Rated M for light smut.

Two days had passed since Gintoki confessed to Tsukuyo and had the best night of his life, but those two days felt like a week as he secretly pined for her every minute. Kagura and Shinpachi began to notice this, as they caught him daydreaming several times throughout those two days they were apart. He was generally very lazy, but when it came to running Yorozuya Gin-chan, he was willing to do whatever it took to secure his pay in order to pay his rent. Yet lately, Tsukuyo was the only thing on his mind. Kagura theorised that they must have done the deed already, since her dad, the great alien hunter Umibozu once said that all romances start in bed, to which Shinpachi believed otherwise, saying there was no way they would move to that stage so quickly, let alone date each other, but he remarked that when they did move to *base, his eyes (or rather his glasses) would be scarred for life.

It just so happened that today turned out to be a rather fortuitous day. Not only did they get more jobs to do (by that it was only one extra), Hinowa had given Gintoki a call as part of their little agreement to help Tsukuyo for a little bit, the first job being to assist her in homeschooling Seita. He was being uncharacteristically excited about it in the eyes of his two 'children'. In reality it was an excuse to see Tsukuyo again. Now he understood why Hinowa called their agreement a win-win situation. He got to more or less spend time with someone he loved and was getting payed to do so. What more could he possibly want?

"Oi you two. You go on and do the job without me. Should be simple enough to handle without me, I got some business to take care of in Yoshiwara." He ordered, putting on his yukata and adjusting it so that the right sleeve hung over his obi. Kagura smirked at this.

"Business? More like doing his 'business' with Tsuki." She whispered to Shinpachi. Gintoki turned his head at Kagura, slightly miffed at her assumption.

"Oi I heard that. I'm not gonna be doing that at all. I'm just helping her teach Seita."

"But Gin-san, when we came back that night you were still out, even after the fireworks finished. So it seems like to us that you made your move with Tsukuyo-san...actually that wouldn't happen. Knowing you, you'd probably do something stupid to mess up the entire situation." He said.

"Hey, at least I had the balls to be nice to her and make out, instead of doing it with that disgusting abomination you call a love interest!" Gintoki yelled, putting on one of his leather boots. Shinpachi merely sighed instead of being outraged, clearly used to the roasting he received over the years which was set up since his debut by the gorilla author, but blinked a few times. Did he hear that right? He made out with Tsukuyo? He looked at Gintoki, who's eyes blinked once, clearly realising he didn't actually tell either of them that he was dating her. But it was too late. Not only had he blurted out his secret to Hinowa, but now his two kids knew about it as well.

"Me and my big fuckin' mouth..." He cursed to himself. The trio remained quiet for a few seconds, with Gintoki anticipating mockery and laughter from the other two.

"You actually did it Gin-chan? I'm so happy for you!"

"Haha, congratulations Gin-san!"

He definitely wasn't expecting them to congratulate him on making it to first base. He scowled slightly and shooed them off to do their job, trying not to make a big deal out of it, but was secretly happy that they approved of the outcome. He finished putting on his other boot before heading outside to his scooter. At this point the only thing he thought about was seeing Tsukuyo again, the job was secondary. He strapped on his helmet before revving off to the elevator to Yoshiwara.

He stepped out of the elevator and ambled his way to Hinowa's tea shop, he noticed a few masked women in and around the rooftops looking at him and gossiping amongst each other. He raised an eyebrow at this, it wasn't like the Hyakka to be standing around idly and chatting when they had the responsibility to guard Yoshiwara, but it didn't faze him much.

