"Gin-chan, wake up! wake up!"
Kagura's scream echoed through the Yorozuya banged on his door before tearing it open with an ugly sound.
"You're an old man now, no more sleeping in late" She continued to scream with full volume.
"Shut up!" Gintoki screamed back and opened his eyes.
He sure felt like an old man already. His life was okay now, after the ending of the canon material.
But something was missing, but he also didn't care enough to find out what exactly was missing.
Kagura brought in a birthday cake with 3 sloppily placed candles, topped with one single strawberry.
Gintoki frowned looking at the candles.
"I'm 30, not 3." He blurted.
"Yes yes, right. You're so old, I need to use one candle for 10 years, that's how old you are!" She explained to him. Gintoki snorted.
"Why are you so happy so early in the morning?!"
"Here, eat up or mommys gonna be pissed!"
She ignored his bad mood and lifted the fork, forcing the cake in his mouth.
"Ah Kagura stop that, I can eat myself." He picked the fork out of her hand and grumpily ate the cake, sharing it with her. To be exact, Kagura shared with him. She ate most of the cake.
"We're gonna have a party today, yes we will!" She announced.
He groaned in disapproval, a party was the last thing he wanted.
"Zura and Elisabeth are coming, that weird space guy, Shinpachi of course, Gorilla boss lady, -"
"How many people did you invite?!" He interrupted her.
"Mayofreak, Gorilla, that sadistic assface" She ended her list.
"Did you invite the whole Shinsengumi?!"
"Yes of course! It's a special occasion after all!"
"Who's gonna pay for that?!"
"You don't need to pay, don't worry. It's your birthday!"
She happily jumped to her feet, snatching the plate from his hands, on her way to leave his room.
"Thank you, Kagura" Gintoki mumbled.
She turned around and smiled.
He laid down again and sighed.
Just forget my birthday already, no one cares about that.
"No more sleeping! Get up now!" Kagura screamed from outside.
Angrily mumbling Gintoki crawled out of his futon and prepared himself for the shitty day.
The Yorozuya office was packed.
Every possible sitting space was occupied, the room filled with familiar faces. The mood was exuberant, but Gintoki still didn't warm up to the idea of the party.
All guests had arrived by now and the alcohol rose to everyone's head, while Gintoki tried to keep the excitement down. They tried to toast on his birthday several times, but he always denied it, frantically searching for excuses.
Once, he spurted over to the kitchen, pretending that he left the stove on.
Another time, he feigned to be asleep on the couch.
There was no reason for a celebration. There never was.
Katsura had just spilled his third beer all over the floor and Gintoki was kneeling down, searching for some napkins in a drawer, when suddenly the shoji door opened and another trio entered the room.
"Hey Tsukki, Hinowa, Seita!" Kagura shouted happily.
Gintoki's heart stumbled. He abruptly lifted his head, banging his head against the drawer. Rubbing his back of the head, he stood up straight and faced the new guests.
Kagura didn't tell me they were coming as well..
"Tsukki…,what are you doing here?" He asked nervously
"Gin-san, Happy Birthday!"
Hinowa said with a singing voice, reaching for his hand to press it lightly, shaking it excitedly.
"Here, we have a present for you!" Seita hugged him turbulently with a small package in his hands, giving it to him with a big smile.
"It's ya birthday, are we not invited?" Tsukuyo mumbled, arms crossed in front of her chest, averting her eyes, Kiseru in her mouth.
Hinowa slightly pushed in Tsukuyos ribs.
"Don't you-?"
She whispered and Tsukuyo blushed slightly before she eyed Gintoki.
Confused, he tilted his head, Seita still jumping around in front of him.
Tsukuyo sighed, closed the few steps between them, walked around Seita and spread out her arms, wrapping them around Gintoki.
He was baffled.
Hugs? Since when does she give out hugs?
"Happy Birthday" She mumbled incomprehensibly.
Tsukuyo hugged him tight, a little too tight. He could feel her arms cramping around him and her heart racing against his. Well, that's awkward. Gintoki felt his heart speed up as well.
"Oi oi, not so unruly, you're almost assaulting me" He laughed nervously.
She tensed up, let out an angry sound and smashed him to the ground, pressing the air out of his lungs.
"That's a nice present, did not expect anything else from you.." He mumbled, lying exhausted on his back.
Tsukuyo was standing over him, her face beet red.
"Tsukki, are you okay? Are you sick?" Kagura shouted from her seat on the couch.
"'s fine" She blurted.
"Oi, why does no one care about me? It's my birthday and I just got crashed into the damn floor" Gintoki grumbled.
"You're fine." Kagura simply replied.
"Nothing new" Shinpachi shouted from the other side. Hinowa smiled happily.
"Oi, why are you happy? Why are you happy?!"
The evening had gone by mostly uneventfully. Katsura had tried to battle everyone in a game of uno, but he failed miserably, losing every single time. The now close to tears samurai was comforted by Elisabeth in one corner of the room.
"This never happens to me, I'm so good at this game!" He cried in his sleeve.
Elisabeth held up a sign: You're the best player!
Tatsumas laughter repeatedly echoed through the room. It was the most annoying sound of the evening. Gintoki had the strong urge to kick his head in.
"Kintoki, drink something with me!" He called out to him, completely wasted.
"It's Gintoki, can't ya at least get it correctly on my birthday?!" Gintoki hadn't touched a single drop. He still didn't feel like celebrating.
