Matters of the Heart pt. 6 The Effects

In the morning sunlight, Ayumu stirred smiling at the sleeping face and body lying beside her in her futon. She wrapped her kimono around her nude body and stiffly stood headed for the bathhouse. Can't go and start the cooking looking like this, she thought smiling as she stepped out of the room and slid the door quietly shut behind her.

Megumi yawned quietly. Why am I suddenly so tired? She asked herself. Eh.. Probably just stayed up too late... Weakly, she stood her strength suddenly leaving her. She let out a quiet groan and slid her door open making her way to the training hall. She leaned against the post sighing tiredly.

"MEGUMI-SAN LOOK OUT!" Okita cried pushing her out of the way and crashing on top of her.

"Ah!" she cried grunting as she hit the hard wood.

Tetsunosuke suddenly went flying through the door landing in the grass below the raised walk way. He groaned his bamboo sword rolling away. A loud whistle came from inside.

"Get a room you two!" Nagakura cried grinning.

"Go, Okita!" Harada grinned.

Todou chuckled. Megumi turned and stared at Okita's face above her. She blushed. He blushed and quickly got off her laughing nervously. Blushing and standing, she smiled and walked over to Tetsunosuke.

"Itai..." he groaned sitting up slowly.

"Daijoubu ka, Tetsunosuke-kun?" she asked smiling.

"Hai," he replied massaging his head. "I think Saitou and Okita got a little rough."

Megumi turned and sent a playful glare towards Saitou and Okita. Okita laughed.

"Gomen ne, Tetsunosuke-kun," he chuckled.

Saitou nodded.

"Daijoubu! Daijoubu!" Tetsunosuke laughed.

Megumi smiled as she helped him. Tetsunosuke bounded back into the training room grinning.

"WHO'S NEXT!" he challenged eagerly.

The men laughed. She suddenly let out a loud and rough cough. Okita turned worriedly and discreetly pulled her aside.

"Are you all right?" he whispered taking her hand in his.

She smiled.

"Of course," she replied quietly. "I'm just a bit tired. Probably just a cold."

He smiled a small worried smile and nodded. He placed a small kiss on her lips and walked back into the training hall. She blushed smiling as she watched popping her head through the door.

As Tetsunosuke cleaned up after the men picking up and putting away wooden and bamboo swords and spears, Okita dressed putting his hair in a high ponytail and slipping his swords in his obi. His kimono hung loosely leaving his pale muscular chest exposed. He walked out with a large smile on his face.

"Hey," Nagakura whispered as he walked by the other Jokers tagging along. "Since when did Okita wear his kimono like that and carry his swords?"
"Good question," Todou added. "He's wearing his hair up too."

"Heh," Harada replied chuckling. "I bet that trip to Shimabara must've done wonders for him."

The Jokers chuckled and continued walking.

"Megumi-chan," he smiled sliding open her office door. "Are you busy?"
She looked up hearing the sudden intrusion. She pulled a small powderpuff away from her neck and placed it back in a small lacquered box filled with the pale white-ish cream colored powder that matched her skin. She smiled putting the box away and out of sight.

"Iie," she replied. "Actually, I was thinking of going into town. It's rare that I have a day off here and a day off in Shimabara too. Would you like to come with me?"

Okita's smile grew. He nodded. Smiling, she stood and walked out both making their way to town.

The market streets bustled with the chatter of merchants and buyers out to make use of the warm sunshine and warm summer weather. Small pink flurries of cherry blossoms fluttered through the sky as though it were pink snow. Megumi let out a quiet giggle.

"It's nice ne?" she smiled.

"Hai," he replied looking down on her a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

"Though..." she began turning to him with a smile. "I have to wonder about the change that's come over you."

Okita blinked.

"Change?" he questioned confused.

"Yes," she answered. "You never leave your kimono open. Your hair is up, and you're carrying your swords. The Okita I'm used to would never do that."

Okita stopped her words ringing in his ears. He looked down at his open kimono and his swords and ran a hand through his pulled back hair. He smiled staring as she slowly started ahead.

"Well," he began. "I think it should be obvious..."
"Oh?" she called back to him back still turned. "It should?"

"Well," he started again. "I should think it should be obvious to the woman who I'm making these changes for."

She stopped. A blush crept on to her face. Slowly, she turned to him still blushing.

"Ah.. I... Okita.." she replied the words stumbling off her tongue.

She lowered her head pieces of her black hair hiding her face. Softly, he smiled walking up to her. Gently, he turned her face up to meet his dark eyes. Her blush turned brighter. He continued smiling as he pulled out a small hair pink of pink cherry blossoms and dangling silver glass beads out of his kimono's sleeve. She grew silent.

"...O-okita?" she questioned.

"For you," he replied quietly placing the pin gently in her pulled back hair.

He placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"To a cute girl, give a flowered hairpin.. To a beautiful woman..." he whispered into her ear.

