A/N: Credit to Noniebee (4352183) for helping with this chapter!
"You're sick." Staring down at the thermometer in her hands, Kinu ignored the groan behind her. Thirty nine point three degrees celsius. Takasugi turned over and glared at her, but the look fell short. His face was flushed and his eyes were surrounded by dark bags; befitting his evil levels. They'd established that he was a level ninety six, and Kinu clocked around a thirty two on his scale. Hardly threatening.
"I don't get sick."
"Tell that to your immune system" Setting the device on his bedside table, the girl finally shifted around to face him, but his eye was closed. It would be wrong to leave him like that, right?
"I'm fine, I just need thirty more minutes…"
He didn't move from his pillow, or make any further attempt to make himself comfortable. Just laid there, completely harmless and lazy. Kinu had to get back to the shop. She stood, but the man behind her coughed into his palm, after murmuring a withered goodbye, and left her no choice. Arms crossed, Kinu leaned back onto the bed. She'd just make him something. To help a little. He couldn't possibly eat a regular breakfast if he felt anything like he looked. Takasugi squinted up at her as she pulled the covers to his shoulders.
"You jinxed me. With your devil magic and your stupid towels."
"I told you to properly dry your hair." Rolling her eyes, Kinu left, still fussing with her belt. Didn't even try to atone for her sins. Takasugi finally wrapped the blankets around himself sourly looking over the room as he plotted his escape. The moment he felt like it, he was going to get up and light his pipe. Go to the deck. It took him longer than expected to work up the energy for it. His entire body ached, and he was torn somewhere between sweating and being impossibly hot, and freezing cold. If he took the blankets off, he shivered. If he put them on, it was sweltering. Nothing was comfortable.
Just as he kicked one leg from under the covers and sat up, his door opened. Kinu walked to his bedside and placed a tray on his nightstand.
"What are you doing? Don't smoke." She snatched the pipe from his hands, and his jaw went slack. The flame of his lighter hung there, ready to ignite the nonexistent tobacco, and his hand hovered as if the object was still there. "Smoking makes it worse."
"What? How?"
"I dunno, but they said it in biology." If looks could kill. Takasugi set his lighter down, still eyeing her as she motioned to the tray. "Just eat something first. Then I'll let you smoke."
Oh, so she was calling the shots now? Takasugi may have been a little feverish, but he could still take her.
"Kinu-"
"I have a name."
What? That didn't make any sense! He'd used her name! Huffing under his breath, Takasugi gritted his teeth.
"Kitten,"
"What?"
"Give it back."
Instead of complying, the girl placed the tray on his lap. One bowl of miso with tofu, green onions, and nori, another of rice porridge, and one cup of green tea.
"Eat first."
"I don't want to eat. I want my pipe." Takasugi made no attempt to mask the bitter bite of his voice, but the same deadpan expression she'd worn since waking met him.
"Then you'll eat. However much you want. Even one bite is better than nothing. Don't be a baby, it's just a cold."
Glaring daggers at the girl, Takasugi clenched his jaw. She was the worst! He'd never had such a mean bedside nurse in his life! He'd thought Matako was annoying on the rare occasions he got sick, but all she did was fawn and try to crawl into his bed while being sympathetic and mushy. She'd never taken his pipe or called him names!
Except for the one time she'd tried Darling on for size and immediately changed her mind because it was too embarrassing.
The man raised a spoonful of porridge to his mouth under the ever imposing, watchful eye of Kinu, and when he sipped his miso she set his pipe on his tray. Blank faced but probably celebrating her little victory in her head. He finished his miso and tea. The miso was surprisingly good. Tasted like she'd baked the nori, or had done something to add a stronger, more comforting flavor to it.
As Kinu stood, she set a bag of white gummy bears on the table beside him. Took his tray, sans pipe, and pressed her mouth into his cheek.
"I've gotta go, but call me if you need anything. I'll come back." She murmured. As though he'd done anything but be difficult.
He didn't look at her, but she took his tray, and left him in peace to spark his pipe and settle back into his bed. Sleep off his stuffy head with a full stomach, and feeling only slightly less shitty than when he'd woken up.
