Chapter 5: The Morning After is Just as Important as the Night Before

Rated M...again...

When Tsukuyo woke up again, she found herself alone and tucked up comfortably like a burrito in the futon. A very naked burrito, she realised and she blushed. She winced, blinking her heavy eyes at the bright light that accosted her and it took a moment before she was able to fully open them. The room was bright but she had no idea what time it was as she couldn't see a clock anywhere, but it must have been at least mid morning at a guess.

"Gintoki?" she called, looking around the room. His clothes were still scattered around on the floor, so he couldn't have gone far and she doubted that he'd just have run away when he'd woken up...especially without his clothes. She sat up on weak, tired limbs and grabbed his white yukata, wrapping it closed around her. Then she called his name again and heard him reply this time.

"In the bathroom," he called back.

She turned her head and saw that the shoji door that lead to the bathroom was open and she'd not noticed before. With a yawn she stood up and made her way over to the open door then down the corridor slowly, scrubbing a hand through her messy hair as she entered the bathroom.

"Mornin'," he said, sniffing a small bottle filled with pink bubble bath. "Why do all these smell like flowers?" he grumbled.

He was sitting on the edge of the large, cedar bathtub which was steadily filling with steaming water from the taps, wearing nothing except his boxers and he had faint silver stubble on his face.

"M...mornin'," she mumbled back, rubbing her bleary eyes. "Huh...d'ya jus'say 'flowers'?" she slurred.

"Yep, flowery bubble bath stuff, bottles of it."

"Oh...W'time's it?"

"Dunno, almost midday maybe," he shrugged and looked across at her. "You look like a zombie," he said with a small smirk.

"Oi," she glared at him with glassy eyes and he shrugged. "N'ver slept in this long b'fore," Tsukuyo said. "W're ya doin'?" she mumbled.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm running a bath," he answered, sighing at the bottle he was still holding. "Well, flowers it is, I guess," he said and poured the pink bubble bath into the bath. "I was gonna wake you up and let you have a bath but since we're both awake in here now we may as well share it," he said as the bubbles grew in the bath.

"...Eh?" she blinked, still a little muddled from sleep. "Eh...what? Y'mean...get in the bath...with ya?" she said.

"It's a big bath," he replied, "Why not?"

"'Cause...I don't...take baths with people."

"Not even in a hot spring?"

"N...never really been t'one," she said. Her life had been nothing but Yoshiwara until fairly recently and even now that she could venture outside the walled city, going to a hot spring wasn't really on her to do list.

"Well, this is as close as you're gonna get for now, I guess," Gintoki said, "Thinking about, it the last one I went to was haunted...by creepy, uno playing stands...so I'm not really in a hurry to go to another one. This is probably better," he said, turning off the taps.

"Uno?" Tsukuyo furrowed her brow, now even more confused but she decided not to ask. "Okay, we...can 'ave a bath...but ya gotta get out first," she declared just before he was about to take of his boxers to get into the bath.

"Out?"

"Of the room," she clarified.

"Why?" Gintoki asked, confused.

"'Cause..." she mumbled.

"What? Not still embarrassed are you?"

"It ain't that."

"Then what? Anyway, it's just a bath. It's more practical if we take a bath together, isn't it? We both kinda need one, right?"

"Yeah, prob'ly, but ya still gotta get out for a minute," she insisted.

"Why?"

"'Cause I need to pee and I don't want an audience," she relented and he snorted at her.

"Fine, tayuu, go pee," he said, walking off and waving a dismissive hand. "You better be quick," he added, leaving the room.

He sauntered back in while she was washing her hands and he climbed into the tub, relaxing against the back of the bath. The bubbles obscured most of his body from view as she stared at him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes eyes one more time.

"Hurry up, before the water gets cold," he said.

Her eyes fixed on the wall rather than him as she loosened her grip around his yukata that she was wearing and she let it fall to the floor, leaving her standing there naked. She stepped into the bath, still without looking at his face, and found herself settled between his legs, her back pressed against his chest. He wound his arms lightly around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Not so bad, right?" he asked and she nodded.

"Mmmm," she hummed.

"Y'know...I think you just gave me heart attack," he told her after a moment.

"Eh?"

"Standing there naked..."

"Ya just said not to be embarrassed 'cause..."

"Yeah, but I'm still surprised when you act so bold like that. I like bold Tsukki," he said. As he spoke, the fingers on on of his hands trailed lightly up her stomach and followed the curve under her breasts.

Tsukuyo looked down at her legs tangled with his but they were mostly obscured by the bubbles. She raised her right knee a little and watched as the bubbles trickled down her skin and the light in the room revealed old, pale slithers of skin where she'd been wounded along her leg.

"Forget how much I can still see 'em," she mumbled.

"Eh?"

"Was just thinkin'," she said and lowered her knee back into the water.

