A/N: No smut for their chapter unfortunately, but the next one will more than make up for it!
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-click.
"Urgh...great."
Ginpachi shut his eyes once more after being rudely interrupted by his digital alarmclock, which he forgot to turn off for the weekend. He was awfully tired after the day before, but at least he finally managed to finish marking the test papers for his students. Now it was a matter of waiting the next day to break the news. And to top it off, he managed to pull off a dry run of a dinner date with Tsukuyo at Hokuto Shinken, a small but very good ramen restaurant run by its owner, Nishiki Ikumatsu. Very smoothly too since they were both thoroughly entertained that evening, casually telling stories and poking fun at each other, even some of the students like Katsura Kotarou, one of the students who frequently dines at the restaurant purely to see Ikumatsu, even if he himself strenuously denies it. Even Ikumatsu took part in the fun occasionally, and she was pleasantly surprised that Ginpachi was actually dating someone. And the finishing touch on their evening was a rather lengthy make out session with Tsukuyo in a narrow alleyway not far from his apartment. Fortunately for them, it was a quiet evening so there were no people around to hear their sensual moaning or loud lip sucking, nor did they see the escalation to intimate dry humping and public sex the two were engaged in, amongst other activities. Just thinking about it made him grow harder again. He felt tempted to put his hand in his pants to relieve himself of the feeling. It was really inconvenient to have, especially when he was trying to sleep.
...Nah. No chance I'm gonna do that now.
He pulled the cover over himself, trying to count sheep to put himself back to sleep. It was no use. He tossed and turned in his bed before suddenly rising up.
"Fuck's sake! I can't sleeep!! Argh..."
He took a deep breath and flopped back against his bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling as he pondered what to do. He turned his head slightly to his left as his eyes fell upon the mound of JUMP issues he hadn't read yet. Being a hard working teacher meant he hadn't had time to catch up on the manga he had missed.
"Heh, I have time to plan and go on a date but not enough time to read JUMP..." He mused to himself, lethargically rolling out of bed and grabbing an issue from the top of the pile. "Ah well, still got plenty of time to spare."
After two hours of eating breakfast and going through a dozen JUMP issues shortly after, Ginpachi soon found himself fast asleep once more, his magazine covering his face as he quietly snored on his couch. Just then he heard a faint vibrating noise rattling on his table: his flip phone, and grumbled as he lazily reached his hand out to grab it and open the cover, bringing the phone to his ear.
Bzzt-bzzt-bzzt-bzzt-click.
"Urgh...Hello...?" He grumbled.
"Hey Ginpachi..." Said a soft voice through the phone. Ginpachi suddenly felt a little more alert and peeled off his JUMP issue, gently plopping it on the table.
"Oh...hey Tsuki. You alright?" He said croakily, ruffling his hair wearily.
"I'm doing ok, how bout ya?"
"Yeah yeah...not too bad. Hey, I got a place where we can go. Ya like arcades by any chance?" He asked. Silence followed for a few seconds.
"I've...never really been to one..." She said hesitantly.
"Eh? You haven't? I could've sworn we went to one back then." Ginpachi replied with a surprised tone.
"Did we? I don't really remember." She innocently said.
"You completely demolished me in every arcade booth we challenged each other in even though it was your first time..." He said in a deadpan voice, and rather resentfully too.
"Ohhh...haha. Now I remember. Ya not upset about that still are ya?" She giggled, her fond memories of the event in question coming back to her.
"No...course not. What asshole holds a petty grudge from something over ten years ago?" He laughed nervously.
"Obviously you, ya child." She mockingly quipped.
"Ey, don't call me a child, it's not my fault I lost that game of Dance Dance Revolution, you kept tickling me so I'd miss the prompts!" He hit back, raising his voice slightly.
"And it's not my fault ya can't aim for shit on that shooting minigame...nor can ya race properly. Or move very well in bullet hell games." She calmly reminded him. Ginpachi could only groan in defeat, laughing out of resignation.
"Fine...I get it, I'm crap at the arcade. But that was ages ago. I've gone to it a lot of times since we were away." He lied.
"Oh yeah? And not concentrating on ya work as a teacher?" She asked amusingly.
