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 16

A hand draped a small towel over damp tendrils of midnight blue mane as Saitou rubbed it over his head in an attempt to dry his wet hair. His eyelids fluttered open as his aurelian gaze swept over his phone that was lying discarded on his pillow on the bed, a predatory glint entering his golden pools as the slightest hint of a smirk trailed its way to his lips.

Well, that was a rather eventful call indeed. His shoulders gave out little convulsions as a silent laughter erupted from his throat as he recalled his previous interaction with the little female officer named Kagura. She was a rather interesting specimen – her monstrous strength was a direct contrast to the relatively endearing demeanor she endorsed whenever he poured honeyed words over her. Saitou had his own share of women chasing after him, but this was the first time anyone had genuinely garnered his interest. Perhaps it was the numerous contradictions that coexisted within her that piqued his fascination – violent but oddly timid, crude but strangely sweet, and while she lacked any ounce of femininity, she retained a sense of innocence that mingled with a shred of sexiness that could seduce even the most disinterested men. He couldn't help but want to get to know her, if only to figure out what would make her tick.

Or maybe he himself had a sadistic streak to him. The grin on his lips took a turn for a self-satisfied sneer as his mind alternated to the man called Okita Sougo. Oh, yes. He was quite a riveting subject as well, despite his stand-offish bearing. Saitou had countless instances where he had to stifle an amused howl of laughter whenever he caught the undeniable wave of jealousy radiating off of him whenever he tried to pull unwanted romantic advances on Kagura. In spite of his detached scarlet orbs, there would regularly be undertones of possessiveness in his composed depths when in came to her. Saitou found it both intriguing and entertaining to see such an aloof man lose his cool over a single woman. He couldn't resist the urge to test his waters, to try and see how much he could jab at Okita's affections and envy over Kagura before he would forgo his restraints.

His train of thought travelled to what had occurred in the phone call earlier. Kagura sounded tempting with all those ecstatic moans, and Saitou couldn't help but find himself getting hot and bothered over hearing the erotic noises she was emitting. Oh, but that wasn't even the best part. Even though he hadn't been able to see her partner in her sexual rendezvous, Saitou was terribly aware of the identity of the man not so discreetly bedding her throughout the entirety of the call. Okita Sougo.

What a hilarious man. Truly. It was a difficult feat to repress his laughter at how desperate Okita had been attempting to stake his claim on Kagura in front of him. But of course, Saitou was not one to be deterred so easily. If anything, the more Okita struggled to keep her in his grasp, the more Saitou wanted to snatch her away from his fingers.

Oh, yes.

Even after he had left the family drug-trafficking business, Saitou no doubt preserved his family's devilish hereditary. He undeniably enjoyed watching relationships fall apart, and it wasn't even for anything but to satiate his need to repudiate his boredom. And this time, Okita and Kagura were his new toys – and he was arguably having the most fun with them. He had destroyed many lives for the sake of his own pleasure, and they wouldn't be exceptions to his corrupted fixations. But of course, that didn't mean he didn't harbor a splinter of adoration for Kagura – she was cute, admittedly, and though he wouldn't go as far as to say he was in love with her, he would unabashedly acknowledge the fact that she would be quite a partner to have.

Saitou wouldn't lie; he liked seducing women with his prince-like conduct. How easy it was for them to fall into his embrace whenever he showered them with downpours of empty promises and sweet phrases. How effortless it was to observe them slowly but gradually becoming his pawns just because he was a little nice and acted like the epitome of a perfect gentleman around them. Whenever something caught his interest, Saitou would attempt to sink his claws into them. And whenever he was getting tired of them, he would throw them away as if they were mere garbage.

But if it was Kagura, he wouldn't mind keeping her by his side. The woman at least seemed like she was able to entertain him for a longer time than the other unsophisticated ladies before her.

He flopped down on the bed, his back bouncing against the mattress as he fixed a thoughtful stare on the spinning fan on the ceiling. He seemed to consider something, before a wicked grin eventually found its way at the corners of his mouth. Well, if Okita wanted to play dirty, Saitou was more than willing to engage in the battle – he would show him how low he would stoop just to keep Kagura forever out of his bounds. If Okita reckoned that he would back off just like that after that little call, he was sorely mistaken.

