Koishii Chapter 3

1878

He had known Kyoto well. Once he and his comrades patrolled these same streets. He had seen friends die here, others he saw in Kyoto for the last time before they met their dooms elsewhere.

"Lieutenant Fujita! You should rest more!" The Keishikan doctor fussed after him as he left the small infirmary, but two days was enough time to be caged. There was still much to be done. Too many of Shishio's henchmen out there; and some of the big names unaccounted for.

Walking briskly he hailed a carriage. He didn't want to waste time making his way across the city on foot. Certainly it had nothing to do with his injuries. Yet in the bustle of the summer afternoon he heard voices in the breeze.

Saitou-san! For a moment he heard her voice. Laughing and teasing. Trembling with fear, or anger. Hers… something carried in the wind and he shook his head.

He learned long ago that there was no use in pining over something that he couldn't have, didn't belong to him and was far away. Reaching for his cigarettes, he realized that something was missing from its usual place.

Her haircomb… Smirking slightly, he nodded as the carriage began to roll. It had been foolish to hold onto it this long, he was as always committed to moving on and she should be no exception.

1863

Saitou had overheard most of a conversation between the Hide and her parents over her late return the night before. If their solution was deception, he reasoned, then having to live with keeping up appearances must be the price.

He grinned though, she did cover for where they were last night and spoke up for him. It certainly made this all the more interesting that she didn't give into her mother. He waited for her to come out, after all he did have what he had promised for her this morning.

Breakfast and baths were a distant memory by the time Hide found herself in the back courtyard by the well. "Laundry... he really expected me to do his laundry..." Hide mumbled as she scrubbed a sleeve, remembering his smirk as he had handed her the bag. Slinging the damp clothing over her shoulder, she thought again how of every household task… it was laundry she despised the most. Why couldn't he just ask her to cook instead?

"Oh you have to do this as well, Hidejiro-kun?" Okita Souji came over and kneeled beside her and helped her lift a bucket of clean water for rinsing. "Mou… Saitou-san works you hard, but you'll be a good swordsman in the end."

"Yes." She kept her replies short and began to scrub a hakama, noting that the hems were ragged and that she should see to repairing them. "And thank you," she said as he helped her draw another bucket.

"You'll need strong shoulders too, but it won't happen instantly." He smiled at her. "But first you'll have to deal with a lot of sore shoulders." Okita looked at her carefully and for a moment she was afraid that even with Saitou-san's tips, she was still somehow slipping. "You're even younger than Toudou-kun, aren't you?"

Good… he must still believe me to be Hidejiro. "Seventeen," old for a girl, but for a boy, the beginning of his manhood and all of the possibility that it offered, while she was already considered a bit past her time. "My father has been too busy to see to regular lessons for me." That was probably a good story; her ignorance in martial arts was a glaring fault in her disguise.

"You'll catch up in no time," he assured her with a sunny smile, and started to sort the remaining clothing. "How did Saitou-san get blood…?" He shook his head and then threw his head back in laughter at the pile of white cotton crumpled in the bottom of the bag. "I don't envy you – he may have great skill with the blade and would be one to learn from but to wash his-"

"Souji!" At the sound of his name, the young man stood up. "You'll have to excuse me, Hidejiro-kun." Hide nodded, glad he couldn't see her expression as she realized that he had given her a stack of fundoshi.

However it hadn't gone unnoticed, Saitou stood around the corner in the shade of the roof. "I like those clean, Hidejiro-kun. Get it?" He smirked before leaving to see who he could spar with in the training area before setting his page back to her lessons.

Another long day of practice... another evening at this same teahouse, Hide reflected, but at least she got a bath again. And he was quiet, his eyes always scanning the room. After last night he couldn't be too careful… nor could he this night. There was a large group of samurai with accents from the southwest…

The room began to fill up as they finished their dinner. Again Hide longed for home, for normal food, normal people… her normal life.

