So I was originally going to have the Halloween Party in this chapter, but as I started it became something else, so the actual party will be the entire next chapter. =) All the better, really, since it'll give me time to really come up with some good mayhem for it.
Chapter Six
Families of All Kinds
He knew something was up the minute he awoke that Sunday morning and found his house in a state of minor chaos. Since Mitsu actually had the day off – and therefore slept like the dead until at least noon – it couldn't be her and, unfortunately for him, his habit of sleeping lightly hadn't much changed.
Souji followed the source of the noise to the kitchen, only slightly surprised to find Kin at the center of it all. Pots and pans clattered noisily as she hunched over the stove cooking…something neon green and rather scary looking. A Halloween job? The timing was short – Kin generally worked out menu items long beforehand – but fit for the upcoming holiday. It was more of a western tradition too, though Souji found he actually liked it.
It was slightly more surprising to find Sanan there so early, the sleeves of his work shirt rolled up as he diligently cleaned cooking vessels as fast as Kin used them. "No work today, Dr. Frankenstein?" Souji grinned at the annoyed look the nickname earned him; it perhaps hit a little close to home, considering their past, but he'd liked the name as soon as he'd heard the story and started calling Sanan that just to poke at him from time to time.
Hijikata wasn't the only one in need of lightening up sometimes.
"Iie." Apparently deeming it not worth it to argue over the moniker, Sanan merely sighed in his exasperation. "Yukimura-sensei has been taking the occasional weekend shift at the clinic, so I find myself with a bit more free time as of late."
"You work too much anyway." Kin didn't even turn around to acknowledge either of them as she said that, engrossed in making some…truly vile pasta that was, of all things, black.
"Says the one who put me to work the minute I stopped by this morning." Sanan didn't sound particularly bothered by this fact, however. If anything, he seemed rather relaxed and content, his voice clearly holding a touch of affection too.
"You bring me a last minute job this big, days before Halloween no less, then yes I'm putting you to use." Kin's tone was dry, though she had a grin on her lips.
He looked between the two and shook his head. To each their own. Souji had come to many decisions in the past few weeks; among them being that he simply wasn't going to ask questions he truly didn't want to know the answers to. At this point, he was just glad Sanan was himself and seemed as happy as they all were with his life.
His musings were cut short by the sound of the front doorbell, eyebrow arching curiously. "We expecting company?" Seems too early on a Sunday to have a random caller come by.
"Ah, that must be Yukimura-kun." Sanan's smile had an edge to it as he met Souji's hard stare head on, his eyes clearly challenging. "Yukimura-sensei offered to send her as recompense for asking Kin-san to cater his Halloween party last minute after his initial caterer backed out." Silently, that smile added, and I'd have told you if you hadn't used that name, Okita-kun.
Souji, however, laughed. Sanan had always been the best one to play this game with. He played tricks as good as the rest of them despite his generally kinder and gentler personality, but he excelled at the mental games and strategic thinking. It was what had made him absolutely deadly as the Shinsengumi's colonel. Though his sword skills were impressive, they weren't stand out among the other captains. It was his grasp of everything around him and his ability to think several jumps ahead and move accordingly that had made him a bitch – more so when he knew the style of those he fought.
That he'd been good at the politics part of it – and the only one who'd never minded dealing with all the bureaucratic crap – had factored into that too.
Glancing downwards – namely to his minimal state of dress, a slow grin crossed Souji's face as an idea took root. It didn't take a genius to figure his plan out, either, and Sanan shook his head with a quiet murmur of, "Poor Yukimura," while Souji leisurely left to go answer the door to let their visitor in, a grin almost splitting his face in half.
"Ohay-ah!" As soon as she saw him – or rather, his lack of clothing despite the chill air – Chizuru whirled around, her face red from more than the fall chill in the air.
Souji couldn't help it – he laughed, loud and long enough that Chizuru's annoyance at being laughed at eventually trumped her embarrassment of seeing him in his sleeping trunks and nothing else. Still clearly flustered, she stammered, "Aren't you…you know…cold?"
"Nope. It's not cool enough to bother me yet." He tilted his body just enough to allow her to come in. "Kin-neesan is in the kitchen. Apparently you're her dedicated slave for today?"