After all, Saitou was one that preferred a challenge. The more something posed as a provocation towards him, the more he was tempted to tear it apart.


"Good afternoon."

Gin blinked his dead-fish eyes at the unrecognizable face entering through the doors of the police station. Shinpachi, who had been preoccupied with gushing over Otsu's newest hit single, discerned the older man's lack of interest in his fanboy blabberings as his attention was fixated on the newcomer. It wasn't until Gin stopped spouting insults at him did he finally perceive the foreign voice greeting them.

The cherry boy followed Gin's gaze, brows furrowing into a deep and baffled frown at the blue-haired man offering them a cordial smile. He was clad in a simple jet black buttoned down shirt that was tucked into the denim jeans garbing his long legs, but what seemed to invite Gin's irritation was not his manner of styling himself – rather, it was the godly handsome looks the man possessed. He was almost on par with Okita, when Shinpachi took another moment to take in his features.

"What the hell? Does this fic need another walking Adonis around?" Gin groused under his breath, suddenly more interested in complaining than immersing himself in the dirty magazine in his hands. "I swear, at this rate, the spotlight's never gonna be on poor Gin-san. I'm the main character of the anime, there's obviously something wrong with this setup."

"This fanfic isn't about you anyway, Gin-san," Shinpachi retorted drily as he spared a brief second to send a withering look in the wavy-haired officer's direction. He then averted his scrutiny back towards their visitor, a polite smile adorning his face in spite of the undertones of envy in his brown irises as he granted himself another look-over at the good-looking man. A single eyebrow twitched even as he respectfully addressed the walking Adonis, "Good afternoon to you as well, sir. And, er, who might you be?"

"Oh, how rude of me to barge in without introducing myself first. My name is Saitou Shuu. I suppose you lovely lads are aware of who I am?" the man calmly presented himself, disregarding the sight of Gin's and Shinpachi's jaws falling slack to the floor in pure shock as the recognition finally settled in on them.

"Y-y-you're the twin of the drug ring leader!" Gin pointed a trembling finger in his direction, and Saitou quietly noted the comical manner in which his face contorted into a rather odd expression from the sheer horrified surprise. His red pupils dilated, his eyes growing as wide as saucers, as his mouth endorsed a weird jutting fashion. "A-a-are you here to sue us for stalking you and mistaking you for a criminal for months? I-I'll have you know that I wasn't involved in defaming your identity at all, okay?!"

Saitou's mouth twitched, but the man repressed himself before a small chuckle could ripple out of him. Goodness, are all the members of the police force such potential entertaining playthings? Perhaps he should stay in this town a little longer just to bless his eyes with all of their idiocy.

He bestowed himself a milisecond to calm his inwardly laughing self before he verbalized the well-articulated words, "Oh, my. That little thing? No worries, it was of no convenience at all. Although, I would admit that the fact that the police force has been watching me 24/7 for some months was a little unnerving when I first found out about it." That was a bluff – he didn't particularly care for the fact that they had been observing him. If anything, he just wanted to see them grovel.

To his amusement, they did. Well, almost.

He bit on his tongue to stifle another burst of laughter when Shinpachi and Gin practically slammed their heads against the coffee table in their alarmed attempt to proffer an apologetic bow, looking as if they were about ready to get on all fours and beg for forgiveness right then and there as the stumbling words left them in a shriek, "W-w-we apologize for the trouble! We reprimanded our intel for his mistake, but if you need to punish him more, we'd be more than glad to oblige and show you where he is, sir! B-but in exchange, don't drag us along in the lawsuit, please!"

Oh, lord. Saitou was having too much eyeing them prostrating themselves in front of him – but he briskly quelled the urge to absorb himself in this newfound enjoyment as a reminder of the purpose of his visit eventually came into mind once more.