Tonight was different, or perhaps the night before she hadn't noticed the trill of feminine laughter. "I thought we weren't in Shimabara…" Hide said, watching one woman with a coquettish smile charm a man across the room and pour his sake.

Saitou held back a sigh, it was tiresome to listen to her sound like the village girl she was, seeing the reproachful look in her eyes, passing judgement. He signaled at one of the women, recognizing her from the other night. She made her way over, bearing a jar of sake and cups.

"Good evening to you both," she said, with a charming smile as she kneeled by their table.

Saitou nodded, "Hidejiro-kun, this is a woman, ne?" He grinned slightly as she poured for them, and handed the cup to Saitou, which he quickly downed.

The woman scooted closer to Saitou and he grinned slightly and she tilted her head and laughed. "Master, may I ask your name? They call me Aioi."

"Saitou Hajime," he looked at her, his eyes taking in her unrestrained curves, and growled her name, "Aioi."

"Ha-ji-me-han," she sounded it out, slowly, meeting the eyes that carried admiration and lust so frankly. Hers were playful and appraising but no less bold. "And who is your little friend?" She nodded her head at Hide, making the ornaments in her hair click against each other, but not taking her eyes off of Saitou.

Saitou smirked. She's good. It had been too long and suddenly he was craving the taste of a woman, and he didn't protest as her hands danced along the front of his kimono in a series of light teasing touches, yet no disguising her intent. Disguise. I've had enough of women who play in that.. "That's Hidejiro. Young. Innocent, ne?" He winked over at his page and was rewarded with a blush.

"My…" Aioi looked at Hide through half-lidded eyes. "Those pink cheeks, that sweet face…" She turned to look at Saitou with mock surprise, "Hajime-han, should I leave you with the boy?" She giggled behind her hand and waggled her head. "He's almost as pretty as a girl."

Saitou whispered something in her ear, something explicit and clear that expressed his preference for women and what he liked to do with them.

Hide turned away from them, her cheeks flushed. From beside her, the conversation had dropped off to soft murmurs and chuckles, what she did hear… her cousins were correct about such matters.

What a lecherous man… Why thinking that she felt such a keen sense of disappointment, why she hated to look over there at how Aioi now had herself perched on his knee… her frown deepened.

Standing, without any notice from her sensei and the woman, Hide stalked out of the teahouse. He could tell the world for all she cared but no part of their agreement had her sitting around while he wooed women. Outside, she took a deep breath. It wasn't as late as it had been the other night and she wasn't alone on the streets. No matter. Back to Mibu. Back home.

A group of men stood by the side of the street, leaning by the wall of another teahouse, "look there… a lost little puppy," one of them said. Hide kept her gaze set directly ahead and clenched her hands in the folds of her hakama.

"You're one of those Shinsengumi dogs!" one of the men said, "I saw him with one of the other ones back at a teahouse," The largest one stepped directly in front of her, and blocked her as she tried to walk around him. The one who had first spoke to her continued," but he's more like a pup. What you say we teach this runt a lesson?" His eyes gleamed in the low light and Hide swallowed.

"Hai... little wolf cubs shouldn't stray so far alone," one stepped closer and Hide's hand went to the hilt of her sword. "That's what they are, the wolves of Mibu. Have you heard that?"

The first one laughed, "I don't think the puppy's ever had to get his sword bloody, so he's no wolf yet."

"I ask that you move. I have no quarrel with you," Hide said in her deepest voice, trying to remember what the brave samurai always said in the stories she had heard.

"Hmph. No quarrel, he says," he answered, his hand on the hilt of his sword, "is this pup ignorant, or do you think we're fools, boy?" Hide stepped back, only to find the wall of a building behind her as the three men moved in closer. "Times like these, it takes much less for a 'quarrel'." He laughed, a menacing look on his face. "And I've had just enough sake tonight to put me in the mood for a quarrel". Slowly he withdrew his sword, "Come on, boy."

