Nirvana
Summary: AU. "Well, fuck you too," he had said it out of spite, despite his eyes sneaking brief glances over her body. Well, maybe he had another thing in mind when he said it. Okikagu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama.
Chapter 13
There weren't a lot of things that made Okita nervous. If his aloof and distant persona was anything to go by, a majority of people around him would be able to detect that he didn't really give a damn about the opinions of others.
And yet, right now, just standing there in front of Kagura's residence was enough to bring forth a surge of restlessness to pervade his insides. Despite his wreaking nerves, however, Okita could discern the budding anticipation swirling around in his heart – which was beating in a thunderous and rapid tempo. The poor thing.
Okita surveyed his own appearance through one of the reflections casted by the glass of the sliding door. Inwardly, he hoped that Kagura was still fast asleep in her room so that she wouldn't have to catch him red-handed in checking himself out to ensure that he was looking mighty attractive for her. Fortunately enough, his godly striking good looks didn't fail him in the slightest. Not that they ever did.
Eye crap, all good. Nose crap, all good. Teeth crap, all good. The line of musing crossed his mind as he finally finished scrutinizing himself and decided that everything was fine. But for a few moments, he simply stood there, as stiff as a statue as he tried to pluck up the courage…to what? To talk to her? Damn, when was the last time he was this anxious visiting a sick person? Never, he soon concluded. In fact, nothing actually ever managed to get under his skin, when he looked back on it.
Fucking hell. He had to suppress the urge to strike himself across the cheek as he reminded himself that he looked too handsome for the self physical abuse. He took in a few intakes of breath before expelling them, uncertain if it really worked to soothe his nerves as he had only observed other people commit to this method and he himself never had a reason to do it. However, after a while of merely staring at himself with that blank expression on his features, Okita eventually decided to just chuck all of his worries out the window. All this working his brain cells to the point of overdrive was making his head ache, and it did nothing to assist him in his efforts to recompose himself.
The prince of sadist checked for the doorknob, turning and twisting it to ascertain that the door was indeed locked. He briefly recalled Kagura spouting out some ongoing complaints in one instance during their post-sex conversations that her papi and shitty brother would regularly forget to lock everything in the house. And that they would habitually leave her with the job of confirming that the safety of their household had no risk of getting a break-in.
He gave the tiny knob a final jerk before a wave of relief crushed over him in waves as he concluded that either Kamui or her bald-headed papi had been careful enough to actually secure the door this time. It was probably due to the fact that Kagura was currently down with the cold. Which was a good thing, or else he would hunt them down himself if any harm were to befall her. Although, any pea-brained idiot who would dare to venture into the room of a monster like her and wrongfully assume she was defenseless would have probably been on a fast train ticket to hell already.
Elegantly leaping for the rather humongous tree in their backyard, Okita climbed up the bark of the tree for the balcony that would give him access to Kagura's room. Thankfully enough, the sliding door was at a close proximity to the bed, and therefore she didn't really have to go all the way off the bed to let him in. All he had to do was grant the glass a few knocks before he garnered Kagura's attention. China squirmed under the blankets before eventually propping herself up on her elbows to gesture her half-lidded eyes at the sliding door where Okita stood waiting for her to unlock it.
She murmured something incoherent under her breath, though Okita was no lips-reader and therefore he was unable to discern the syllables of what she had muttered. Not that he was entirely that focused, as his irises drifted on her form from head to toe. A blush formed on his cheeks, coloring his flesh a light pink as he perceived her quite indecent state of dress. The white nightgown that she was clad in was rather see-through, with the hem only barely covering her hips and the spaggheti straps threatening to slide off her porcelain shoulders. The elastic around her torso only accentuated her supple bosom, the tempting sight prompting him to avert his gaze before the blood could rush to a certain part of his body that he would rather it not rush to at the moment.
Don't get any ideas, Sougo. He sounded the inward chastise at himself. You're here to check on her, not check her out. She's feverish, for god's sake. Okita was quite proud of his shamelessness in admitting that he was a huge pervert – though this was the first time he had ever had to scold himself for being such a horny bastard.
His ears caught a distinct click, the barely audible sound bringing him out of his reverie as the revelation settled in on him that Kagura had unlocked the sliding door for him. She seemed to say something just as he pushed the hatch open before shutting the door close behind him.
"…ook too long."