The entire day had been spent drawing up a new menu for the tea shop, and figuring out exactly what Kinu's marketing position was. The old one was a samurai family run business with the simple pleasures of the olden days. Kinu had tried introducing more modern foods when she took over. That had fallen flat. Apparently, she needed an email list if she wanted to be hip, and a decent camera to take pictures of the food. But that raised the question of who her audience was.
Chapter thirty one had made it clear. Know your audience. Kinu didn't think it was stable enough, aside from the old people that always ordered the same thing, but she wanted younger people too. Cute girls like the ones from the other day that she could study. Steal girl tips from without speaking to. That way she could download them into her half finished android. Soon enough, she'd have a robot companion to make her the best girl ever, and it was going to be the most fun she'd ever had.
She was bad at things like makeup, and swore off trying after a mascara wand attacked her eyeball. It had felt like pouring salt directly onto her iris. Just thinking about it made her eyes water. An android would be able to master it.
It only took a few minutes to set up an online profile for the shop, and snap a few pictures of the display case, and the cake slices she deemed pretty enough to post. That was a good start. Now people could look the shop up, and leave feedback. She was going to print some business cards and bribe people. A little bag of free cookies with each card saying to leave a positive review for one free cup of tea.
She shoved a pocky stick into her mouth as she turned the page of her book, and scribbled down cute girls into her notepad. She underlined it for good measure, because watch out cute girls, she was coming.
When Takasugi entered the tea shop, he found Kinu turning the chairs upside down over the tables. A small collection of people leaned against the bar, three to be exact, and from the way they looked up at him, he knew he'd caught them in the middle of something. The tallest of the bunch, a raven haired, turned and quickly stubbed out her rolled cigarette.
Kinu looked up at Takasugi, frowned as soon as the bell over the door jangled.
"He's fine. Not a narc." She smoothed the front of her yukata as the two girls and singular guy scooped a small cluster of mechanical devices from the bar.
"It's cool, we should take off, anyway, Kinu-chan."
Takasugi may have interrupted, but the trio only glanced at him as they approached Kinu and dug into their pockets. They each handed her money. One of the girls included a plastic bag with a familiar green substance to hers, and Kinu eyed it as they bowed.
"We swear, next time, we'll try to get our projects done in time. You know how it is, juggling family shops and school." The boy said, and Takasugi met his eye again. Wondered why he kept looking at him. "You should come out more, show me how you're programming your drones."
Kinu's expression didn't change. She counted her spoils as the raven haired girl added on.
"We'll smoke you down. Ishii-Sensei always gives us an A for your work."
"Yeah," The other girl nodded. "he's totally too hard on you. How are you even failing?"
"Last time you came was rough. I couldn't believe he treated you like that, you should file a complaint." The guy sighed, and pulled the beanie from his head to reveal a tuft of messy brown hair.
"Hm."
Takasugi only knew the bare minimum of Kinu's last class experience, but just watching Kinu stand there, intensely staring at the group, only humming, he knew exactly why her social life wasn't flourishing. He didn't know if she realized, but the women were uncomfortably shifting. Barely looking at her. He'd seen the look a million times, and from where he'd settled against the wall, waiting for his turn, he wondered if Kinu knew they were scared.
Maybe if she tried to smile a bit. If they saw some personality in her. Something more than ghost. Except that boy. He was fine, and Takasugi didn't like it one bit.
"Should you be up this soon?" Kinu met the man's gaze, and he finally leaned up from his spot, and uncrossed his arms.
"Why? You gonna nag me?"
He met her side, passing the teenagers, and scooping her back onto his lap as he sat on the table and Kinu, ever the unsuspecting victim, squeaked. Pushed against his stomach, as if to break away.
The looks she'd been receiving dissolved into knowing, bashfully pursed lips. He smirked back at them, grasping Kinu's jaw.
"My kitten's the best engineer in Edo." Kinu's lips were pulled into a grin, and she glared back at him. Was ignored. From the looks he was receiving, the kids had no idea she was capable of more than stare dot EXE. "If only she knew how to price her work better and put on a pretty smile for customers."
"I'm smiling." Kinu said the words, but the only thing keeping her face like that was his fingers.
"Where?"He asked, blankly examining the acute lack of a smile. She gripped his wrist, pushing against his hand, but Takasugi offered no respite. If anything, she was grabbed harder. "She appreciates your business, but you'll have to excuse her if she can't join you. All her free time is dedicated to my ship." Takasugi met the boy's gaze in particular. If he thought he was getting Kinu out alone, he was mistaken.