"Goodness, you don't really need to go as far as bending your backs for someone such as myself," Saitou expelled the reassuring dismissal as he raised both arms up in the air and went to wave them frantically in a consoling manner. He adopted a remorseful expression on his features despite inwardly still doubling over the hilarious spectacle. Oh, he was such a good liar. He was almost disappointed when the two officers straightened their backs to look up at him, but he retained his friendly bearing as he asked, "I do not need to know the whereabouts of your intel, nor do I need to talk to him. However, can you show me where Kagura-san is? I have important matters to discuss with her, you see."

Gin relaxed his stiff posture the minute he detected no malice from the man, though an ounce of suspicion lingered despite the courteous smile reaching his lips as he responded in an uncharacteristically well-mannered fashion, "Uh, Kagura? What business do you have with her exactly?" He scratched the back of his silver head as he let out an awkward and nervous laughter.

"I was thinking of asking her out on a date, actually," Saitou coolly replied, patently aware of the sudden frissons of bloodlust scattering from them as their eyes abruptly adopted a menacing look. "We've gotten quite close for the past few weeks, you see. I've taken quite a liking in her, but she declined my offer the first time so-"

He was half-astonished and half-amused – well, maybe 3/4 amused – when both cops pulled out their respective guns from the sides of their hips with a speed of lightning at the same time. Almost immediately, Saitou felt the cold metal of the muzzles of two pistols pointing at either of his temples as the pair held him at gunpoint. Yet, despite the looming threat of feasible demise, he maintained his fearless approach as the congenial smile on his lips remained unwavering.

"Like hell am I letting your grimy fingers all over her," Gin snarled, the sound feral, low and dangerous as he basically shoved his pistol against one of Saitou's cheeks. "You think just because you've got the looks of a hot idol you can strut your way in and sink your teeth into Kagura, huh? You goddamn prince."

Saitou emitted a short-lived laughter as he leaned away ever so slightly, the sound awkward but harboring an underlying touch of amusement as his eyes flashed a dangerous glint at them for a brief moment before he recouped his mask of charming politeness.

"Oh? Did I perhaps strike a nerve? Don't tell me that you two are interested in her as well?" he gestured the curious inquiry at them as he tilted his head to the right a little in a thoughtful manner. Feigning a soft, defeated sigh and endorsing a forged expression of concern, Saitou then proceeded with a heavy tone that came across as genuine to others but terribly fake only in his ears, "And here I thought I was only fighting against Okita-san for her affections, but apparently Kagura-san is quite the sought-after woman, hm? I couldn't possibly win against the three of you striking lads. Each and every one of you are quite attractive in your own ways after all, and I'm nothing but a waiter for a barely-known restaurant."

His mouth twitched a second time when the two almost faltered from the praises he was giving them and nearly pulled apart their guns from him, apparently enjoying the downpour of compliments as if they had been deprived of them for a long time. However, they eventually regained a sense of themselves as they once again redirected their pistols to his face.

"We don't see her that way at all," Shinpachi started, his voice deadly serious as his eyes suddenly became bloodshot, "but we're gonna scare away any of her suitors anyway. Whether it's you or Okita-san, we're not letting anyone near her."

Well, you've certainly failed in that regard. He scoffed in his musings as he recalled the steamy events taking place from the other line of the call he had with Kagura the previous night. But outwardly, he slanted his lips upwards into an understanding smile, "Ah. I see. Taking into account the murderous nature you're emitting, I'd reckon the both of you are the overprotective brothers. My, it would seem winning her hand in marriage is going to be a rather difficult feat."

Saitou almost doubled over right then and there when Gin's features contorted into a look of petrified shock beyond comprehension as the wavy-haired police officer basically stammered before he then screeched bloody murder, "H-h-her hand in marriage?! Y-you filthy scoundrel! You think we'll give you our blessing?!"

He went to verbalize some kind of response, but cut himself short when the clicking of high heels echoed in his ears. As if on cue, he whirled his head around just in time to see Kagura and Okita halting in their tracks right behind him. A pair of ceruleans blinked at him in a mixture of confusion and surprise, whilst another pair of rubies narrowed into slits at him, the lost of humanity in them perceptible as the glimmer in Okita's eyes waned away to be replaced by a noticeable tinge of possessiveness.

