If I Could Say What I Want To Say
a/n:
hey guys, hey friends, hey to everyone who's been here since the 1st july of 2017 and to anyone who'll read this today for the first time. so, this is me trying something… new, in a way. this story just wasn't working for me anymore, i realized, but being my first fic ever i just won't ever give up on it… so i edited it, and changed it. i realized i outgrew some things, grew into some other ones, and i think it's time to try something a little bit different. so i'm giving this one last shot. hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as i'll enjoy writing it.
. . .
Beware Of Theft Identity When Seeking Rest & Recuperation
The glaring shine of the sun comes as an invitation to continue the day, bright and clear and still unfolding ahead— 'warm but not overly so you'd melt in a puddle of sweat', as Gintoki likes to put it. And the Yorozuya quartet is leisurely strolling along the bustling crowds and busy streets of Kabuki-Cho.
All because the phone had rung at an ungodly hour, and after muffled whines and pitiful attempts at persuasion, which neither Kagura nor Sadaharu fell for, at which point Gintoki was forced to answer the call himself. Grumbling on the way about haunting salesmen and having to fight his hair into this specific messed-but-not-quite stylish style, he finally took the offer at the other end of the line.
And this is how Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura and Sadaharu find themselves seeking a place of rest and recuperation after an arduous day of work... well, half a day, and it wasn't that hard, but still.
"Ne, ne, Gin-Chan? My tummy huuurts. I need food! And I'm sooo tired. How dare you make this young lady work?!" Kagura keeps whining with a fake air of indignation, making certain to drive her point across.
"Oi, oi, oi, you should be glad, not complaining, since Gin-San here did all the hard work while you held a few wooden beams and ate from your stash of sukonbu... and you're still eating from it now while the dog is doing all the walking for you! You don't get the privilege to whine! If anything I should be the one whining about it!" And Gintoki whines right back, even louder than her.
Shinpachi sighs to himself, intervening before they really start to argue up a storm—and yes, in case you were wondering with these two it is a literal concern. "Gin-San, Kagura-Chan, you both... worked." Nah, not really. But he's always been smart enough to avoid conflict whenever possible, Shinpachi's a smart boy this way, yep—also, he reaaally isn't in the mood to get dragged into one of their hopeless, not to mention utterly idiotic, discussions today. Which will no doubt take place either way, but one can hope. "Could we just enjoy getting paid for once and stop by somewhere nice to eat?"
Turns out that agreeing to a last-minute job, putting in a few hours of elbow grease and following (for the most part) instructions from your boss-for-the-day really does help with the issue of buying actual, real, edible food. Especially after a week's worth of bland diet and the occasional poisonous egg from Otae.
"O–kay Glasses, you might be right... this time." Kagura agrees quite amiably.
"What do you mean 'this time'?" Shinpachi asks her, offended.
"Yeah, Glasses, lead the way... this time." Gintoki adds.
"Not you too! And quit calling me 'Glasses'. My name is Shinpachi!" The boy exclaims, even more offended.
"Be careful Glasses-kun, you're starting to sound like another character from this godforsaken show." Gintoki mumbles with his characteristic dead fish eyes and a pinky already in his ear.
"Identity theft is a very serious issue, Glasses-kun, a lot of families in the US suffer from it every year." Kagura recites in a snobbish tone, her pinky in her nose.
"Are you even listening to me!? I said my name is Shinpachi! And you got the wrong country, we live in Japan! JA-PAN!"
Whilst they're arguing amongst themselves—uhm, yes, for all intents and purposes Shinpachi would actually like to say 'told you so' —two familiar figures clad in dark uniforms just happen to be patrolling this same street. Figures. It's no surprise at all what transpires next.
Kagura is of course the first to spot the duo. "Oooh, look who's showing their ugly mugs in the daylight! Are the tax thieves here to collect more cash from the innocent bystanders? Bhoohoo! Go away robbers! Glasses, pass me the garlic!" Her yowl is clearly aimed their way, well, at one of them for sure.
"Kagura-chan, this is no way to talk to the police!...And where would I even find the garlic? Not to mention that it only works on vampires!" Shinpachi tries to dispel the situation, somehow more preoccupied about Kagura ignoring the apparent 'properties' of garlic.
"But they suck our lives and money! They're the vampolice! We shall erase them all from existence!" Exclaims Kagura, catapulting herself in a mid-range attack on Sougo. And Gintoki nods, as if what her employee just uttered is an undeniable truth—guess who she's taking after.
"Ne, China, has anyone ever mentioned how much you stink? Must be all that garlic you've been carrying 'round with you." And Sougo, of course, grabs for the chance to make fun of her right away. "Guess we just found a stinky volunteer for today's erasure."
"Say that again you dumb piece of dumbass!"
"Is that the worst you can really do, you pigtailed moron?"
The two engage in a scrimmage instantaneously, not caring about the inevitable trouble they will cause to other bystanders, while Glas—uh, Shinpachi is trying to keep the situation under control as best as he can. And obviously failing at the task.
After watching the show for some time, and deciding it's rather dull, and not offering Shinpachi a helping hand whatsoever, Gintoki's focus falls on the other officer.
The Vice-Commander is standing aloof to the side, smoking a cigarette and observing the scene with mild irritation, with no doubt an impending headache only from pondering over the burdensome amount of paperwork and debt due to the property getting damaged (obliterated) by Sougo (and Kagura)—it's not even that he dislikes spending his days with Paperwork-San, on the contrary, but he too has to admit that sometimes it's just a little much.