"Toootally. I'll show ya how good I've gotten since then. I'll wipe the floor with ya." He declared before suddenly remembering something. "Oh, one more thing. Wanna get dinner after?"
"Sure. But after I finish mopping the floor with ya, ya buying." She bargained cheekily, oozing cockiness over the phone.
"Hoho very funny. You actually think I'm gonna lose again, mmmmhmmm. We'll see about that." He replied, now feeling somewhat competitive.
"Hehe, alright then. I'll see ya tonight?"
"Yep. I'll come pick you up."
"It's a deal. I'll see ya later darling."
"Yeah...see you soon."
Ginpachi pressed the red button to end the call as he flipped his phone lid back on and placed it on the table, letting out a deep sigh after as he leaned back against the couch and flicked on the tv remote to the weather channel.
Night quickly fell across Edo and it was show time for Ginpachi. Well, it would be show time if he felt more enthusiastic about it. Despite the fact they had gotten back together and took each other to bed several times in a matter of days, they hadn't actually had a proper date. It was one thing to do the walk, but it was another thing doing the talking. Even the dry run at Hokuto Shinken didn't quite bring his hopes up since he believed it to be a fluke, and Ikumatsu was also present as his way of back up. But this time, it would just be the two of them. He didn't want to feel nervous, but somehow he did. He stared at his own soulless reflection in his bathroom, contemplating whether he was actually ready to do something like this.
Even his slight variation in hair (blow drying to make his perm hair even fluffier) which would make any ordinary lady swoon with giddiness didn't help his confidence. This lady would make it a habit to mock his natural hair at any opportunity.
The constant angling his head at 45 degrees with his glasses in an attempt to look stylish and sexy didn't help. He looked like a virgin-wearing glasses doing his best impression of catching a lady's attention, or indulging in a private moment where he played the ultimate playboy. It just didn't suit him. At least he smelled like strawberries, he knew Tsukuyo enjoyed that scent a lot.
He ruffled his hair again, still giving himself the eternal death stare as he signed in resignation. He may as well act his normal, lazy self.
Ginpachi stepped out of the bathroom and made his way over to his wardrobe. He wasn't one to go out much, so much of his clothing were either work clothes consisting of blue/pink shirts and black pants or pyjamas that ranged from a lime green set and a white yukata, save for a few pairs of dark blue jeans and pants, black zip shirts with red linings and propped up collars as well as light blue button shirts, both long and short sleeve variety. As for jackets, he simply had a white haori with blue swirl patterns around the sleeves and back and a navy blue hoodie. Ginpachi scratched his head, grumbling over what to pick out of his small array of clothes.
"I hate playing dress up..."
"Oh? You're going out on a date?"
"Yeah, with Ginpachi."
"Ah I see...hehe, from what I remember, it's been a long time since you've been on one with him. I would've thought you would settle down with him by now, you have been away from the house recently after all..."
"S-stop it Hinowa..."
"Hehe...I'm sorry Tsukuyo. But I really am happy the both of you are back together. You two fit perfectly."
Tsukuyo remained seated on the dining table with a light flush on her face as she spoke with Hinowa, a kind-hearted and beautiful woman with long black hair who acted as a sisterly figure to Tsukuyo, who despite having to move around in a wheelchair, was more than capable in looking after her when she was young. It helped that she was a reliable confidant for Tsukuyo, and often the one who provided comfort and guidance when Ginpachi wasn't around to do so.
"So um...how do I look? Is it ok so far?" Tsukuyo nervously asked as Hinowa inspected her attire: a black leather jacket with maple leaf patterns and a purple t-shirt which enhanced her cleavage, but not significantly, as well as a black denim skirt with fishnet stockings. To top it off, she wore black leather boots that reached just below her knees.
"Mmm...it looks great, but I think there's something missing." Hinowa nodded her head thoughtfully, leaning closer to Tsukuyo's head. Her hands went around and tied Tsukuyo's loose shoulder length hair into a high ponytail before finishing by inserting her kanzashi inside, happily putting her hands together and perfectly satisfied with Tsukuyo's look. "That's better."
Tsukuyo wasn't quite so sure, frowning at Hinowa as she tugged at her jacket sleeves and looked down at her boots. She felt her hand gently rest on her shoulder and another hand caress her cheek.