Not surprisingly, Okita's arm instantly reached outward to wrap around Kagura's waist, further confounding the already nonplussed girl as she let out a high-pitched startled yelp from the abrupt feeling. But Okita ignored her incessant questioning as his attention remained on Saitou, an animalistic growl erupting from his chest as he inquired, "And what the hell are you doing here? I thought we were done with you."

"A pleasure to see you again, Okita-san," Saitou ignored his menacing posturing and opted to conserve his gallant bearing as he greeted him with the addition of a respectful bow. He smirked to himself when he felt the remnants of frustration blended with infuriation he could feel coming from Okita as he did this. But he slipped on his mask of charming chivalry once he straightened his back and met Okita's hawk-eyed gaze once more. "As unfriendly as ever I see. Although, I wouldn't blame you, considering that I'm making moves on your beloved."

He examined the flush of faded pink coloring Okita's cheeks in a fusion of both embarrassment and anger, the abrupt nervousness and fueled ire dancing in his wine red irises almost prompting a laugh from Saitou before he swiftly composed himself. Kagura, on the other hand, remained as oblivious as ever as she blinked twice in a baffled fashion at the statement.

"Beloved?" she resonated the word with conspicuous bewilderment as she became more and more conscious of the sensation of Okita's hold around her tightening ever so slightly. She spared a brief glance at the sadist, blood rushing to her head all of a sudden – though whether it was out of the feel of his arm around her waist, or the possessive expression on his handsome features, she was unsure.

"Um, Saitou," Kagura refocused her attention to the blue-haired lad in a desperate effort to ignore the budding of…something in her chest at the sight of Okita's insecurities displayed in full glory, "I'd like to ask you the same. Why are you here? Do you have something to report or…?" she trailed off when Saitou outstretched a hand to take hers, taken aback for a moment when he leaned forward to plant a small, featherlight kiss on the back of her hand. For some reason, disgust and guilt prodded at the insides of her gut and caused her to draw back the instant she felt his lips on her skin, averting her gaze when Saitou blinked at her pulling her fingers out of his grasp.

At the same time, Okita's arm reinforced its grip around her almost painfully so as another bark vibrated through his chest, "Oi. Stop touching what's not yours, or I'll stick my foot so far up your ass you won't even be able to shit anymore, you asshole."

"Goodness, how crude. There are better ways to phrase that, Okita-san," Saitou laughed, his civil approach fixed in place despite the challenging glint in his aurelians as they silently provoked the brown-haired officer with the muted message only the two men comprehended: Possessive much? She's not yours either, from what I could remember the last time we met.

She'll be mine, you fucker. The thin line of quiet chagrin on Okita's lips swore as the deep scowl was now plastered on his face. "There are better ways to phrase my hatred towards you as well," he began to reply in kind, "but I'm gonna settle with this: leave China alone and get the hell out of here before I shoot you."

"Should a police officer be threatening a civilian in such a manner?" Saitou coolly retorted instead as he brushed away at a single strand of blue hair that was led astray before he tucked it back to the rest of his bangs. Although, he could say the same for the couple of buffoons still persistently pointing their guns at the back of his head. It was quite humorous at first, but now all this holding him at gunpoint was beginning to get on his nerves. A determined flicker permeated the composed depths of his golden irises as he went on in a stern baritone, "You have no need to fret about having to bear with my presence for much longer, I can promise you that. But I am not leaving this place until I receive what I came here for."

At that exact moment, Hijikata and Kondo decided to make their appearance. The mayo addict, having perceived Saitou's unexpected presence, then pointed an accusing finger at the blue-haired man, his voice as perplexed as the bewilderment evident on his features as he asked, "Isn't that Saitou Shuu? Why is someone like him at the police station? What business does he have here?"

"Seriously," Kondo agreed as he craned his head to the side in a considering fashion, "and what's with you guys? Why are you levelling your weapons at a defenseless civilian? You finally lost your marbles?"

But no one even bothered to acknowledge either of them. Gin and Shinpachi seemed to be too busy to even perceive their presence as they attempted to assemble Saitou's attention with various death threats and savage insults that probably needed to be censored just for being abnormally stupid and primitive. They kept shoving the muzzle of their guns at Saitou's back, but their target in particular appeared adamant to treat them as if they weren't in the room. Then again, neither Kagura nor Okita looked as if they were about to grace them with a reaction or two either.