"Eh, probably just on break." He muttered to himself, and yawned. Several of the courtesans walking around the streets both greeted and fawned over him and tempted him into joining them for some hot coffee several times, reminding him that he was the man who freed Yoshiwara from Hosen's vicegrip, even if he himself disagreed with that sentiment. He politely turned them all down and continued on his way before tripping over his feet like a complete fool. He winced as he got to his feet, his eyes shut as he clutched his head and massaged it desperately with his right hand to make the pain go away. As he slowly rose up while holding his head, the back of his hand brushed up against something. It felt like clothing. It was firm, yet soft at the same time and shaped like a ball. His other hand reached out and held onto what felt like someone's arm and patted his way up, trying to figure out who it was. It was definitely a woman, he knew that much. He stopped at what he thought was the upper arm. It felt like skin. That's odd, no one here leaves their arm exposed like this. And why isn't she saying anything? Any normal woman would be screaming by now. He thought to himself. His hand slithered its way up to a shoulder and then a cheek. It felt really soft and warm. It felt good. His hand reached the top and his finger touched something sharp, like the tip of a sharp object such as a tanto or a kunai. What crazy woman puts something sharp in-oh. He finally opened his eyes to see a woman with golden blonde hair and a kunai tucked inside as well as a flaming red face with her mouth slightly ajar.

"...Hi honey." He nervously chuckled.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" She shrieked, swiftly moving behind him and lifting him up by his waist, dumping him on the concrete head first with considerable force which left a small crater in the middle of the street. Passerbys that witnessed the shenanigans stopped in their tracks while the Hyakka members on the rooftop had a mixture of reactions, from facepalms to shaking heads. Tsukuyo gripped Gintoki's collar and dragged the unconscious samurai away, not wanting to cause anymore disturbances. To her relief, Hinowa's tea shop was only a short walk from where they met and stopped by some benches to set him down on one of them once they arrived. She took out her kiseru and lit it up, taking a quick puff before blowing out some smoke to loosen up. As she glanced over his unconscious body, she couldn't resist smiling a little bit and shook her head.

"Honestly, you fool..."

Gintoki eventually began to stir after roughly twenty minutes, slowly waking up to the smell of lavender and tobacco. He put a hand to his head to give it a massage, moaning a little bit as he did so. His head was in a considerable amount of agony, even more so considering that he was suplexed headfirst by an embarrassed and angry courtesan/ninja who just so happened to be his girlfriend.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead." Tsukuyo sweetly said, standing over him with her pipe and gently blew smoke in his face. Gintoki started coughing as the tobacco fumes hit his nostrils, groaning slightly louder as he sat up still clutching his head, which was still throbbing in pain.

"That was pretty mean of you back there...first I hit my head on the floor, then you made it worse and now you wake me up by attacking my lungs." He muttered.

"Firstly, thats's how you say hi to someone you haven't seen in two days? Secondly, you deserved that. Thirdly, how else do ya wanna be woken up? Like Sleeping Beauty?" She hit back.

"Sleeping Beauty huh? I actually wouldn't mind that last one..." He smirked. She looked away, slightly embarrassed because she thought the same thing. "Besides, I did that to you after I took you home that night, except I had to leave. So if you did it, that would make us even...plus you were pretty much a Sleeping Beauty the whole ti-OW! Are you trying to give me brain damage!?" Tsukuyo had flicked him in the forehead, making him rub his head even more.

"You were already loopy in the head when we first met. And ya the only person I know who's hardheaded enough to go for someone like me, so I say ya gonna be fine." She grinned, taking her kiseru away from her mouth to puff out some more smoke before putting it back in. Gintoki shuffled off the bench and lightly wrapped his arms around Tsukuyo's waist, taking in a lungful of secondhand smoke. He glanced down at her kiseru, instantly identifying the sleek finish of the wooden shaft as the one he'd bought for her.

"How's the pipe? Do you like it?" He quietly asked, taking her kiseru and setting it on the bench to let it fizzle out.

"Best gift I could ever want...aside from you of course." She softly smirked, putting her arms around his neck and cheekily blowing more smoke into Gintoki's face, who resisted his urge to cough. As much as he detested crap being blown in his face, he could make an exception if Tsukuyo was the one doing it. He pulled her body closer to him which shot a faint feeling of thirst in his body, giving her a gaze reserved only for her.

