, Ibuki wondered in confusion, "What's he doing?"
"It's called the 'Wagtail Sword'; he keeps the sword moving so his opponent won't be able to figure out what he's gonna do." Sano explained as he looked around the other end of the sheet protecting them.
Poking her head out near the former's, Kawa watched Heisuke be knocked back by Toshi before lunging at his older opponent with a battle cry. She pouted slightly as the younger was defeated within a few moves, lamenting when ducking behind the sheet's safety, "Glad I didn't bet against Toshi… never mind that he'd kill me for it."
"You would've put it all on Heisuke?" Ibuki asked with a slight laugh, looking at her as Sano chuckled nearby.
"… Only a little." Kawa shrugged innocently, looking at the named teen who joined them behind the sheet and smiling, "You did great, Heisuke!"
"Oi, Heisuke, get this…" Sano started to tell the boy of their female compatriot before pausing at seeing the obvious injury the named boy sustained, and he smiled serenely, "Never mind; ya did great!" He lied.
Ibuki looked at Kawa who also looked at their friend before she snorted, looking at Heisuke and the fresh shiner on his right eye and he valiantly suppressed a laugh, poking his head out when seeing the next two combatants. "Oi, Saitou-san and Shinpatsu are up." He informed the trio.
Kawa joined him on his side of the sheet as Sano and Heisuke took the other side, poking her head out under his as the match began.
She was still a bit sore about being denied the chance to square off against her friends, even if it was to show off for those Aizu nobles, but she stayed anyway to support them… Never mind that Souji's match was after Saitou's and Shinpachi's.
"This bites, I lost!" Shinpachi complained as he skulked ahead of Saitou to their friends' shelter to make room for the next pair of combatants.
"Ya both did great, Shinpatsu," Kawa laughed quietly at his pouting face, patting his arm before looking to her fellow lefty, "let alone that my humble person bows to your excellence, Great Sensei." She teased.
Saitou minded the teasing tone in her flattery and he puffed wryly to ignore the heat in his ears, nodding past their covering, "Save your sass for Souji and San'nan-san's match, esteemed badass." He said in the same wry tone.
Kawa grinned and bounced away to join Ibuki and the baboon trio.
xxx+xxx
"In order to have the Roshigumi's fame spread throughout the Capital, Serizawa-sensei had these made with money collected in Osaka." Niimi announced to the men as they were unwrapping the boxes that held their new uniform coats.
Heisuke bounced away from the crowd with one of the haori in hand, "Let's try these on; Gen-san, toss me the scissors to cut this tape off!" He urged excitedly.
Kawa laughed at his infectious energy, having already snipped the tape off hers with a concealable knife she tucked back into place moments after, shrugging her arms through the sleeves.
It was prettier than the haori that she owned –which were moreso hand-me-downs from Toshi to make up for the sleeveless yukata she wore— as it was a sky-blue color with large white triangles designed into the sleeve hems and twin white tethers crossing over the front.
"Damn, Kawa-chan!" Shinpachi wolf-whistled at the lone woman who was turning to inspect the coat, smiling cheerily.
Kawa pouted over at him, "Don't spook me like that, moron!" She scolded annoyedly, putting her fists on her hips as her pout changed for a scowl when Sano poked his head in.
"Can't blame him, Kawa-chan, ya look beautiful," Sano said with a wink.
"Both of ya keep your mitts off my woman or I'll kill ya both," Souji intervened with a knowing look, slinging his arm around said woman's hips. His defensive look faltered slightly when she hugged his waist in return, and he smiled on her, "But ya do look beautiful in that blue, princess."
Cheeks rosy at his affection, Kawa's shy look fell away when both older brunettes turned away pretending to vomit and she laughed again, nuzzling Souji's neck. "You look good in that haori too, dummy," she remarked.
Toshi shook his head at their antics, granted he didn't blame Shinpachi and Sano in regards to the happy couple, stating as he came closer to the four, "never mind that this's one way we can spread the Roshigumi's fame throughout Kyoto. There's less chance for one of us to get cut down in the streets if we're all in the same uniform when on patrol, to boot."
"Way to kill the mood, Hijikata-san…" Souji griped as his eye twitched in annoyance at his friend's intrusion.
Kawa flicked his ear gently, smirking at his pout, "Can't deny that he's right, though, can ya?" She challenged.
Souji deadpanned when their vice-commander shot her a wry smirk, huffing as he agreed, "Nope."
xxx+xxx
an: haha i updated! none of yall thought i would so soon, did you? lol it's the yr of our lord 2020 so i'm not gonna take 5ever and (1) century to update these fics, y'know, new year and all that jazz. hope ya liked the chap!
* "Children of the Bad Revolution" - Lana del Rey