"What's the matter Tsukuyo?" She asked softly. Tsukuyo's eyes remained staring at the floor looking somewhat anxious.
"Nothing. I'm just a little worried..." She murmured. Hinowa lifted her chin up and offered a reassuring smile. "If you're worried about things going wrong, don't worry. I'm sure it can be sorted out. Have faith in yourself Tsukuyo." She gently embraced her, leaving Tsukuyo to quietly take in the warmth of her close friend.
Just then they heard the faint rumble of an engine slowly pull up outside their window and switch off.
"Oh, that must be Ginpachi." She said, slowly rising out of her chair and making her way to the door.
"Enjoy yourself Tsukuyo, and don't worry if you're staying with Ginpachi tonight, I'll be fine." Hinowa said with her trademark smile, which made Tsukuyo blush from the implications behind her statement, turning her head back to face Hinowa once more.
"I'll um...try to enjoy myself Hinowa...see you later." She said shyly.
"Mmm, enjoy your evening!" She merrily cheered as Tsukuyo gently closed the door behind her.
Once she turned her head again, she saw him sitting on his bike wearing his helmet and his rather dashing clothing: his patterned haori jacket with a black/red zip up shirt underneath and dark blue pants.
"Hey darling." She said, walking up to him and planting a soft peck on his cheek.
"Heya. Am I late?" He replied coolly. Tsukuyo shook her head slightly. "Oh great. I'm actually on time for once." He passed over another helmet for her to wear, which left a puzzled look on her face.
"You don't know how to put on a helmet? Unless you wanna hit your head if we crash?" He asked sarcastically.
"Oh...right. I'm not completely dumb Ginpachi." She tutted, clipping the strap underneath her chin as she wore her helmet.
"Oh one more thing, you're gonna need to hold on to me otherwise you'll fall off." He noted, though Tsukuyo's hands were firmly wrapped around his waist anyway.
"I know, I wanted to hold onto ya anyway." She replied, leaning forward and resting her head against his back.
"Hmph, clingy lady..." He smirked. "I'll go slowly so you don't get sick. Ready to go?" With a small hum as confirmation, he slowly set off as the bike softly grumbled to life, driving away from Hinowa's house to their destination.
A few minutes of driving landed them at their destination in Edo's city centre: a vibrant, colourful and busy district filled with arcade games not far from the equally popular cinema, and especially lively at night, with neon lights illuminating the entire area on a chilly but clear night.
"Well, we made it. You in one piece?" Ginpachi asked, taking off his helmet and hooking it around the handles so he could shake his hair to its natural shape. It looked somewhat captivating and oddly majestic to see, especially when he had blow-dried it, even more so when he put on his glasses as he got off the bike and looked back at Tsukuyo.
"That was...pretty comfortable actually." She admitted, taking off her helmet and shaking her own hair so that she could tie it back up to her high ponytail. Ginpachi lifted an eyebrow in amusement, expecting her to be terrified of his bike and having to hold onto him for dear life.
"Well, let's get moving eh? I'll get my little payback on ya this time" He said, holding out his hand. Tsukuyo firmly held onto it and locked fingers together with a smile on her face. "Sure sure. Let's go. Don't cry when ya buy dinner later."
Ginpachi smirked as the two walked off to find their first arcade to play around at. They looked around at the bright neon lights and the bustling crowd that filled the pavement. Occasionally they gave each other stealthy glances, casually admiring each other's new looks. Tsukuyo began to gently lean against Ginpachi's arm as they continued walking, which put a light blush on his face.
"Honestly...oh lookie here, this one looks interesting." They stopped outside one of the many arcade establishments around the district. This particular one was flashing in gold neon lights as they entered through the doors, laying out in front of them a variety of different arcade booths, from 2d fighters to bullet hell and even racing and dance games. Ginpachi couldn't help but whistle in astonishment at the number of booths on display.
"Wow. Things have really changed since the last time we've been here." He said remarkably.
"Yeah, it really has..." Tsukuyo replied rather lazily, her words drifting off as her eyes scouted for a specific arcade booth, grinning once she located it. "There it is."