"An entire ship? Are you on a team? Are there spots open?"
"Oh, it's a solo project. She just insisted she do it alone." He answered the boy's question before Kinu could even start, and she struggled against his grasp.
"Shinsuke, put me down."
"Maybe next time, sport." The one eyed man quirked a brow at the boy. Kinu's hand shot forward, and Takasugi dragged her further up his lap until she finally twisted and broke away, squinting at him.
"I can speak for myself."
"Then maybe you should try it." Eye locked on the girl, Takasugi kept his dignified posture. Crossed his arms. That boy was interested, and even though she didn't seem to be aware, he was drawing a line for her. Instead of harping on him, Kinu turned to her company. Offered a shallow bow to them as they did the same and excused themselves. Since when did she have an actual social life? He'd thought she was waiting for him every night, not doing this.
When they were alone, Kinu turned to him. Deadpan, but he knew she had more than a few things to say.
"You're an asshole." The girl resumed her nightly routine, and Takasugi turned to watch her. Nature had decided to flip tonight. Turn a cold switch, and whether it was only Takasugi, he wasn't sure. The tea shop, on the other hand was warm, and filled with the scent of herbs and baking goods with the faintest touch of cinnamon.
"Really?" Kinu didn't look up from the table she was wiping until he placed his hand beside hers and leaned onto it. "I saw that stupid grin when he asked you out."
"I didn't grin."
He'd seen it! Maybe it didn't look like it to other people but he knew her expressions! Kinu rolled her eyes, and he hated her slightly more than usual. Could have shoved her into a lake. Even better if she was wearing a seven layer kimono when he did.
"Did you see her earrings? The little dogs?" She said, completely dropping his line of questioning. Before he even answered, Kinu continued. "They were cute. The bodies and tails hung out the back of her ear, I've never seen that before."
That's what she'd been looking at so intensely? Takasugi glared at the girl as she started to turn the chairs over and hang them over the top of the table. Ignored the hole he was glaring into the side of her head. She continued, dusting her hands on the skirt of her yukata.
"Two days in a row?" Now, she stood in front of him, far from expressionless, and coated in a thin layer of sweat as well as the same aroma drifting from the oven.
"Consider yourself lucky." Smirking at the girl, Takasugi tucked a stray blonde lock behind her ear. Kawakami had been right. They hadn't agreed on anything exclusive. But that was no excuse. He took his usual seat. An open comic laid across the countertop, and he turned it towards himself, frowning as a hand slid up his back, and Kinu's lips grazed up his neck, right up until her teeth tightened on his earlobe.
"My parents are out for the night…"
"Is that so?" Carefully taking hold of the hand draped over his shoulder, Takasugi turned to face Kinu. She stepped into his grasp.
"Mhmm." Her palms slid up his forearms, and she allowed herself to be pulled another step forward. "If you want to stay a bit later..."
"Let me check my schedule." A smirk crossed the man, and Kinu batted at his chest snickering as she broke away.
As she rounded the counter, he wondered if she was staying there for the night. She'd told him the story he'd asked for, and now, he stared at the floor beside himself trying to conjure the image of a debt collector offing himself as a fifteen year old Kinu looked on in horror.
She hadn't believed him, but the world was better off without middle aged men trying to convince young girls to run off with them because they were definitely the reincarnation of a long dead wife. That marked her last day of peaceful sleep in the tea shop, and Takasugi believed the building was better off damned and left behind.
The debt collector only came back to her there; sporting his slit throat, grinning and saying that it was all okay. He forgave her. They could still be together. At times, she dreamed that she was drowning, weighted to the bottom of the ocean or being smothered with a pillow while her wrists were bound and she couldn't turn her head.
"Wanna try a new tea with me?" The girl set a cup in front of him and he studied the paw prints running up the ceramic.
"Sure."
Kinu wasted no time in preparing water. As she cracked the oven door to peek inside, he slid a stack of pocky boxes onto the counter. Five, as she had requested. The girl took them with a low hummed thanks, and offered a look that he was sure was a smile. Not much of one, but he still caught it.
Better than when she'd been asked out.
Beyond the counter edge, he could see the stone pen he'd given her sitting atop a closed notebook, as if she had just tucked it out of the way. Three coins sat on the woodgrain beside him, each one hundred yen.