Hijikata and Kondo waited another second for a response, but when none greeted them, a vein began dangerously popping at the left side of their foreheads as fermenting exasperation started to pool in the pits of their guts.

"Oi, answer us, you nitwits!" Hijikata roared angrily as he pulled out his gun and vehemently directed it at Saitou's head. Oh, great. Saitou had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes in a display of annoyance as he kept his gaze on Okita instead. "You there! Why are you here?! State your business and leave!"

But of course, as to be expected, Saitou had no interest in justifying them with an explanation. If anything, he was more preoccupied in the glaring contest he was indulging himself in with Okita.

Then, as if Hijikata and Kondo – or even Gin and Shinpachi for that matter – were a mere speck of dust in the air, the trio of Kagura, Saitou and Okita continued to ignore them in favor of continuing their conversation.

"What you came here for?" Kagura repeated Saitou's previous words in a curious voice, the perplexity puddling even more in her subconscious as she watched the two men interact as if they were in their own world. "What are you talking about? And why are you guys talking in your own language? That's kinda weird."

Before Okita could inquire the same question in a less friendly fashion or Saitou could justify her with an answer, Gin and Shinpachi quipped in with annoyed bellows after their irritation from being ignored eventually escalated to a fevered pitch. "He wants to go out on a date with you, you blind brat!" they shouted in unison, somehow frustrated that Kagura still hadn't caught on to the rivalry going on between Saitou and Okita.

It was at least as clear as day to the rest of them aside from Kagura, and it was almost vexing to see her so blissfully impervious to the fact that the two men were basically brawling for her attention. Okita's jealousy and possessiveness, and Saitou's constant provoking, were prominent through the palpable insinuations in their conversation and the fleeting glimpses of Okita's death glares and Saitou's challenging smirks here and there.

"Huh?! What was that, you scumbags?! Who are you calling a brat, huh?!" came Kagura's brisk holler in an instant heartbeat. However, the fury in her feisty voice eventually dwindled when the words that Gin and Shinpachi had shouted at her finally registered themselves in her brain. Her confounded self returned as she stammered before articulating a confused question in Saitou's direction, "Wait- what? Didn't I say no already?"

"Yes, well." Saitou conferred her a light shrug of his left shoulder as a warm smile found its way to his lips. "I suppose I don't take rejection as well as I thought. I'd like another chance- if you'd be willing to grant me that opportunity."

Kagura dithered and squirmed uncomfortably as she fidgeted awkwardly in Okita's pseudo-embrace. She inwardly noted the way his fingers trembled against one side of her hips as both men awaited impatiently for her riposte. She had to permit herself a fleeting glance at Okita, taking in the hint of fear lying dormant beneath his ruffled scarlet pools before she then discerned the slight quivering of his lips. It was almost as if he was praying to her to say no, and the almost begging touch in his eyes as he broke off his glowering contest with Saitou to peer down at her for a brief moment prompted her to decline again.

She expelled a soft, apologetic sigh before turning her attention back to Saitou. An equally apologetic smile tugged at her lips, "Sorry, Saitou, but I…"

Saitou, upon seeing the hesitation in her ocean blue eyes, immediately endorsed desperate measures. Well, he had no qualms stooping as low as he could to achieve his goals, and he knew just the method to commit to in order to make her agree and he had no reason for not going through with it.

"Well, I suppose it's to be expected. Considering that you're already on the verge of being in a relationship with Okita-san, I suppose you wouldn't even consider me a potential love interest, hm? It's quite obvious that the two of you are fond of each other. I presume it was foolish of me to try anyway despite knowing that," he feigned a heavy sigh as he faked a bitter smile. Of course, it was simply another trick up his sleeve. If there was anything he could take pride in, it was the fact that he could see through just about anyone and play them like a fiddle. Deceit was also his area of expertise, and manipulating others into acting the way he wanted them to was nothing short of a breeze for him.

And if there was one thing he was all too aware of regarding Kagura it was this:

The silly girl was a hopeless tsundere. A hopeless, prideful tsundere who wouldn't outwardly admit her feelings to herself, much less to other people – especially when the object of her affection is right there holding her. And the moment someone called her out on it, her first instinct would be to deny it with all she was worth.