"Something like that." She squeezed by him, trying oh so hard to not brush up against him at all, much to his amusement, and followed him as they cut through the gardens to join them in the kitchen. He watched as Chizuru's eyes widened, mostly at the sheer amount of food already being messed with. "Oh my."
"Nee-san is rather literal when she works on menu items," Souji chuckled. "I imagine my friends and I will benefit tonight for a taste testing?"
"Sano and Shin will probably be here before noon," Kin snorted. "They never pass up food. I think Heisuke-chan was on his way, wasn't he Keisuke?"
Sanan rolled his eyes. "With Isa, yes. Young Toudou-kun apparently promised her a shopping trip today, but said they'd head over right after. Hijikata will be by closer to late afternoon. Work."
Kin gave a long aggrieved sigh. "Another workaholic. No wonder you two get along so well." The doorbell rang again and she gave Souji a pointed look as she took Chizuru and shooed him away. "That should be Hajime-kun. Go do whatever it is you boys do. Chizuru-chan, how about you help me with these desert cakes I was thinking of?"
Souji pouted, briefly, but held his hands up and backed away.
He knew better then to argue with her, anyway.
For a Sunday, it did turn out to be pretty busy as his friends trickled in. Sano and Shinpachi did arrive before lunch time, obviously thrilled at the prospect of Kin's food, and mostly killed time with him and Hajime in the training area out in the garden where they were mostly running through some of their old stances and messing around. Heisuke, when he arrived, joined in as well, while Isa got wrangled into kitchen duty by Chizuru who seemed a little…frazzled every time Souji caught a glimpse of her.
There was a little bit of excitement, of course, when Hijikata finally got around to coming by around 5pm and Mitsu went to answer the door. He and the others had converged on the living room at this point, taking turns playing a fighting game Heisuke had bought while shopping with Isa, so they were close enough to the door to hear Mitsu exclaim, "What the hell happened to you?"
He heard him clear his throat in obvious unease. He always cleared his throat when he was nervous or uncomfortable and didn't want to show it. "A…familial disagreement. Nothing really worth mentioning."
Curiosity piqued, Souji was the one who peered around the corner once he'd tossed the controller to Hajime to see what had caused Mitsu's surprised reaction…and laughed as he said loudly, "That's one impressive shiner!"
Hijikata scowled and gave him a rude gesture, though it merely caused Souji to laugh harder since the impressively purple black eye he sported somewhat ruined the intimidating image he usually had. His borderline petulant, "Urusai!" didn't help matters either.
"Let's…go find some ice for that eye." Mitsu's look and tone clearly said she didn't believe it was "nothing worth mentioning", though he imagined she'd find out what it was about sooner or later. No one could keep a secret around Mitsu for long before she found out about it.
Apparently, a stiff drink did wonders for whatever issue he was having, because Hijikata was far more relaxed when they finally converged for dinner in the dining room, a half-full glass of something in his hand. When it was the three of them, the long table was obscene, but with as many people as they had over today, it was actually filled to capacity, and he stared at the food Kin had spent the day slaving over with an appreciative eye. Despite being Halloween themed, it actually looked really good and kind of amusing. "Black worm noodles" with "Pesto slime" and "Chicken-olive meatball eyes" actually proved to be really tasty, though his personal favorite was the "Pumpkin vomit", which was essentially corn and guacamole strategically placed on a platter alongside ghost-shaped tortilla chips. There was other stuff too, like the drinks that had red blood dripping down the sides, but it was the deserts he really liked. Souji could taste Chizuru's hand in them as well; the artistry was all Kin, but the actual pastry tasted different. Like him, Kin had a sweet tooth, so her sweets tended to taste almost overwhelmingly sweet to most. This cake was lighter and less aggressively sweet.
"You've outdone yourself, Kin," Mitsu said with an impressed smile. "It's an adult's dinner party alright and doesn't look childish at all. Lots of catering places fall into that."
"Hopefully I can attract more business this way," she grinned. "Seems like doctors like to party."
Mitsu, Sanan and Hijikata snorted, the latter drawling, "You've no idea."
"Kin-chan, seriously, marry me," Shinpachi grinned, leaning over the table and grabbing her hands. "You can cook for me any time."