"I'll let it slide this time.." He said in a rather husky voice before putting his lips against hers, wasting no time in prying her mouth open so that his tongue could make its way inside to tango with hers, both of them moaning in each other's mouths with pleasure as they did so. Her lips and breath tasted of ash, but he didn't care. They hadn't seen each other for two days which made them all the more willing to be a little more aggressive in their private moment. Tsukuyo's hands slowly ran up and down Gintoki's neck, sending shivers up his body before moving her hands to press her nails against his collarbone once more, doing so in tandem with each tongue movement. In response, Gintoki ran his hands up and down her spine whilst pulling away briefly to plant kisses along her neck, which rewarded him with high-pitched gasps from Tsukuyo. As they felt their bodies slowly being deprived of air but unwilling to pull apart, their pace quickened, their kisses became messier and messier and their appearances gradually became more dishevelled, more so Tsukuyo than Gintoki as he'd released the kunai that kept her hair tied up, letting it flow to her shoulders. His hands drew below her waist and caressed her backside, eliciting a small groan from Tsukuyo, prompting him to gently squeeze it and make her groan in his mouth even louder. They finally withdrew their mouths once they could handle no more, panting heavily whilst resting their foreheads against each other and leaving a thin strand of saliva between them just like last time, their hearts desperate to break out of their chests. Their glazed eyes met each other once more before closing them and locked lips again like two magnets, kissing at a much slower, more tender tempo, moaning much more quietly but with just as much passion and satisfaction. They took turns sucking at each other's necks and jawlines whilst Tsukuyo's hands took the opportunity to roam the exposed parts of Gintoki's body before advancing inside his shirt to feel more of his chest, eeking out small gasps from him. They closed their eyes as Tsukuyo rested her head against his neck, her arms having moved from feeling his chest to pressing his body tightly against her whereas one of Gintoki's hands snaked around her neck while the other ran through Tsukuyo's hair, gently massaging her head, to which Tsukuyo hummed in comfort. They didn't move aside from the occasional kisses on Tsukuyo's cheek and forehead by Gintoki, perfectly content with being in each other's arms while they felt their hearts beat in unison.

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear.

"Ha, it's only been two days Gintoki. But I missed you too..." She answered dreamily.

Gintoki hummed in acknowledgement, kissing Tsukuyo's forehead once more. The duo stayed in each other's arms, completely oblivious to a woman wheeling herself out of the entrance to the house above the tea shop.

"Tsukuyo? Has Gin-san arri-"

Hinowa's eyes widened in shock momentarily before putting on her usual soft smile at the cuddling pair, who stared at her like deers caught in headlights. They slowly but reluctantly separate as Gintoki awkwardly cleared his throat while Tsukuyo brushed some hair past her ear and folded her arms, looking away from each other as if they hadn't committed a semi-public display of affection right then and there, their faces burning up in front of the Sun of Yoshiwara. Hinowa's sudden appearance still made them feel incredibly awkward despite her already knowing about their relationship, doubly so as they were secretly panicking at the mere thought of her hearing the noises they were making nearby. She wasn't that far was she? It was also a sobering reminder for Gintoki that he came here on business, and not in his free time, even if he got to spend time with Tsukuyo.

"S-shall we get down to business? That kid needs help right?" He stammered, to which Hinowa hummed in agreement as she turned to show him in. Gintoki followed her whilst Tsukuyo stayed behind to redo her hair and retrieve her kiseru before going after him. As she got closer she gave a light thump to his arm and glared at him, and the two hissed at each other for making too much noise, both of them pawning off the responsibility on not being able to help it. Despite all of that, they secretly didn't regret it one bit.

Much to his shock and horror, Gintoki learned that Tsukuyo was still using her questionable teaching methods to homeschool Seita, as he saw the latter with a bandage wrapped around his forehead, two big eye bags as well as a wooden doll and some kunais in the corner of his room, putting two and two together.

"How many times have you scarred the poor kid already? He doesn't deserve it." He flatly said while picking his nose.

"I-it's not my fault! He kept getting the answers wrong! After all, repetition creates discipline!" She angrily protested, clutching her kiseru tightly.

"Not when it puts holes in people's heads god damn it! Their knowledge'll be flowing out more than it'll stay in if you keep teaching him like that!" He hit back, which caused Tsukuyo to grab his collar and pulled him to her face.