Ginpachi stared at Tsukuyo looking very puzzled. "What?" Tsukuyo flashed her eyes at a booth with Dance Dance Revolution in fiery blue colours on its side, which made Ginpachi's face drop immediately much to her amusement and laughter.
"Ya face...I can't...!" She cried, holding her chest from laughing in sheer delight at his misery.
"You...you really want to get this thing going don't you? F-fine! We'll do it! I'll kick your ass this time and make up for my humiliation!" He stuttered in his embarrassment, huffing as he stomped over to the cabinet and inserting a coin in to get it started. Tsukuyo also joined him on a separate cabinet once she finished clutching her stomach wheezing from laughter.
"Wait. You'll wanna take your shoes off." Ginpachi said rather considerately. It would be unfair to put you at a disadvantage if you're wearing those boots." He looked down at Tsukuyo's heeled footwear.
"Um...alright then. I could probably hand ya ass to you with them on anyway, but it's nice that ya looking out for me." She replied affectionately, slipping off her leather boots and placed them next to Ginpachi.
"I just things to be fair, and I don't want you to get hurt if you slip or something like that." He said sternly, looking down at his black leather boots.
"How bout you then? You gonna take ya shoes off so I know ya not cheating?" She asked with a smirk.
"Huh? I don't have heels on mine. I don't need to take them off." He answered indignantly as the cabinet screen lit up, counting down to signify the start.
"Ah well, suit ya self then. Won't matter when ya buying dinner anyway." She replied coolly with a cheeky smile.
3. 2. 1. GO!
"..."
"Hehe..."
"Don't say anything."
Tsukuyo was struggling to contain herself as she looked at Ginpachi's comically despondent face as they left the arcade. He had lost. Badly. He lost every game against her, and the only game he won (barely) was a 2d fighter tournament against AI characters. Even when he held his face in his hands he could still feel Tsukuyo's gaze boring into his soul as she snickered uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry...it's just-your look is just-" She chuckled, clutching her stomach to stop herself from doubling over.
"I know I know...I'm paying for tonight." He sighed in acceptance, massaging his neck with his hand as he nursed his bruised ego. Yet he couldn't help but smile sheepishly as he had relative comfort in knowing that Tsukuyo thoroughly enjoyed herself. And to some extent, he enjoyed himself too. Especially from seeing Tsukuyo's gleeful smile despite getting completely battered in the arcade games.
"I'm glad you had fun at least. Worst thing that can happen is leaving you with a frown." He said sincerely.
"But ya lost pretty badly. I thought ya'd be pretty upset about it." She noted.
"I think the bigger loss would be going home knowing full well I didn't do enough to make you happy." He said plainly. Tsukuyo looked up at him with mild surprise, both touched yet slightly concerned by his selfless gesture as she gently tightened her handholding.
"Ya don't have to go the extra mile with me. As long as I can spend time with ya, it's all I need." She smiled sweetly. Ginpachi looked away and blushed shyly.
"...I just want to do the best I can. I just wanna make bigger efforts if it's for people I...you know. It's a special outing and all too, so of course I wanna give ya the best experience." He explained nervously, still looking away from her.
"Hehe, ya look cuter when ya sensitive like that." She teased dotingly, which only made him blush harder.
"Shut up you..." He grumbled, still facing away from Tsukuyo. His face felt even warmer when he felt her lips lightly touch his cheek, yet couldn't help but smile, secretly wanting more of her affectionate touches. "S-stop it..."
The two eventually returned to his bike as one insisted on giving more doting gestures while the other continued acting like a complete tsundere as they strapped on their helmets before setting off.
"So, any idea where we're going to eat?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist once more."
"Home." He bluntly stated.
"Wha-oh. Heh... Lazy asshole...thought ya said ya wanted to do the best ya can." She quipped.
"Oi, I never said I'd be getting you an expensive dinner." He lazily retorted.
"Hmph, that's so like ya. But that's ok, a little takeout is fine by me." She said, resting her body against his back. Ginpachi's flush hadn't subsided yet as he felt her head fully leaning against him.
"Heh, so much for having expensive taste." He sarcastically remarked.
"Hey, that 'expensive taste' is how I met ya." She flirted, much to his embarrassment as he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, starting up his bike engine once more.
"Let's just go already..."