This was as good a time as any. If he wanted answers, she'd probably be open to talking.
"Our job will be finished in about a month." He stated, watching as Kinu sifted through her boxed collection of teas. "What will you do then? When we leave?"
Hardly in the room more than her own head, the girl glanced at him from under the crease of her brow. She set the aforementioned tea in front of him, and her lips slightly parted, as if preparing to configure whatever response fit. As she started to speak, the door behind Takasugi jingled, and Kinu's face lit.
"Onii-chan!"
Frowning, Takasugi glanced back. Found a familiar form and pair of dead crimson eyes. The bane of his existence, embodied and staring back at him.
The silver haired samurai paused, but only for a split second. He took a seat two chairs down, and Takasugi turned forward as well. He'd guessed Kinu would know Gintoki as well, but brother? That was who she meant when she said brother? He had always assumed she had some floaty, independant older sibling that ran off and ditched their family as quickly as possible. Not a fraudulent self appointed stand in.
More importantly, Takasugi had slept with Gintoki's little sister? Wide eyed and wordless, the man gaped at the wall beside him. He didn't know whether to laugh or start counting the days left of his life, because the second it got out, Gintoki was going to find him.
He was as good as dead if it got out. Gintoki would never rest. The only solution was to kill him first.
Kinu had been right on his ship; her brother was capable of finding and fighting him to get her back. She'd been more dangerous than she'd ever intended. Taking her, if he ever hoped to, would be complicated. Even if he took her to space, Gintoki would find a way. He'd get there.
The man in question scratched his head as Kinu gently lowered a plate of rice balls in front of Takasugi.
"Got any of those mini bottles I gave you? Slots ain't hittin' tonight."
"Hm..." Turning towards the cabinet beside the stove, Kinu pulled the door open and reached to the back as Gintoki set a stack of spent scratch offs on the counter.
"And gimme a parfait."
Takasugi sparked his pipe. Needed to get a grip.
Why on earth, did it have to be him? Of all people. Neither of them looked at one another, and Kinu was blissfully unaware. There wasn't a hint of understanding in her. She regarded her relationship with both men a separate entity, and he was half convinced that if Gintoki hadn't started telling her what to do as soon as he'd entered, she would have tried to introduce them.
Kinu set two bottles in front of the man then immersed herself in the task of throwing together a dessert.
"I thought the cops hauled you off."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Voice equally low, Takasugi barely glanced at Gintoki. If he was keeping this quiet, the one eyed man had no intention of outing them as well. Takasugi snagged one of the green bottles from in front of Gintoki without asking. Twisted the top off. He was convinced that this wasn't something he wanted to bear without alcohol.
"Oi, you look like hell. What happened to you?"
Kinu stopped slicing strawberries and met Gintoki's crimson eyes. She set her knife down, and touched her cheek, frowning.
"Mom sent you, didn't she?" Kinu leaned her elbow onto the counter, and seemingly out of nowhere, manifested a weapon. Placed a crowbar between them. The girl flexed her left hand, mumbling. "I'll hit you with this thing if you try to make me go."
"K- Ki, that's not nice. Don't joke around like that…"
From the way Gintoki leaned back, eyes wide, Takasugi could only assume that he had, at some point, been hit by her. Hard. Maybe not with a crowbar.
"I don't need a doctor. You're both annoying."
"For what?! She didn't say anything about you needing a doctor to me!"
"Oh…" Frowning Kinu, stared at the tender skin on the edge of her hand. Welp. She was incriminating herself. "Good. Cause I'm not going. It's not broken, I just landed on it funny."
"Let me see it, stupid." Gintoki stood in place, and took Kinu's left hand. Turned it over, as if he had x-ray vision that would diagnose the extent of the damage. He pressed his fingers into her knuckles, then her palm, and Takasugi looked down at his drink.
Well this was awkward. Why the hell wouldn't she have spoken up sooner?
"Nobody thought maybe I should call the most talented, amazing, Yorozuya Gin-chan to at least let him know assassins are after us now, and the drunk's on a rampage?"
Blank faced, Kinu looked up at the silver haired samurai.
"We don't even like you." Pulling her hand away, Kinu shook the sting that had accompanied Gintoki's prodding away. She opened one of the pocky boxes Takasugi had brought her, and snapped a stick off in her mouth as she tucked the crowbar back behind the counter.