"What?" He blinked the lust out of his eyes, clearing his throat as he fixated his eyes once again on China's face, glad that this time she was allowing herself some coverage as she enveloped the duvet around her petite form. The lack of exposed skin cooled his primal desires as affection resurfaced when he took notice of the layer of sweat sticking strands of her vermillion mane all over her cheeks and forehead. Her skin was a flushed rose hue from the fever, and her orbs seemed to have a faraway look, almost as if her mind was somewhere else.
"I said you took too long," she repeated what she had uttered before, this time in a louder octave so that he could finally hear her. Her voice gave away the fact that she was currently delirious from the cold, causing Okita to amble his way towards her bed as he placed a hand over his forehead, the other one reaching for hers.
"Yeah, had something to do," he absent-mindedly answered with the bluff, determined not to let her know that he had been checking his appearance for a good ten minutes outside her house. That would be a little too embarrasing to admit, even for him. "Your fever is pretty high." His brows furrowed into a deep, concerned frown. "Did you go to the doctor or not? Sure you don't need medicine?"
"Already went," came her mumbled response, the letters leaving her in a barely articulate sentence as a cough interrupted her mid-way. The normally fierce baritone in her voice had long since waned, giving way to a smaller approach as she sounded almost timid in her manner of speaking. Okita would have found it admittedly adorable if it wasn't for the concern gripping him at his sides. "Already took the meds too."
"Then did you have anything to eat?" he proceeded to inquire, forcing his voice to adopt a neutral stance as he subdued the distress threatening to slither its way up the back of his throat. Although, there was probably no point in retaining his detached demeanor what with her appearing as if she hadn't a clear mind to even form a coherent thought, much less notice that he was worried about her.
"Kamui made some porridge for me," she replied in a pensive manner. "But I haven't had anything for lunch."
Okita studied her for a moment and concluded that she was rather out of it. He heaved a soft sigh as he decided to repudiate the last remnants of his male ego and permitted his love for her to permeate through the surface, just this once.
"Just rest, Kagura. I'll take care of you," he reassured her as he tucked a tress of vermillion hair behind her ear. He tried to ignore the slight joy that swelled in his heart as her name rolled off his tongue in a perfect flutter. What the hell, is it even possible to feel this happy just by saying her name? He shook his head at the thought.
The sadist clutched a gentle but firm hold on her shoulders as he slowly but tenderly pushed her down to the bed, forcing her to lie down once more as he smoothed out the blankets for her before pulling the sheets up to her chin. "If he made you something, there's probably still some in the kitchen. If not, I'll make you a meal myself."
"Sadist…" she started but did not refuse as he coerced her into a reclined position. Butterfly wings thrashed around in the pits of her stomach, warmth seeping into the little thing in her chest called her heart as his gentle fingers brushed her bangs away from her eyes. His touch was almost feather-like on her skin, seeming to soak in adoration. It made her somewhat gleeful and meek at the same time. "You can cook?"
"What do you take me for, a good for nothing?" he scoffed out his remark, though his words lacked the bite that would usually accompany this kind of sentence as he allowed himself one final blessing of running his hand in her lustrous hair before pulling apart.
"A little," she laughed, and Okita would have supplied his own condescending jeer in retort had the circumstances been normal. If they were normal, at least. But the girlish giggle that bubbled out of her throat elicited a smile from the habitually stand-offish officer instead, the slant of Okita's lips sprinkled with fondness as he gave China a tiny, playful flick on the forehead.
"Cheeky as always, aren't you," he quipped in with a teasing undertone in his casual voice. The smile plastered on his features broadened just a little bit when she made a small whine at the back of her throat. "Well, if you have the strength to be such a brat, I guess I shouldn't be too worried."
"I want sukonbu," she abruptly announced, the tone of her voice becoming even more demanding with each passing second. Not that Okita minded it in the slightest; he thought it was quite endearing.
"I'll run to the store and get it for you later, China. But you have to eat something more fulfilling first," he reminded her in a stern but benign baritone, blinking as her arm snaked out of the covers.
He had to resist the urge to squeal as she grabbed at his arm, mumbling something incoherent under her breath for the umpteenth time that day as she wrapped her nimble fingers around his wrist. It has to be illegal to be this cute. The thought involuntarily occurred in his head as he eyed her situate his hand over her cheek, a pleased, child-like grin that spread from ear to ear reaching her lips as she nuzzled her nose into the skin of his palm. The tiny gesture caused shivers to travel down his spine and accelerated the speed of his loudly thumping heart even further as warmth pooled in his gut at the lovable display.
