Chapter 2: And The Leaves Fall...
Summary: Okita has feels for Hijikata. Hijikata doesn't know if he has feelings for Soji. Tetsu intervines to bring the two together. So do Choshu, but by mistake.
A/N: Woot. Second chapter at last! Anyway, read. Or else. And it's not the end.
Soji was more then excited to meet his secret admirer at the pond. Of course, he didn't have a clue on who it might be. I mean, this was all males...besides Ayu, but of course not her. So it'd be a guy. But who? He really didn't care right now, he was just happy that somebody loved him. I mean, isn't that enough for anybody? And he continued happily skipping down the walkway along the halls of Mibu Temple.
Too bad the one who sent this couldn't have been Hijikata... Soji thought sadly, slowing his skipping to a hault, looking at his feet.
" Okita!" Tetsu cheered, practically knocking Soji over. Soji let out a laugh.
" You're full of energy, as always Tetsu." Soji smiled, yet felt his letter be torn from his fingers by the younger one.
Tetsu acted, and gave Soji a sly smile. " Who's this from?" He knew who it was from, who it was for, and definately who it was sent by.
" N-Nobody." Soji stuttered, snatching the letter back. " Shouldn't you be making tea for Hijikata...?" Soji grinned. Tetsu huffed.
" Not when I am under the watchful eyes of Susumu and Tatsu." Tetsu complained, rolling his eyes. " Plus, he's supposed to be meeting somebody."
" Why are Susumu and Tatsu watching you?" Soji laughed. " What did you do this time?"
" NOTHING!" Tetsu yelled defensively.
" Meaning you did something." Soji smiled, kneeling to the boy's height.
" Nope. I've been good."
" Oh come on, I won't tell anybody."
" I can't." Tetsu shook his head.
" Why not?"
" Hijikata will kill me." Tetsu gulped.
Suddenly Susumu appeared. " And, Hijikata wants to see you Tetsu." Susumu said monotonely.
This sent chills up Tetsu's spine. He felt a dark aura waiting for him down the hall and the aura just seemed to be coming from Hijikata's room. This is NOT good..., Tetsu groaned in his mind.
" And he wants you now. It's almost three." Susumu demanded. " He apparently..." He glanced at Soji, " Has somewhere to be."
" Almost three!?" Soji panicked, running in the opposite direction, Saizo bouncing in his owners arms.
" Where's he going?" Susumu asked Tetsu stupidly. Tetsu grinned and held the letter up to Susumu to read.
" To the koi pond."
" You've got to be kidding me..." Susumu gaped.
" Yep. I couldn't believe it either. Think about it, Hijikata and--"
" NOT THAT!!" Susumu yelled. " I can't believe YOU sent this! This obviously wasn't supposed to be read by Soji and definately not you."
" I just thought they should tell each other how they feel..." Tetsu whined.
" Well, this was the wrong way to do it." Susumu sighed. " Hijikata is going to kill you."
" He probably doesn't even know I sent it out."
" So that's where he's going...but..."
" What?" Tetsu asked.
" Your plan had a fault, Hijikata didn't know you sent the letter in the beginning but apparently Soji showed it to him so I guess he knows about it now."
"..." Tetsu silenced.
" Should've thought of that..."
" Dammit!" Tetsu yelled, running towards Hijikata's room.
" It's like he wants to get murdered by Hijikata..." Susumu sighed, watching him scamper towards the door.
" Hijikata!" Tetsu bursted in.
" What...?" Hijikata said, quite annoyed.
" Go to the koi pond." Tetsu demanded, not thinking about the concequences.
" I am." He said simply, standing up.
Tetsu stared..." Huh?"
" I know you sent the letter." Hijikata nodded. " Susumu told me you were trying to get the two of us together."
" Heh." Tetsu said shyly. " Well, that's--"
" But don't think for a damn second that you're not in trouble." Hijikata growled, standing up and leaving the room, glancing at Tetsu before walked out. Hijikata sighed. Soji was NOT supposed to know, ever. This will certainly interfere with their main objective as members in the Shinsengumi. And if anything goes in between the two of them, being boyfriend--This "boyfriend" word made Hijikata quiver. He didn't even think of that. Him and Soji would be boyfriends...now that's a weird--
" Hijikata!" Okita cheered, interrupting the vice-commanders thoughts. Hijikata looked around for a moment, he was at the koi pond and there was Soji, sitting with his legs at his side, leaning on one arm, his finger curled around a deep purple lock of hair. And his smile.
" Oh, there you are." Hijikata said, sitting cross-legged next to Soji. Soji sighed inwardly and looked away from the vice-commander, still smiling. Neither of them noticing the mere centimeters between their hands.
" What are you doing here?" Soji asked, finally breaking the pregnant silence.
" It's what the letter said." Hijikata said simply.
" Hmm?" Soji questioned, wanting a bit more elaborate explaination for Hijikata's presence.
" Tetsu sent a letter to you. I wrote that." Hijikata said, no emotion at all in his words. Mostly so Soji wouldn't laugh, and so it wouldn't hurt as much when being rejected.
" Really?" Soji asked, gasping in shock.
" Yes, Tetsu sent it to--"
" Not that." Soji smiled, putting a hand to Hijikata's cheek and turning his head to face him. " You wrote that?"
" Yes..." Hijikata stuttered. Okita's smile grew brighter.
" Uh...wow." Okita let out a small laugh.
" So--"
" Yeah--"
" What were you going to say?" Hijikata asked.
" Nothing, you go first." Okita coaxed.
" But what I was going to say--"
" I can't really put into words--"
Okita laughed, Hijikata smiled. They sat for a while, completely silent. But gradually, Okita's hand mangaged to slip under Hijikata's and locked them together. And as the gentle breeze passed and the water in the koi pond gently made comforting noises around the small bushel of bamboo trees, Okita reached up and kissed Hijikata. Gently and sweetly, their lips touched in a final declaration of their feelings for one another.
But soon, their feelings for each other would be tested, against the sword.
A/N: That last line sounded a BIT corny. But I don't care. I wanted to make sure people know this is NOT the ending. I still have two more chapters.