Sano, who was sitting to Kin's left, grinned merrily and looped his arm around her shoulders. "Why would she marry an oaf like you? Clearly, she's got better options than an old man like you."
"Oi, Sano you bastard…" Lightning zapped as they both stared each other down for several minutes from across the table, Sano's arm still around Kin and Shinpachi still holding her hands. Chizuru looked like she was actually getting a little worried before both men burst out laughing, unable to maintain the serious stare off any longer.
It was loud, rowdy, and Souji leaned back and enjoyed it all, mostly picking on his food at this point. Leaning forward toward Chizuru, who was sitting across from him next to Isa, he grinned, "They're always like that, though I think Sanan may seriously remove their hands in a minute."
"It's so lively," she said, her expression wistful. "I love it."
His smile softened, watching her stare down the table at everyone talking, laughing, and – in Hijikata's case at the moment – cheerfully cursing. Heisuke was now fighting Isa for the last bit of desert, which Saitou deftly snatched out from under them, much to their mutual consternation. She'd always loved having dinner among the captains for the very reason he had – the comradery and feeling of family. "You can join us any time."
Her head whipped towards him, eyes wide and blinking, and he smiled as he watched her brain try and understand what he was saying. Up until now, he'd mostly flirted, but whether she knew who they were or not, he wanted to bring her back to where she belonged – where he knew she was happiest. Come on, Chizuru-chan, your family is waiting for you.
"So I expect you're all coming, right?" Kin's announcement broke through the cacophony of voices, staring at them expectantly. "Yukimura-sensei is a glutton for punishment, apparently, and inviting everyone."
Chizuru shook her head, snapping back to the present from wherever she'd gone in her mind. "Ah, yes. I'd really like it if you'd all come."
"Well, if Chizuru-chan asks, how can we say no?" Shinpachi's grin never faltered. "Definitely wouldn't mind this food again!"
"You haven't even heard the best part about this party yet," Kin interrupted, eyes twinkling in repressed mirth. "It's a costume party."
If there was one thing Toudou Isa loved more than anything, it was shopping.
This time, at least, Heisuke had some company as she dragged him across town to a mall that, for him, kind of looked like every other one he'd been in. He couldn't even bring himself to be mad, because every time his half-sister smiled so earnestly and excitedly at some trivial new find, it felt like a weight was coming off his shoulders that he didn't realize had been there.
The same couldn't be said for poor Hajime, who looked so uncomfortable as Isa held up costume after costume at him, though Souji seemed pretty damn amused by it all. Heisuke still had no idea what went on in his mind half the time; the half he did know was mostly centered around Chizuru-chan, who sadly was too busy assisting her father in preparing their home to come today. Thankfully, he had his already planned and could mostly just enjoy watching Isa harass his two friends from the sidelines.
I wonder if she was always like this. The thought was random as he sat on a cushion outside the dressing rooms, waiting for her to finish trying on her own costume idea. It'd taken some digging on his part to look back in the public records of his family to even find out. Heisuke didn't like to dwell too much on the past, like Souji tended to – he found it either made him mad or depressed by turns. He had a lot of family, however, that he'd never so much as met, apparently. Most who'd have only know me as HIS bastard son.
"Heisuke-nii, what do you think?" He shook his head of his thoughts, looking up as Isa came out dressed like something out of one of his comic books. This modern era had all sorts of new fascinating stuff, the top of which on his list being comic books and video games. The Shinsengumi really hadn't left much private time to cultivate any true hobbies, and while he missed hanging out with Sano and Shin all the time and partying it up like they would in Shimabara back in the day, there were definite perks to this modern era he wouldn't trade in for anything. "I think Kaa-san would be suitably horrified by it."
Isa clapped her hands, pleased. "Perfect! Now to just find something for Souji-kun and Hajime-kun..." She disappeared back into the dressing room, her grin delighted. While Toudou Takayuki & Kyoko had always made it clear in this era that he was a disappointment for never getting great grades in school, etc, they'd had absolutely no expectations of Isa at all and had hurt her in a different way. Heisuke's memories of before he'd awaken were actually kind of depressing - he'd been pretty damn unhappy except for the time he'd spend at the dojo, unknowingly gravitating himself towards his other fellow captains.