"Oi! That's cold! Don't say that like I'm some kinda pest!"
"Freeloading pest…"
"I do helpful stuff too! You know how hard it was to eat all that food before it went bad?! I had to share it with a Madao, and Zura stole most of the-"
"That sounds like you were doing scummy things." Shoving a pocky stick into Gintoki's mouth, Kinu went back to the cutting board. Her makeshift brother took the offering and plopped back into his seat. Frowning as he popped the top on his mini bottle.
After a few stiff minutes, Kinu handed the parfait off to Gintoki, and filled Takasugi's empty cup, then her own.
"What's with the coins?" Gintoki dug his spoon into the parfait, peering at them as Kinu raised a brow.
"I keep finding them. One was on my windowsill last night. Then one on the doorstep, under the sink, and in the bathtub."
Takasugi frowned upon hearing her words. Stared at the coins. Kinu settled into her spot, and leaned over her comic.
Silence branched over the room. Takasugi puffed his pipe as he glanced down at the mug in front of him. Why would there be coins all over her house? Had her father felt guilty? Then again, if one had been on her windowsill before they left, he didn't think that could be the case. Neither of her parents could have placed it after the money incident, and Riku hadn't been remotely apologetic.
The girl glanced up at him, as if she knew what he'd been thinking, but instead of concern, one of the most ridiculous questions he'd ever heard tumbled out of her mouth.
"Are you a Naruto guy, or a Sasuke guy?"
Eyeing her, Takasugi paused. What was that supposed to mean? He didn't know, he'd never thought about it before and he didn't want to.
"Neither."
"Me neither… I much prefer Gaara."
Gintoki leaned forward, looking at the comic she was skimming and frowning.
"You're that far behind in Naruto?! Geeze, Ki, read faster!"
"People are always checking them out…" Murmuring back, the girl turned her page, and Takasugi couldn't help but look down at the book as well.
"I'd go for Tsunade if she wasn't so old. Especially after-"
"Don't spoil it!" Pulling her book off the counter, Kinu held it over her face.
"Spoil it. Tell her everything."
"Oi!" Two narrowed cerulean eyes poked over the comic book. Pay back was coming as soon as he had a chance, and he was going to mercilessly ruin the next book she read if he could. To even the playing field. She deserved it.
Gintoki was digging his spoon into his parfait. On guard, but only watching from the corners of his eyes. He'd done a good job of playing natural, but Takasugi knew better than that. He wouldn't say anything until he was alone with Kinu. Wouldn't leave them alone, now that he was here. Then he'd swoop in and tell her exactly how terrible Takasugi was to keep as casual company.
Kinu, on the other hand, was unaware of the issue.
"You got another?" The silver haired samurai spoke with a mouth full of food, and pointed to his drink. Nodding, Kinu fetched him an identical bottle. Her brow furrowed and she met Takasugi's gaze as he set his empty bottle on the counterter
"You shouldn't be drinking."
"Duly noted."
The girl's eyes narrowed, but she leaned back into her chair. Murmured, barely audible.
"Sasuke is so whiny. If I had to choose, I'd go for him, but ugh."
"Why are you telling me this?" Takasugi swallowed a bite of his rice ball.
"I'm just saying. Gaara is better... "
"I don't care." He said, sipping his tea. Even Gintoki wasn't paying the conversation much mind. Why the hell would he? "You're stupid."
"But Gaara has such a one track mind. Wants to destroy one guy, like branch out a little bit, dude."
Was she insulting him? Using comic books to take discreet jabs at him because he drank? Glaring at the girl, Takasugi held his pipe inches from his face. Felt the corner of his lip twitch into a sneer. He wasn't going to sit here with Gintoki, of all people, and listen to her mock him.
Especially when he couldn't respond freely.
Standing, Takasugi pushed his plate forward. Gintoki looked up at him, brows furrowed, and with an obvious question in his crimson eyes. Why was Takasugi there? He wanted to know if he was a passing customer, or a regular. If he knew Kinu, and the exact nature of what that implied. Takasugi already knew where this was going. He turned towards the door and as he pushed it open, the girl's voice rang out.
"Oh- sorry- you like Sasuke, don't you? You should have just said so. No need to get mad and walk off."