Then, almost as if he had anticipated it, a small, self-satisfied smirk twitched at the corners of his mouth as Kagura began reacting as he had expected. Her cheeks reddened a bright shade of wine scarlet, her eyes as broad as saucers as her mouth quaked before forming out a bunch of lies, "W-what are you talking about, you idiot?!" The thunderous stutters of denial bubbled out of her before she could stop herself. "T-there's no way I'd want someone like this sadist! First of all, he's a sadist, okay?! Not to mention, he's annoying, trash, scum and he's filthy and unhygienic! His house is a mess, his personality stinks, his feet stink, and he's- he's- and I hate him, okay?! That's never gonna change! We're never gonna be more than what we are right now! I-I don't like him at all, alright?! I'd never, never," she inhaled a harsh, shaky intake of breath, her face as red as a tomato and hot as fire as she screamed out the last few sentences with the highest octave she could think of, "never ever date him! Hell, I'll never fall for him. Even if the world ends, I'll never-"

Okita tuned out the rest of her exaggerated reaction as a sting of hurt stabbed at the middle of his chest. His heart constricted, almost as if a snake was coiling around it as an overbearing and patent surge of ache prickled from underneath his skin. Almost instantly, the torment was accompanied by the added sensation of nausea building from somewhere in the depths of his stomach as an unknown lump stuck itself in his throat. He could almost hear his heart breaking as Kagura eventually finished her rampage,

"-never, like him for more than just sex! It's just sex and it's never gonna be more than that, alright?!"

The syllables that left her were nothing but a long string of messy blubbers – nothing but a disheveled collection of fiction that she was trying to convince herself to believe in as she refused to acknowledge her own romantic feelings for a certain brown-haired cop. Saitou knew this, but Okita didn't. She was lying to herself – and Saitou knew this, but Okita didn't.

And when he caught the flicker of hurt in Okita's widening irises, and noticed the shocked grieve in the way his lips parted open in a silent plea for Kagura to stop – Saitou could only think of a single line of musing: ah, I'm glad she's a tsundere. Makes things a lot easier.

Kagura's breathing was labored by the time she was done with her loud exclamations, but it took her a while before she distinguished the fact that the once deafening ruckus in the room had abated, leaving in its wake only dead silence as an odd, unbearable tension began filling the air. She looked around, unnerved by the unexpected disquietude, and noted the awkward posturings of Hijikata, Gin, Shinpachi and Kondo as they appeared uncomfortable with whatever was going on.

Long moments of silence passed before Gin eventually spoke, his voice a rather delicate tone as he verbalized, "Uh, Kagura? I think you didn't need to react that way, you know? Even if you're a tsundere, that was pretty harsh."

"Yeah, especially when Okita-san is…" Shinpachi trailed off as he pressed his lips tight, uncertain if he should even utter more as the pressure in their surroundings renewed in tensity.

"What are you guys on about?" Kagura asked them, confused, but soon darted her eyes at Okita. The moment their eyes locked, hers broadened in startled remorse at the hurt evident in his scarlet ones. Wait, that isn't how you should respond, she wanted to tell him, but couldn't find it in herself to voice the words out loud. She noticed the way he gritted his teeth to bite back some sort of negative retort, the pained manner in which he shut his lips tight and rerouted his gaze somewhere else, almost as if unable to look at her. There was the slightest hint of his quivering mouth, the telltale signs of water welling in his eyes – before he all too abruptly blinked them away.

That wasn't how he should respond. Shouldn't he be laughing it off? Shouldn't he be agreeing with her? Shouldn't he be insulting her back?

Okita Sougo seemed to be wavering in unease as he appeared to hold himself back from saying something. He looked hurt, like he was about to either cry or shout at her. He shouldn't be acting this way. He was acting as if-

-as if he liked her.

The sight of him tugged at her heartstrings.