Even though Souji was still an ass. His attitude had been pretty similar to the Souji of old too, in hindsight, though there was always a certain openness in this modern Souji, pre-awakening, that the old one had lacked. Shinsengumi Souji had hid his thoughts completely behind grins and sneers and snark; Heisuke had never known what was going on in his head. Modern Souji hadn't had quite so absolute a wall between him and the world, though he was still difficult to read sometimes.
Influence of his sisters? He'd never met either of the women in their previous incarnations...in fact, Souji had always remained tight-lipped whenever the topic of family had come up in conversation at all. Heisuke had always figured his had been a situation similar to his own at the time, but that obviously hadn't been true. He was curious, really, when it was so blatant how much Souji's family loved him, though he couldn't quite bring himself to ask about it now.
In the end, Isa was actually pouting on the train ride back to the Okita home because neither Hajime nor Souji found anything. It was late when they arrived, and out of habit he sent their mother a message saying they'd be crashing the night there. Heisuke hated living so far away from everyone else; it was his plan to move closer as soon as he was out of school and could afford someplace on his own. Maybe Kin-san will let me work for her to get some extra cash. Seems like her catering business is really gearing up...
"A job?" She looked fairly surprised when he gathered up his nerve up to ask, blinking her feline green eyes that she and Souji both shared. It actually made it a little easier to speak with her; he could almost convince himself he was talking to his friend rather than the sister. "I don't know if I can pay you very much, but I have been looking for people to help out here and there. Lots of jobs have been coming in." She grinned then, an expression that he'd seen cross Souji's own face a million times before. "Of course you can." She ruffled his hair, much to his chagrin, laughing. "You're a good kid, Heisuke-kun. I bet you'll be an even better man."
His smile almost split his face. "Yosha! You won't regret it!" Heisuke was still grinning about it when they were all settling in for the night; Hajime was crashing in with Souji, while he and Isa got to take the guest room.
"Kin-san is really nice," Isa noted when he told her.
Propped up against the wall with one of his comic books he'd picked up at the mall while they were there, Heisuke almost jumped out of his skin when his sister actually laid down next to him, her head almost tucked under his arm. He had memories of her doing this a lot when they were little, but it'd been a long time even before he'd "awakened" since she had. "Wha-"
"You won't leave me, right?" Insecurity he rarely saw was in her face as she looked up at him hesitantly. "I know you want to leave that house...probably will at first chance...but you'll take me with you too, right?"
His head was still kind of reeling, which is the only reason it took his brain a few moments to fully comprehend what she was asking.
We've got responsibilities now. He could recall Souji saying to him awhile back, his expression rueful. They had people who cared where before it had been just them. We don't get to just do what we want anymore.
Smiling, he leaned his head on hers, nodding. "Yeah. You and me." He hooked his pinky around hers, smiling slightly. "Always."
"Good." Closing her eyes, Isa made no moves to go to her own side of the bed, curling up next to him with a quiet sigh. "Love you, Heisuke-nii."
Heisuke sighed, a small contented sound and fixed her so she was in a more comfortable position beside him before setting the comic aside. Turning off the light, he settled down beside her, his arm curling protectively around his sister's shoulders and keeping her close.
Wouldn't change it for anything at all.
In case it wasn't readily obvious, I LOVE Heisuke. I love Souji a little more, but not by much, and Heisuke always struck me as being tragic in his own way, just not as...blatant as Souji or even Sanan were. Hakuoki did a fantastic job in that it had so many wonderful characters and this story really is my love letter for the game and the characters who seriously made me cry at some points. I'm hoping that it comes across that way, rather than a simple romance (because I do want Souji and Chizuru to have a good happy ending, despite some rather...fantastic "grenades" I've got prepared to throw at poor Okita's feet in the future. XD).
I also have NO idea if the real Toudou Heisuke actually had any siblings. His past, other than being rumored to be Toudou Takayuki's bastard son, is largely one big old question mark. I'm not sure why I felt the need to create Isa initially - she just kind of popped up during the course of this story as a way to get Chizuru into the fold again - but I'm now actually glad she did after the material she and Heisuke gave me.
Next Chapter: Party at the Yukimura household and mischief is abound because, really, when has anything EVER gone smoothly?
As always, feedback is welcome! Stay tuned for more FoYL:R!