Her face grew hotter.

"Ah.. It's.. uh.. ah.. Thank you.." she blushed shyly lowering her head again looking for a distraction out of the corners of her eyes. "Oh! Look! A candy shop!"

She grabbed his hand and started pulling him along.

"Come on!" she cried smiling. "Let's get some sweets and mochi (Author's note: mochi is a rice cake filled with red bean paste. It's good), and we can have a small picnic!"

Okita chuckled and nodded eagerly in agreement running off with her.

The scent of bubbling and boiling soups and cooking meat wafted through Ayumu's kitchen as she chomped vegetables and tossed them into a pot. Seishin watched. Slowly, he stood walking quietly behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Ayumu smiled. He placed a small kiss on her cheek. Ayumu's smile grew.

Small paper wrappers and shiny foil squares littered the walkway as Okita and Megumi sat eating and watching the wind slowly blow a pink snow storm of cherry blossoms. She sighed tiredly letting out a set of coughs.

"Are you all right?" Okita asked worriedly wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him.

She smiled.

"Hai," she replied. "Just a bit of a cold."

Okita nodded as she rested her head tiredly on his shoulder. A sick feeling grew in his stomach. She's fine.. He thought. It's just a cold.. Nothing to worry about.. His other arm wrapped around her enveloping her in a warm embrace. A hot, feverish forehead pressed against his chest. She's warm.. Feverish... He thought worriedly. Looking up to him as she watched his worried expression, she pulled away and placed his head in her lap. She pulled out his ponytail letting his black hair flare out in gentle waves. She smiled.

"You've got nothing to worry about," she smiled. "It's only a small cold."

He nodded worriedly. Her small hands stroked his long black hair running her fingers in the smooth, untangled mane. She smiled again.

"Thank you, Okita-kun," she began.

He stared at her with a bewildered look.

"For what?" he asked a small smile alighting his face.

"I had fun today," she replied leaning down and kissing his forehead. ".. More fun than I've had in a long time.."

He sat up staring deep into her brown eyes. Then, he pressed his lips to hers in a swift and sudden passionate movement.

Kagome watched as two girls, one with short hair and the other with long hair, dressed in red and gold kimonos of smooth and shining silk. Hairpins shined and jingled in their hair. She sighed. Yumi stared at her simple white nemaki (Author's note: Nemaki is a kimono used for sleeping aka Japaneses pajamas).

"Akesato-san," Yumi began tugging on Akesato's long kimono sleeve.

Akesato turned.

"Can we go with you tonight?" Kagome asked pouting. "We wanna see what you and Megumi-san do.."

Softly, the older geisha smiled as she caressed their small faces with her hands.

"Now girls," she began kindly and sternly. "You know Megumi forbids you to tend to the guests. She's doing it for your own good."

The girls pouted.

"Now," she started again standing from her mirror and leading the small girls to a small room with a futon and a dimly lit lantern. "Lets get you both to bed. It's getting late."

"Yes, Akesato-san," the chimed walking into the room and sliding the door shut.

"Kagome-chan and Yumi-chan are so lucky," Hana said.

Saya nodded.

"Yes," Akesato replied. "She works so hard.. If you girls do that too, you can buy you're way out of this place too.."

Hana and Saya turned to her. They smiled.

"Maybe..." Hana grinned. "But we'd never get to see those handsome Shinsengumi boys ever again."

Saya giggled. Akesato smiled.

With Okita still laying in her lap, she continued stroking his hair. She yawned. Okita stood.

"Lets get you to bed," he said smiling. "It's late."

She giggled leaning back on her hands.

"Daijoubu desu," she replied as Okita suddenly lifted her up in his arms.

Okita smiled and walked into her room placing her gently beside her futon. Standing, Megumi smiled as she grabbed a white nemaki and stepped behind a paper changing screen. The small lantern in the room silhouetted her figure through the paper changing screen. Okita blushed and made himself turn away. Mustn't become like the others now, he smiled inwardly to himself. I really mustn't.

"Okita-kun," she murmured placing a hand on his shoulder making him turn. "Stay by me.. Tonight?"

He blushed.

"H-hai," he smiled. "I think I would like that very much."

Megumi smiled sliding into her futon. Okita slipped in beside her and pulled her close. She sighed tiredly wiping a light sheen of sweat of her brow. He stroked her long black hair and smiled softly. She looked up to him smiling. He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Oyasumi," she whispered closing her eyes.
"Oyasumi," he smiled softly as he fell asleep.

(Author's note: well.. That was a bit longer than the other chapters. Finally got my creative juices flowing. Hope you liked it! Oh, and about Okita dressing with his hair up and with his kimono open, I just thought it would be cute. You know.. One of those "Love makes you do crazy things" bit.. But if you don't like it.. Well... I'm not changing it.. Sorry.)