"Noooo." Her lips jutted forward into a cutesy pout as she shook her head from side to side in a furious manner. Okita had to stop himself from kissing her right then and there as she simply tightened her hold around him when he attempted to pull his hand away. "You can't. You have to stay 'ere, and…er, talk to me," she implored in a clingy entreat, burying his fingers into her sweat-soaked tresses as she went on, "I want you to spoil meeeee."
Okita was torn between hugging her to death and forcing her to suck his fingers if she really was that adamant to cling onto his arm. "If only you were this adorable all the time," he murmured under his breath before he could stop himself, though the girl didn't seem to perceive the hushed whisper that left him as she impossibly reinforced her grasp on his wrist, apparently insistent in her efforts in order to make him stay. At least her hard-headedness remained the same. "You tryna break my arm or something, China?"
"I'm not China." She sulked, nuzzling her cheek against the bony structure of his wrist before placing soft, feather-like kisses on the tips of his fingers. Okita was both tempted to shove something else in her mouth and to spoil her to bits, but he chose to do neither. "I'm Kagura." Her voice had dropped to a lower octave, harboring a hint of mischief and undertones of seductiveness as she flashed him an impertinent grin. "I liked it when you called me by my name. Do it again."
Despite his utmost endeavors to not permit himself to give in to her endearing demands, Okita couldn't find it in himself to subdue the need to spoil her. If only for a little.
"Hmm. Let's see." He feigned a considering stature as he tilted his head to the side, as if contemplating whether to relent to her wishes or not. But it didn't take long for a roguish grin to tug at the corners of his mouth as he traced the glossy, plump texture of her pink-tinctured lips. Her mouth parted just a little and he let her give him an experimental lick as her tongue darted out to lap at his thumb. The action spurred him on and made his blush at the same time.
"Kagura. Kagura. Kagura." It was perfect and wonderful. Almost heavenly. The feeling of her name rolling off his tongue – it was satisfying in more ways than one. The blossoming buds of affection sprouting in his heart were spreading like wildfire, his love for her intensifying at an alarming rate as he watched her giggle with each time he said her name, more than patently overjoyed at the sound. "Kagura. Kagura." He swallowed a lump in his throat, licking his lips in order to soothe the urge to kiss her senseless as she once again began to trail lingering smooches all over his hand. "Kagura."
"Stooopp." She burst into a wholehearted bouts of laughter as his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot at the back of her ear, his nails giving tender but teasing scratches at the skin there. "That tickles. Mmm…"
The grin that had never wavered from his lips broadened ever so slightly even as he ceased his ticklish ministrations. His cheeks hurt, but he couldn't care less at the moment. "You're really asking for it, aren't you," he remarked more to himself than to her, his voice at a dangerously low notch as she sounded barely audible but inviting whines from the back of her throat. "Are you trying to kill me with a cuteness overdose? Can I eat you?"
Her giggles subsided, leaving in its wake only a delighted smile as it slanted at the edges of her lips. The salmon-colored flush on her cheeks came across as more of a glow than a blush, but it was intensely lovable regardless.
Her teeth skimmed over the callous flesh of his fingers before giving the tip of his ring finger a small bite. "Not if I eat you first," came her impish response as she proceeded to nip at various parts of his hand, her mouth skating downwards to his wrist where she granted the bone there a featherlight but affectionate peck. "You taste nice. Maybe tastier than sukonbu."
"You're being a little too frisky there, Kagura," he chuckled, the sound low and guttural as her actions gave rise to both fermenting desire and overbearing love as he eyed her canoodling with his arm. "Might wanna punish you later, but I'll save that for after you're better." He shook his head and fluttered his eyelids in a couple of blinks in an attempt to clear the haze of blended hunger and devotion clouding his mind and charging his insides. "That's enough now, kitten. I have to feed you something…and this time, it ain't my hand, you little cannibal."
He pried her fingers off of him, ignoring her whiny protests all the while. "I'm not letting you go until you give me kisses," she cried, thrashing about in her bed.
I feel like you're begging for more if you keep doing that. He mused to himself, before awarding the dirty thought with an inward kick at himself in the shin. It was China's fault though; she should have known she was inviting something else as well if she was going to seduce him like that. The sweet, lovable, sexy China…
He sighed as she refused to stop complaining and halt her twisting in the covers despite his requests for her to be still. But this time he couldn't repudiate the desire to touch her just a little as he delivered a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. "You're drunk from the fever, Kagura. I'll give you kisses and more when you're fully healed, okay? For now, you'll have to do with this," he told her, voice firm and loving at the same time as he pressed his lips once, twice, and third time over her forehead and hairline. "Now stop being a brat and let me take care of you."