"Sadist…" she tried, the abrupt guilt pooling in her belly finally forcing her to speak. But he didn't seem interested in hearing what she had to say. If anything – "if you're gonna spout out shit that's gonna hurt me again, save it, China," his eyes seemed to tell her as he glared at her one last time before eventually releasing his hold, loosening his arm from its grip around her waist as he pushed both hands into the safety of his pockets.

"Do whatever the hell you want. I don't even care what happens to you," he growled, the words not only stabbing into her heart but his own as he stifled the sniffle that almost broke out of him once the words left him. He spared a brief second to give Saitou a dark glower before walking past him – and away from China – to flop down on one of the sofas in the office.

Okita had to take some moments to calm himself, but the more he tried to vanquish the overwhelming wave of torment swirling in his chest, the more it grew. All of a sudden, it felt like he couldn't breathe.

Truth be told, he hadn't expected her to reciprocate his feelings. He had hoped of course, hoped and hoped… Yet it wasn't as if he was going to coerce her into returning his affections. Still, to be rejected indirectly in this manner…

"I hate him, okay?! That's never gonna change! We're never gonna be more than what we are right now! I-I don't like him at all, alright?!"

"I'd never, never, never ever date him! Hell, I'll never fall for him. Even if the world ends, I'll never, never, like him for more than just sex!"

"It's just sex and it's never gonna be more than that, alright?!"

With each word that rippled out of her lips – lips he adored but hated at the same time at the moment – it was almost as if she was throwing knives and needles directly at his beating heart. With each syllable that slithered out her throat, it felt as if she was choking the air out of his lungs. It hurt, a lot more than he had expected.

Right. Of course. Just sex. That was the initial agreement. Sex between two individuals that resented each other. Sex between two people who concurred that there would be no strings attached. He knew this and yet-

-it pained him a lot more than he thought to have it slap him across the face. Reminding him that he was an idiot. That he was stupid for falling for her when she obviously didn't feel anything for him.

Seriously, what were you hoping for, Sougo? She's hated you for the past seven years. What's changing now? He was torn between laughing and breaking down as the thoughts tore him apart.

Just sex. He kept repeating that line of musing in his head, but the more he repeated it, the more it echoed in his mind in her loud, thunderous voice. And the more her voice resonated in his subconscious, the angrier he became. All of a sudden, a wave of irritation permeated his insides as he violently whirled around to face her again. His eyes flashed red in both fury and hurt as he flung one of the pillows on the couch at her exasperating – but pretty, beautiful, lovable features.

"Go to hell, China! Go on the fucking date for all I care, I don't need you around anyway," the words escaped him before he could stop them. There was a flicker of pain in her cerulean orbs, and yet despite the remorse that wrenched at his heart, his own troubling emotions coerced him into not giving a damn at the moment.

Kagura was both angry and baffled at the tears peeking at the back of her eyelids. "F-fine then, asshole! I'll go on the date! I'll have fun without you! Whoever gives a shit about you anyway?!" she roared, the infuriated holler mingling with the tiniest hints of her snivelling as she hurled the pillow back at him as hard as she could, fuming when he side-stepped just in time to avoid it.

She suddenly didn't want to see him and wanted to see him at the same time.

Whilst the others remained as quiet and still as they possibly could. Although the sight of Kagura and Okita launching objects and bellowing each other was not something new, there was something different behind each syllable that the two exchanged this time around.

Saitou decided that now was the best time to interrupt with his beaming smile, "Then, let's meet up at my restaurant at 10:00 this Friday, alright, Kagura-san?" Boy, this was a lot easier than he had presumed it would be.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Kagura sniffled before angrily rubbing an arm over the snot dripping from her nose. She spared a brief glance at Okita, lips trembling when he refused to offer her a single look, before she gathered herself and trudged the other way. She needed food in her system or else she'd be drowning in tears before she knew it.

Okita finally turned to peer at the spot she was at once the clicking sound of her heels dissipated into nothingness. Let her go, he kept telling himself. If she hates me that much, then who the hell cares if she ends up with that scumbag? He kept telling himself. Stop hurting yourself, Sougo. She doesn't see you as nothing but an object to satisfy her lust, he kept telling himself.

He kept telling himself that he couldn't change the way she felt for him, kept telling himself that there was no point in clinging on to a woman that didn't want him. And yet…

"Sougo."