The Shinsengumi members happily drank in their own little round and were joined by Hinowa, Kagura and Shinpachi. Seita played on his new TS. unbothered by the commotion around him. Otae and Kyuubei sat on his table, sharing some food, leaving Gintoki and Tsukuyo alone.
"So.. how are ya" Gintoki started after some minutes of silence between them.
"Whaddaya mean?" She replied uninterested, smoking her kiseru.
"I asked about your well-being , what do you not understand?"
"Why are ya asking, you never ask that" She simply replied.
"Fine, I won't do it again." Offended, Gintoki crossed his arms in front of his chest.
He glanced over to her, their eyes met and both of them turned away, slightly blushing.
Hinowa turned her attention to Tsukuyo, noticing the thick tension between them.
"Tell him how you are, it's not that hard." She chuckled, slightly drunk and continued talking to Kondo with great interest. Hinowa had recently started to bond with him, much to her disapproval. She didn't want the police involved in Yoshiwaras business.
Tsukuyo huffed.
"'s fine, I guess." She finally replied to his question.
"Ah.. I see."
"and how is it?"
"How is what?"
"Being old." She grimaced maliciously.
Gintoki scoffed. "It's not that different from yesterday, it's just one day later."
"okay.."
"I don't know.. lonely" He continued.
"You don't have to be lonely," Tsukuyo said, still looking in another direction.
"..what do you mean?" Gintoki turned in her direction.
"I urr I.. I mean..you have Kagura and Shinpachi.. you're not alone"
Gintoki paused.
"Yea right, I'm not alone, but still lonely"
"That's not true, Gintoki."
"Sooner or later Kagura will move out, Shinpachi will find a girlfriend, and they will be living their own lives. I'll be a single left alone dad by then. Maybe I should buy myself a woman in Yoshiwara.." His thoughts trailed off.
"Ya couldn't afford that anyways. Besides.. I'm sure there's someone for you" Tsukuyo's voice got lower with the progression of her sentence.
"Really? Who is it, is she hot? Does she have big boobs? Please tell me she's not from the Hyakka"
"..kind of"
"Tell me, who is it?" He was invested now.
"Well..-"
"Tsukki, don't you still have another present?" Tsukuyo jumped at Hinowas interruption.
"No I don't. It's already late, let's go home." Tsukuyo answered quickly and she stood up hastily, leaving the disappointed Gintoki behind.
"Okay, if you say so."
Seita helped Hinowa and they said their goodbyes, walking to the front door. Gintoki stood up as well and accompanied them to the exit like a good host.
"You can tell me Tsukki, I won't tell anyone!"
But she just ignored him. He gave up.
"Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed it." He said politely.
"Oh Gin-san of course we did! It's always pleasant to be around both of you !" Hinowas smiled.
Gintoki was confused "Why do you say 'both of you' so weird?"
Hinowa didn't reply and Tsukuyo pushed her to the door. Halfway, she stopped and turned around, facing the in the door leaning Gintoki.
"Gintoki..I .. I actually have another present for you" She started quietly.
Hinowas gasped slightly.
"She's gonna do it!" She whispered to Seita.
"Eh? I don't need presents, I thought I already said that." Gintoki waved his hand dismissively.
"It's just.. something small."
"uh.. okay?"
"you jus..just need to come a bit closer."
"You're scaring me."
"Or I can just come to you.."
Tsukuyo carefully walked back, stopping right in front of him at a very short distance. Swear formed on his forehead.
"Close your eyes." She whispered.
He did.
Gintoki felt her small hands on his, turning his palm around, laying her hand in his. But there was nothing in her hand.
There's nothing there, What could it be? -
That's when she kissed him. No warning, no preparations. She just kissed him then and there in the doorway, right on the lips, in full view of everyone.
Gintoki forgot to think at all.
Her warm soft lips on his spread a fire in his body, crawling under his skin, burning the hands that were covered by her soft fingers.
One second.
The whole room went silent, Tatsumas laughter died.
If you listened carefully enough, you could've heard a feather falling to the wooden floor.
Two seconds.
Gintoki's head started to spin. His eyes opened slightly and he saw her face through his lashes.
Three seconds.
That was over the limit of an accidental kiss.
It was not a shy kiss,
it was brisk,
setting a complete new point in their relationship.
Her feathery touch on his hand tightened, sending a shiver that traveled down his spine, making his heart beat painfully fast.
Gintoki slightly opened his lips, about to return the kiss, but she retreated, her face tinted in a shade of red he had never seen before.
Tsukuyo smiled lovingly and lifted a finger, brushing it over his open mouth, caressing his lips.
"Happy Birthday"
She whispered and turned around on her heels, hooking the excited chattering Hinowa into her arms and quickly excited through the front door.
Gintoki just stood there, dumbfounded, unable to move.
The kiss wasn't that long, and it certainly wasn't a scene from a shoujo manga with a great backdrop, exciting atmosphere and a big buildup, but it was wonderful.
Nothing else was able to reach his mind in this moment, he only knew he would remember it forever.
Several minutes went by.
Still, no one had said a word.
Everyone stared at him and Gintoki stared at the door where he had last seen her.
„ehh.. Gin-san..? Is everything ok?" Shinpachi asked carefully, the sounds slowly returning to the room.
Gintoki's fingers slowly lifted up to touch his lips, her sweet taste still lingering on them.
„what…?" . .did just happen?