"But…" she went to object, only to be forced into silence as he hushed her.
"Don't say anything or I really will do more than that this time. You can't go throwing yourself around men like that, okay?" A sudden wave of possessiveness washed over him as he continued, this time not bothering to curb the jealousy in his words as he echoed, "I might end up throwing a guy or two in jail. Might even end up shooting them dead, ya know? Wouldn't want innocent civilians to pass on for no reason, now would you?"
"You're just twisted." A sneeze interrupted her before she went on, "Most guys don't go that far when they're being a jealous bitch."
"Well, you know I'm corrupted in more ways than one, China." He watched the pout of disappointment crossing her face as he started calling her by the nickname he provided her with once again. "Don't sulk. If I say Kagura another time, you'll never let me free of your evil clutches."
A snort fizzled out from her chest before she stuck her tongue out at him in a playful manner. "You said it though. You called me Kagura again just now."
"Shut up. Why are you so giddy about that?" The question escaped him before he could stop it in its tracks, and although a lingering touch of fear perturbed him, a rush of anticipation also slithered into his system as he awaited her answer.
"Um…dunno, I guess I just like it," she mumbled in a small voice, sleepiness lurking underneath as her eyes threatened to flitter close. She must have drained all of her energy with all that adorable display from earlier. Her eyelids fluttered shut just as Okita shook his head and pulled the sheets up to her chin once again.
"Crazy how much I want you," Okita uttered the words in a barely audible hushed whisper as he eyed her chest heaving up and down, as if she had already caved in to her slumber. The sound of his battering heart was still blaring in his ears, and it threatened to jump out of his chest with its brisk beats. He hesitated as a pause loitered in the air before he then leaned down, craning his neck just a little to grant the sleeping girl a kiss at the shell of her ear.
His warm breath hovered over her nape as he whispered, "Crazy how much I love you, Kagura."
But of course, she didn't hear that. Not that he expected her to, considering she was already swimming in dreamland. For the second time, his confession failed to reach her ears. Not that he minded though. He would spend the rest of his life trying to convey his feelings to her if he could.
That was how much she mattered to him.
JuneyOkikagu- Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm glad to be back, hehe. Yeah, hopefully, it went well. It was a nice experience, though I'm worried about how well I did. And thanks for the wishes, she's getting better :) I'm honored that you were that excited to see me update. The love given to me by this fandom makes me giddy. I'm also glad that I managed to put Sougo's feelings into words, lmao, I was worried about him being out of character. And I'm hoping that their interaction in this chapter managed to warm your heart XD. It certainly made me gush the entire time I was writing this lol.
lightbattery- Thank you, dear. You and the other reviewers are so sweet T.T I don't deserve this much love from all of you. Lmao, seriously though, he and Kagura have too much pride to admit that they care. They like to go about it in complicated ways XD. I like that about their dynamic though. And, well, Sougo's certainly not gonna give up that easily now that he knows how he really feels about her. I guess you could say he's being nicer now that he's realized he loves her? Lololol. And yes, no worries, I'll be updating as frequently as I can.
CheeryLola- Lololol, I'm happy to hear that you were that overjoyed with my update XD. I didn't think this story would get so many supportive and lovely readers, and I'm glad it did. Happy to know that me updating could have made your day in any possible way. I'm sorry for all the wait, but no worries, it's all worth it cause I'm back to updating like before XD. Well, if you think the previous chapter was fluff, I wonder how you would like this update? A little too much fluff? Or still very fulfilling? Lmao. Smut and fluff are both my weaknesses. And don't fret, I'll give you plenty of moments of Okita chasing after Kagura and Kagura being the naïve Yato that she is XD. Again, I'd like to thank you and everyone else for giving this fic so much love. You guys are the driving force for me when it comes to writing. And I'm happy that you like how I write, it's one of the things that I'm most insecure about as a fanfic author T.T
Heatherishere- Yes, it's me. The one and only :D lol. I've been great, dear! Thanks for asking and hopefully the results for the internship program is good so that I don't have to go through another semester repeating it again T.T Lmao, your analogy about the estranged wife touches my little heart. I can't tell you how much you and the reviewers made my day with all these wonderful feedbacks. Oh, yeah, about that. I had to reupload it lmao, but it's up again. Your analogies are really sweet though, you're making me giddy here. And, awww, that's so kind of you to say that! I'm happy that you're enjoying the ride so far. :)