"I'd like to see you try! Seita said you studied at a temple school right? Then you should be able to teach him pretty easily!" Temple school...Memories began to ring in his ears, walking with Katsura, Takasugi and Shoyo, sleeping in class, training in the dojo with Shoyo, getting disciplined by Shoyo and laughing it off afterwards. The burnt out shell of the school as Shoyo was taken away to be imprisoned while Gintoki was held down, unable to do nothing but look on in utter despair. It started flooding back to him. It struck a nerve within him, forcefully taking her hand off his collar and scowled at her before storming out. Tsukuyo's expression shifted from rage to confusion and anxiety as Seita and Hinowa (both of whom silently watched the whole time) looked at each other, then at Tsukuyo with concern.

"Tsukuyo? Is everything alright?"

"S'fine...he just needs to cool down for a bit." She muttered sadly.

Sure enough, Gintoki returned roughly ten minutes later with a pair of glasses and a steely gaze, almost as if his personality had reset to a fresh, clean slate. He didn't dare to acknowledge Tsukuyo's presence. It wasn't normal. She watched him teach Seita with an unnerving amount of diligence and professionalism. Seita seemed rather comfortable with him, though to be fair, Gintoki was already quite good with handling kids since he already looked after two of his own despite not being blood related. But this wasn't the Gintoki she normally knew. The one she knew was crass, lazy, sarcastic, even childish sometimes. But he was always someone she could rely on and the only person who knew her the most outside of Hinowa and Seita. He was the one who'd changed her life for the better, a life that she wanted him to be permanently part of. The Gintoki she saw in front of her was...almost void of life, like a husk. None of the qualities that made him so special in her eyes were on display at the moment. She missed it. Her chest felt heavy, like a wave of guilt had washed over her. She reflected on the moment he walked out. Temple school... She knew that he was taught in one based on what Seita said, but it seemed like it touched a nerve when she mentioned it. She took a long puff from her kiseru while pondering about the connection.

After the teaching session had ended with relatively positive results (by that no injuries were caused), Seita made an impromptu question for Gintoki about making a new sort of school lunch for him for the next day, puzzling the latter since he assumed that Hinowa's bento boxes were more than good enough for him, to which Seita remarked that he wanted something a little different. Gintoki reluctantly obliged and retreated to the kitchen to bake a strawberry cake.

"All that food made by the finest woman in Yoshiwara and you want something different? Such a spoilt kid..." He muttered, completely void of emotion.

After about an hour of preparing the ingredients, he placed the as of yet baked cake in the oven and began to clean up the cooking utensils in the sink. Once that was done, he simply stood in front of the sink whilst waiting for the cake to bake. It was about ten minutes later when he felt two arms gently snake around his waist and a chin lightly dig into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry if what I said upset ya..." Tsukuyo whispered, remorseful of what she had said to him earlier. Gintoki remained silent and still, which disheartened her. She thought carefully on what to say next.

"It's fine. It's my fault. I shouldn't have acted like that..." he unexpectedly replied. This lightened Tsukuyo's mood slightly now that Gintoki was a little more willing to respond.

"Did ya...grow up in a temple sch-"

"Shoka Sonjuku."

"Shoka Sonjuku...That's what it's called?" She said softly, to which he affirmed with a simple "Yup.". She could connect the dots from there, having already known Gintoki's connection to his master Yoshida Shoyo and his fate from the time she, the Yorozuya and a young Mimawarigumi vice-chief named Nobume stormed Tokugawa Sadasada's palace. He looked up to him like a father and loved him dearly. She squeezed his body ever so slightly. He looked at the oven to see that the cake needed more time to bake before fixing his eyes on the sink.

"Shoka Sonjuku was a place for kids from all walks of life to come and learn, rich or poor. It's how a down and out kid like me got a second chance at life. It's how I met Zura and Takasugi too." He explained drearily. Tsukuyo quietly listened, slightly puzzled by his statement on getting a second chance, but she refrained from asking, sensing that the topic of Shoka Sonjuku was already sensitive enough.