Thus, when Gintoki's heavy lidded stare chances upon Hijikata's attentive one, the samurai decides to start his own melee (bickering session, really), as they tend to do whenever they stumble upon each other on sporadic occasions.
Gintoki also reserves this quality of shit-eating grin just for him. "...Who let the dogs out?"
Hijikata's brow ticks in thinly veiled irritation. "Seriously? Seriously?"
"What? It's catchy. You gotta give it that much credit at least." Gintoki shrugs both shoulders, looking him up and down through a pretend, distasteful glance-over. "And it suits you guys, doesn't it? Now, think big, personally I'm thinking it could be the Shinsengumi's new motto, of course after I've been properly credited with it."
"Do us all a favor and glue your mouth shut, will ya? Nothing that comes out of it ever does you any favors."
Gintoki tsks. "At least I don't have to bay at Uncle Sam's feet for favors."
Hijikata's face creases the lightest bit in a sarcastic little grimace. "Good comeback."
Gintoki can't help it, he actually snorts in amusement. "Oh, shut up. I've been awake since, what... seven? My brain's fried. If you want some good back and forth you'll have to wait in line with the rest and schedule an appointment, paying gigs only."
"You... you do know that's normal, right? I just want you to know that's normal."
"Oh, I'm so sorry we can't all be upstanding members of this guileless and flawless society."
"Apology rejected." Hijikata remarks with a casual expression.
Gintoki blinks. Gapes at him. "Okay, you know what? Fuck you."
Hijikata frowns a bit, probably trying to decide if he should stoop down to his same, childish level. He makes the choice. "Fuck you too."
The corner of his mouth stretches further, Gintoki grins. "Good comeback."
"...Oh, shut up." The Vice-Commander doesn't deny himself an eyeroll.
"Look, I don't care about any of that 'exemplary' bullshit. As long as I get paid, I'm good, which I do."
Hijikata almost snorts right there and then. "Of course. Then care to explain the other day at the park, when you were asking kids for money?"
"Hey! That only happened twice! And just for the record I was drunk on both occasions, so you don't get to hold that against me!"
If Hijikata wasn't Hijikata, it would've been his go at the gaping-at-you-like-a-fish. "Yes, I do get to hold that against you!"
Gintoki scowls with a pointed, just slightly exaggerated shake of the head and his crossed arms. "Soichiro-kun, where are you when I need to weave through the law system?"
"Busy trying to dodge imminent death." Sougo replies nonchalantly, expressionless and emotionless despite having put himself in the radar of a Yato's wrath.
Gintoki waves a dismissive hand. "Excuses, excuses."
The staticky buzz of a phone draws them to a standstill. In fact, everyone stops what they're doing to dig into their pockets, even if only two out of the five people are currently owners of cellphones, but hey, you never know what you can find in your pockets, right? At least, that's what Gintoki likes to think.
Hijikata finally extracts the device, answering readily. "...Already? Got it, we're on our way." He ends the brief exchange with a click and diverts his attention toward the youngest member of the force. "Sougo." He only says in a clipped tone.
"Fine, fine, you bully." The boy mutters a little reluctantly, pretending to whisper the last part although it's clear everyone in the near vicinity was meant to hear it.
Hijikata's brow ticks again. "What was that?"
"Something wrong, Hijikata-san? Maybe you should have your ears checked, I hear infections can be pretty deadly–"
"Another word and you're on cleanup duty." Hijikata challenges.
Sougo raises his hands in mock surrender. Finally wrestling himself out of the wrestling match with Kagura, seemingly without a scratch, he heads in his superior's direction. Not without sending one last smirk her way. "This isn't over yet, China, but we both know I've already got it in the bag."
"Psshh, you couldn't beat me in a million years if you tried, jerk!" Kagura calls back with somewhat of a twisted expression, much like the one her mentor uses when trying to make himself look smug.
"We'll see about that." Sougo adds with a half-hearted, two-fingered salute. "Bye Glasses, bye Danna."
"…My name is Shinpachi." Shinpachi corrects dejectedly.
Gintoki waves back just as half-heartedly. "Bye Soichiro-kun, next time remember to bring me a parfait."
"Buy it yourself, Danna. And my name is Sougo, Danna. Identity theft is a very serious issue, Danna, a lot of families in the US suffer from it every year."
The two groups, once again, go on in their respective and opposite directions, ignoring Shinpachi who's talking about how they live in Japan and should perhaps try to fix the problems in their country first, and should he maybe change his glasses while he's at it because some people seem to focus on them a little bit too much.
But, at the last moment, while they're walking towards each other, the hem of Gintoki's yukata brushes the fabric of Hijikata's jacket. It's the briefest of contacts, just a touch, and it lasts no more than a second. But their forearms sting with the sudden rush of warmth.
Toshiro is about to turn, ready to throw himself into another pointless argument, when he catches a glimpse of his eyes. Instead of spouting nonsense like Gintoki is wont to do, the other samurai simply aims a lingering look his way, head bowing in a small nod directed at him, as if to say, 'just let it go this once'.
And carries on his way while the kids happily chat about where they should have lunch, an air of contentment has settled over their little quartet that Gintoki doesn't want to disrupt. And Toshiro stills for a second, thinking it to be quite... strange. Nonetheless, he does let go as they walk separate paths, falling back into the familiar routine of his job, rather than the unfamiliarity of Gintoki's gesture.
The rays of the sun feel scalding now as they reach the earth in golden strokes. Both men blame the weather and hot temperature, deeming it to be the only plausible explanation since their forearms are still tingling with warmth where their skin touched.