"Hai, Hamada-san, we can show the Shinsengumi that they're not to lord around Kyoto-" Hide blinked as the man stopped talking and the lamp that hung from a nearby shop went out.

In the darkness Hide could only sense movement and a familiar voice hissing at her to stay back. Short shouts, rapid footsteps and the sound of a sword slicing through someone. Grunts and gasps as three fell to the ground, and then everything was perfectly still and silent.

"Saitou-san?"

He was quiet for a moment, his gaze and attentions focused on the men he had just dispatched before his thoughts turned to Hidejiro. "Why did you-" he shook his head and narrowed his eyes, scanning out in the darkness. At least he made it here in time, could she not manage a simple walk back to her home without finding trouble, and ruined his plans for the evening.

"Don't ever go off like that again," he told her, sternly, his eyes still blazing. This blackmail game was good to keep him amused, in a manner, but it would do great harm to their cause if she were to be injured or killed. If it were to happen, and word get out that the Yagi girl, masquerading as a boy, had been led into trouble by one of the unwanted and untrusted houseguests. No, just as when he first found out about her, he wasn't going to let that interrupt what they wanted to accomplish in Kyoto.

"Hai, Saitou-san," she replied, looking a bit dazed. So the rumors were correct, that he was good with his sword. In the low light she saw, his arm, the same place where it had been injured the night before, was wet again. "You arm-"

He muttered something under his breath before saying, "this isn't a time for your kindness, girl," he said, grabbing her by her wrist and leading her in a run away from the scene. The sooner she was back in Mibu the better. Hide did her best, her much smaller stride to keep up with his longer gait. The fabric strip that held her hair back broke and she almost lost a sandal as they almost flew down the ancient streets.

Finally stopping at the gates to the Yagi house, Satiou looked at her, at the hair falling down around her shoulders. And stared... his hand moved, almost by instinct, to brush back the strands hanging in her face. Wondering how soft it was, and surprised that it was. This is wrong…

Hide blinked as he moved his hand away from her face just as he came in contact with her cheek, as if touching her stung. Still puzzled by his actions, and why she hadn't made any effort to stop him, but the look in his eyes for that moment intrigued her.

"You'll never fool anyone with your hair down," he grumbled, stepping back. Narrowing his eyes he glanced around at the now-quiet streets. What was wrong with him? He had a much more desirable woman, ready and willing, just a few minutes ago, and had Hide behaved herself and not gone flouncing off, he would be in his room with the woman, no doubt having a much better time. This must simply be frustration, Saitou reminded himself, grimly. Reaching up he pulled his hair down and gave her the tie from his hair. "Up. Now."

Not seeing the point, so close to home… Hide held in a sigh and fixed herself.

Watching her, he grinned, trying not to think about... but seeing Hidejiro back did something to clear his mind. "Soon we should see to shaving your head and cutting some of that hair off." Saitou smirked. "Just like your brothers, ne? Good young samurai men."

"No!" She cried out, whirling around to face him, "my hair is -not- getting cut!" She knew he was teasing. From the arch of his eyebrow -he- knew that she knew... but she continued to play at offended, looking haughty and miffed.

"Tch… and I suppose you'll use this incident tonight to say that you'll be too shaken to get in any training tomorrow." He grinned, "be ready. Early."

He was going to have to show her something, it was amusing to set her to doing his laundry but he really didn't like the idea of her really learning how to wield a sword. Country women used their naginata, but that was impractical in a city. Of course, getting her to stay out of trouble was really the best solution.

He watched as she slid the door and entered the house before he turned around to look at the other man who leaned against the wall who had been there the entire time.

"Hijikata-san?"

Staying where he was, he answered in a low voice, "I wasn't standing out to enjoy the evening air, I was waiting to speak to you, Saitou-san."

Author's notes:

A blending of the NHK and RK universes, I don't own any of this! A big thanks to the ones that keep inspiring me to write!