"Sensei once said that that even in adulthood, he was always lost, still trying to find himself. But he said it was ok to be lost. Shoka Sonjuku was a place where people could go to discover themselves. To discover their soul through swinging a sword. For me, it was to protect my way of life, and the spirits of everyone around me." Gintoki's voice began to waver slightly, his lips struggling to not quiver and his hands shaking as he gripped the wooden surface of the kitchen counter. Tsukuyo could feel his chest rise and fall more irregularly as she listened on with concern.

"Then those bastards burned it down...they burned it down. They took everything from us. Those goddamned crows took Sensei away...and I couldn't do shit to stop them. I was too weak. I..."

He couldn't go on anymore. His lips trembled and his eyes were watering. He slowly turned to Tsukuyo and buried his face in her shoulder, holding her waist tightly as he quietly sobbed. She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead softly, doing her utmost to comfort him, although she herself was struggling to hold it together, just barely holding her eyes back from watering. She almost never saw him lose control of his emotions, and the rare times he did shocked her, but she had never seen him in a state like this. It broke her heart. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"Shhh...it's ok." She finally said as he continued his muffled cries against her shoulder.

"Is it...?" He asked.

"Mmhmm...it is." She affirmed wholeheartedly. "Ya don't have to hold the burden yourself. You'll buckle under it if you do."

"What I've done is my responsibility alone." He coldly said. He opened his mouth again before it was silenced by a single finger.

"Trying to shoulder the burden all by yourself? Don't be such a stranger. Weep and ask for help. Lean on me with ya runny nose. Cry when ya feel like crying. Laugh when ya feel like laughing. When ya tearing up with an uglier face, I'll give ya a good cry with an uglier face. When ya laughing so much your stomach hurts. I'll laugh in a louder voice. That's how it should be." Tsukuyo recalled, which earned her a weak, but genuine smile from Gintoki.

"What asshole said that to you?" He sarcastically remarked.

"Same asshole with silver hair who saved me of course." She sweetly replied. Somehow it got him to chuckle a little bit through his tears.

"You really are a nice girl aren't you..." He conceded. She placed her palm on his cheek and moved her head closer to give him a long, tender kiss, still holding him tightly. As she broke away from the kiss she nuzzled his nose, wiping his tears with her thumb whilst running her fingers through his hair with her other hand. Gintoki closed his eyes and relaxed his head against her chest, humming in peace as the fingers that ran through his hair created a soothing sensation. Just then, Hinowa wheeled into the kitchen, being lured in by the distressing noises from earlier to find the two in their close embrace.

"Is everything alright?" She asked with a polite smile, feeling more relieved rather than excited at the pair's close cuddles.

"Yep...everything's fine Hinowa." Tsukuyo responded with her own smile, completely unbothered by her intrusion. The alarm from the oven suddenly rang, rudely interrupting the peace, which caused Gintoki to huff in frustration as he had forgotten about the strawberry cake, and begrudgingly slipped out of Tsukuyo's embrace to open the oven.

"Sigh...let's get this out."

"Mmm, this is delicious Gin-san."

"Yeah! This is great stuff! Hey Mom, can I share this with my classmates?"

"I guess it's not too bad, at least ya didn't overload it with sugar this time."

"Oi, at least I know how to use something other than a hotpot."

"What was that?!"

The strawberry cake that Gintoki made was decently sized, big enough for the whole group to eat together but more importantly big enough for Seita to take a few slices for his school lunch the next day, and they all had a good laugh, with a highlight being Gintoki and Tsukuyo's usual argumentative banter. As the sun retired and the moon rose up, Hinowa gave him his payment for the day. Tsukuyo offered to escort Gintoki up to the surface, which he was more than willing to accept. Unbeknownst to them, the Hyakka spotted them holding hands as they made their way to the lift whilst on the rooftops, but they successfully resisted giving themselves away by supposedly ignoring them, although they fully intended to tease their boss about it later. As the lift went up, the two said nothing, simply taking in the ambience. Once the doors opened, Gintoki took a few steps to the scooter he'd park earlier Tsukuyo suddenly pinned his wrists against the wall in the spur of the moment, intending to make out one more time before they parted ways for the night.