She was an idiot! Where the hell had she gotten that idea? Clearly, he was leaving in protest of her treatment of him, not her stupid imaginary guy talk. Maybe she was trying to piss him off. Being a brat and hoping to get a punishment out of him. It wasn't going to work.
Frowning at the closing door, Kinu was equally surprised to see Gintoki stand. He shoved a bite of parfait into his mouth, and his eyes swept over her, only for a second before he turned.
"Oi, stay here."
He was leaving too? Had she said something worse than she'd thought? Was Gintoki a Sasuke guy, too? They hadn't finished anything she'd given them. Lifting the man's half eaten parfait, Kinu turned towards the rubbish bin.
"Don't- I'll be back!" Pointing at the glass in Kinu's hand, Gintoki shoved the door open. "For that parfait! I'm gonna eat it, just leave it there!"
The girl snapped the glass back to the counter, still unsure of what had happened, but there was no time to explain anything to her. Not if Takasugi was trying to get away. Gintoki actually had money this time, and he wasn't going to lose his food over that asshole.
As Gintoki followed the man, he found Takasugi had done nothing to hide himself. Anticipated his actions well before Gintoki had decided on them. He caught up to the walking man, and was known without Takasugi even looking back to confirm his identity.
"Took you long enough."
Hand already wrapped around the hilt of his bokken, Gintoki thrust it over Takasugi's shoulder, and the one eyed man paused.
"Why the hell were you there?"
Turning to face the silver haired samurai, Takasugi let the wooden sword drag across his neck. He pulled his pipe from breast pocket, and lit it, taking his time.
"Lunch." The moon shone overhead, and Gintoki's expression remained stern. Saw no humor. "Hard to get a good conversation in this town, y'know."
"You hated the conversation."
Well, he wasn't wrong about that.
"Tea always tastes better when it's served by a pretty face." The corner of Takasugi's mouth curled as he lifted his pipe, and Gintoki's brows hardened into a line. He could practically see the gears turning behind Gintoki's eyes. Trying to decide if that was to be taken seriously, or only an idle comment to debase him. Takasugi blew a cloud of smoke to the side. "You can attack me if you want, Gintoki. I'd applaud it. Let out that silver beast I know you're hiding."
"Didn't you hear her? There's enough shit broken around here." The bokken over Takasugi's shoulder eased back, but remained poised to strike if need be. If Takasugi pulled a trick out of his sleeve. "Don't cause any more trouble for Ki. She doesn't need scumbag customers that don't even pay their tabs."
"What? I never caused anything." Well, not directly. Or intentionally. That still counted for something. After filling his lungs with another drag of tobacco, Takasugi added, "And I paid my bill in advance."
"If you go anywhere near her, or her family again, I'll give you that fight you asked for."
Interesting. Threats, now. There wasn't a doubt in Takasugi's mind that Gintoki was completely serious, and that meant that girl truly was part of his pretend family. Takasugi really knew how to pick them, didn't he? Onii-chan wasn't just a frivolous title to Gintoki. He took it seriously, an honored, well earned crown of entitlement to meddle. While he neglected the actual responsibilities involved, apparently.
If Takasugi was wrong, then why was Riku able to freely hit the women in the house? Gintoki should have squashed that years ago. What was his actual connection to the family? Gintoki lowered his wooden sword and took a step back as another cloud of smoke swirled away from Takasugi on the wind.
"And I told you before. My beast is white, and it's dark out. Too late for walkies."
Frowning, Takasugi eyed the man. What the hell did that mean? More importantly, if Gintoki was going to be a problem, what was the best way to get rid of him? Death. Obviously. But that might cause a problem with Kinu, if she knew. Takasugi wasn't going to be pushed around by anybody, least of all, Gintoki. Kinu was already too involved for him to back off. And he wanted her. More than Gintoki could have.
They didn't say another word. Parted ways, with barely another glance, and Gintoki went back into the tea shop, no doubt to sabotage Kinu's opinion of Takasugi.
Gintoki had enough to call his own, the self righteous bastard. This was entirely Takasugi's, and he wasn't going to let him take it, too. Kinu was his. Takasugi had no intention of loosening his grip on the girl, and from what he could tell, she didn't want him to.
He'd see the damage later, and assess it, but for now, he needed to reevaluate his methods.