Her sweet voice repeating his name under her hushed breath echoed from the depths of his mind and it became even clearer to him:

And yet- he couldn't bring himself to release her that easily. He wasn't one to give up for sure, and if she was that adamant not to look at him in a different light, then he would simply make her.

"Well, this has been an enjoyable experience," Saitou turned to the others to bid them farewell. A lingering smirk loitered at the edges of his lips as his gaze swept over Okita – the cop's bangs covered his eyes as he downcasted his head in an almost defeated manner, and Saitou permitted himself a second to drink in the pleasant sight before rerouting his attention back to the rest of the police force, "but I suppose this is my cue to take my leave now. Have a wonderful rest of your days, please."

Then he spun on his heels, on the verge of leaving – only to stop himself when Okita's gruff voice reverberated in his ears,

"Oi. Lowlife."

He halted in his tracks, the smile never faltering from his lips even as he locked eyes with Okita's determined ones. The officer seemed to have steeled his resolve over something, and the wicked grin on his lips was both quivering and terrifying. Okita's rich and deep baritone was resolute with the undeniable implications of a warning as he uttered,

"Have fun on your little date with my Kagura this Friday, you hear? Because I'll be taking her back soon enough, that I can guarantee you."

It was a declaration of war, and it was spat out with a strong-willed demeanor. The tenacious glint in Okita's shimmering scarlet irises, the awfully confident grin tugging at the corners of his lips and the undaunted touch in his voice – all of it brought forth Saitou's own approval as the line of thought crossed his mind: oh, yes. That's right, Okita-san. You're not the type to cave in. That's what I like about you. Keep struggling.

"Of course." It was the first time in a very long while he had actually proffered anyone a genuine smile; though it spread on his face in a roguish sneer as he nodded his head once in an affirming fashion. "I'll look forward to it. Although, I'm not one to hand her over that easily either, Okita-san."

And with a final glance at Okita's direction, Saitou finally whipped around to eventually take his leave.

When he was gone, Hijikata directed his attention back at Okita. "Oi, Sougo. Do you actually…?"

Not even the fact that Gin and Shinpachi was now focusing their guns at him discouraged him from openly admitting his feelings for Kagura to the rest of the guys there:

"Yeah, I love China. I'm fucking head over heels for her. So what?"


A/N: This chapter had a little bit of angst included in there, but I promise it's all worth it by the end of this fic. Okikagu is still endgame so don't worry about me forcing them with other people. Give it a couple of updates and they'll end up professing their love to one another. And yes, Saitou is an evil jerk. That said though, I feel as if this particular update is a mess? Wonder if my writing has regressed in a matter of days lol. Also, I'm backing up my Gintama fics in AO3 just in case. My username there is Wendy_McCalister if anyone wants to know. If not, I'm just putting it out there anyway.

alcaponieeee, JuneyOkikagu, CheeryLola, Heatherishere, lightbattery- I wanted to mention this a while ago but I keep forgetting it. I've read about you guys having presentations and exams, and though it's probably too late for me to say good luck, I hope that everything went well for my dear readers. I see that a lot of you are busy with studies and wedding presentations, and so I appreciate you guys actively tuning in on my updates regardless. I love all of you. And don't worry too much about my migraines, I've been feeling better today. Thanks to Juney as well for recommendations on how to deal with them, I did as you suggested and it works like a charm. As usual, thank you as well for the wonderful reviews. You guys don't know how many times I've smiled while I reread your feedbacks. I'm happy you guys enjoyed the smut, was worried it might be a bit much or Sougo was OOC (might be OOC in this chapter ngl, but it's for the sake of the fic lololol). I was careful enough to make it as smutty but fluffy as I possibly could. I'm glad you guys loved the combo. I'm happy to have been able to make you guys laugh, gush and suffer nosebleeds throughout the entirety of the previous update lmao. Hope this one was good enough. Don't worry about the small angst, it's just gonna be there for a couple of chapters lmao. Anyway, hope you guys have a nice day, and I'm wishing you all good luck with whatever endeavors that you're dealing with. Hugs and kisses from myself to all of you! 3