"Gee you're really asking for it now huh? I thought you didn't like doing this sorta stuff out in the open." He mockingly asked with a smirk. He'd noticed that Tsukuyo's personality had been changing when the two of them were alone, as if her stone terminator persona was merely a facade, not that he minded of course. He enjoyed this new side of her, and was willing to make the most of it whenever they get the chance.

"Do be quiet, there's no one around to stare at us anyway." She hit back, pressing up her body against him, instantly sending a wave of lust over the both of them before aggressively diving straight into each other's mouths. They moaned almost immediately as their hands roamed their upper bodies. In the midst of the act, Gintoki shook off his yukata's left sleeve, allowing Tsukuyo to unzip his black shirt to allow her access to his entire chest, making him groan in her mouth fervently as her hands were all over him. It was also fairly toned too, a remarkable achievement considering his diet consisted of almost nothing but sugar, and it made her even more hungry for his body. In response, Gintoki released the kunai that held her hair up, letting it fall to her shoulders (he secretly thought she looked sexier this way) and kneaded and squeezed her voluptuous, round breasts with his hands, eliciting groans from Tsukuyo whilst kissing and sucking on her neck and collarbone.

The moaning and groaning sounds continued for a short while, occasionally punctuated by Tsukuyo begging for more ("Mmm...more Gintoki...") whilst their tongues battled it out inside their mouths, which he acquiesced to by squeezing her breasts once more, making her gasp and groan quite loudly and sensually, overclocking his hormonal drive. As his hands moved away to squeeze her waist, she seized her opportunity to feel Gintoki's naked chest and lower body by licking all over it, causing him to gasp repeatedly with each wet stroke of the tongue.

"God you're so hot- urghh..." He gasped under his breath. Her tongue ascended back up his body, returning to sucking on his neck. His hands were still at her waist, bringing her body closer to him as they returned back to their French kisses. As they continued to moan in each other's mouths, Tsukuyo unwittingly rocked her hips forward several times.

"Ahh...urgh..." He groaned sensually, withdrawing from her mouth and resting his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily in order to regain his senses. Confused but equally breathless, she shuffled her legs slightly to get more comfortable, and accidentally brushed her thighs against something inside his trousers, prompting more loud groans from Gintoki.

"S...stop...you damn Yoshiwara woman. You're gonna make my third leg explode if you keep doing that..." He panted. She blushed ever so slightly, but had a suspiciously devilish smirk as one of her hands drifted closer to it. Just as her hand grasped on it and began her first stroke, her wrist was abruptly caught by one of Gintoki's hands, though she still gripped it.

"Are you...a psychopath? You're definitely a psychopath. Get it off my third leg, I can't take much more..." He desperately begged. She reluctantly complied, but not before getting the last word by deliberating taking her time removing her hand from his shaft, using her fingernails to delicately trail along his length, causing vibrations on his trousers that stimulated his third leg to dangerous levels. He gasped even more sensually at this.

"There's...something seriously wrong with you...I thought you used to hate things like this. Shinigami Tayuu is pretty damn fitting, but Monster of Yoshiwara is a better fit for you." He panted. "If you really want it that bad, save it for next time."

"Hey, it's your fault for making me like this." She purred in his ear before kissing him on the lips again.

"My ass, you were the one who made the first move in the park." He retorted. She was admittedly stumped on that one, and promptly threw a kunai at his forehead to hide that fact. He eventually zipped back up his shirt and put on his yukata again before stumbling over to his scooter, still reeling in both agony and bliss while Tsukuyo picked up her kunai off the floor.

"Same time tomorrow. Don't be late." She instructed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He smirked as he put on his helmet.

"That's up to you to decide." She smirked back.

A/N: A sandwich of light smut, feelings and more smut...huzzah! Jokes aside, I enjoyed writing this chapter. The next chapter will graduate with the smut levels so things will get a little more spicy.

Feel free to leave a review, it would be much appreciated! :)