"What d'you wanna do that for? Don't think too much, it's too early..."

"Y'said ya didn't know what time it is."

"Well, I still feel kinda sleepy, so do you, so that means it's early enough," Gintoki reasoned.

"Hmmm," she hummed.

"What're you thinking about then?" he asked after a moment.

"I err...have a few...a lot of scars..." she explained.

"So do I," he shrugged. His left hand clutched at her waist while his right continued to trail under and over and across her breasts.

"It's brighter in 'ere than it was...before," she stated. Most of her scars had healed well, leaving only fainter patches and slithers of new skin that didn't match the rest perfectly, but there were a few that were still more noticeable.

"So?"

"So...ya can see 'em more," she explained.

"Do they still hurt?" he asked.

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Isn't one. I just...forget about 'em sometimes," she said, gently rubbing at a long line of lighter skin that ran along her left forearm.

He stopped her by putting a hand over hers. "You're a fighter, you're gonna have scars. I got enough of my own. Do we have to trade stories? We could both be here a while doing that and I can think of better things to do. I don't care about mine or yours. I didn't think you did either."

"I don't," she said.

"Good," he said. "Anyway, even if I'd noticed any of them, which I really didn't, what's it matter? They just prove you were stronger than whoever was try'na hurt you. You're alive and you healed and whoever did it is dead. It's that simple," he said.

"Guess so," she mumbled, thoughtfully.

"Don't still have to compare stories do we?" Gintoki asked, a little more playfully.

"No," Tsukuyo answered with a smile.

"Good, 'cause some of them are embarrassing," he scoffed.

"'S'fine. Some o' mine are too. Keep ya embarrassin' stories. But if ya tell me sometime, I'll try not laugh...much. And ya have to do the same."

"Deal," he said.

Tsukuyo turned around, admittedly with some difficulty in the confines of the bath, and she moved so that she was straddling him. He raised an eyebrow at her, but he didn't stop her. Instead, he helped her and when she was kneeling over him she didn't look at all embarrassed.

"What?" she asked when his eyes stayed fixed on hers.

"I'm just still wondering if I'm actually dead...or dreaming," he said, dryly.

"Didn't we go through that before?" Tsukuyo snorted, thinking of what he'd said after the first time they'd had sex the night before.

"Yeah, and I'm still not convinced," he said, gripping her hips gently.

"It's not my fault ya can't separate fantasy from reality. Maybe ya need to watch less TV," she said.

"Oi! Ask most guys and they'll tell you it's like a dream come true to have a naked woman in his lap. How am I supposed to know if that fantasy is real? I've had a lot of kunai head related injuries, y'know," he mocked.

"I told ya," Tsukuyo said, one hand trailing down his chest. "Ya head was bad before ya met me. It ain't my fault."

"I think we need to work on your sexy talk, Tsukki," he mumbled, kissing her neck and she couldn't stop a girlish giggle when his stubbly chin tickled her skin unexpectedly, so she pushed him back against the edge of the bathtub.

"Don't think I'm the type f'that," she said.

"How'd you know if you've never tried it?" his voice trailing off a little as her hand continued it's excruciatingly slow journey downwards.

"'Cause...don't people say 'talk is cheap' or somethin'?" Tsukuyo whispered, her fingers now ghosting over his thigh.

"Y...you're mocking a whole industry there, y'know?" he said and she grinned when he stammered. "People out there make good money from sexy talk hot lines," he added.

"Oh, ya'd know, huh?"

"Well, I can't judge someone else's job when I take whatever work comes along, can I?" he said.

"When ya can be bothered," she clarified.

"Well, yeah..." he began but trailed off with a groan when her hand finally passed over his balls and wrapped around him. She was surprised to find him already hard and it must've shown on her face because he smirked at her.

"Told you...most guys dream about having a naked woman in his lap," he scoffed, his voice sounding strained. It didn't help that her fingers were moving incredibly slowly and he had to wonder if she was trying to torture him or if she was just unsure. When she smirked at him, he figured that he got his answer and when her clever hand and fingers began to move with more pressure and he wasn't able to do much more thinking at all.

Whatever she'd leaned simply from simply growing up in Yoshiwara as well as her enthusiasm, clearly made up for any inexperience, at least to him. Maybe it was because it was her; she was a knockout woman and absolutely lethal in a fight - the perfect combination to make her ridiculously attractive to him. Or maybe it was just because he was a man and there was a woman touching him in ways that he hadn't been touched in a long time, but he could feel that it would be over ridiculously quickly if she didn't stop soon.

He tried to tell her that or at least he thought he did, but he couldn't be sure. Hell, the entire Bakfu government could arrive to arrest him and he probably wouldn't have noticed or even cared. The familiar disconnect between his mind and his body was rendering him far more helpless than anything else ever could.

"Ohhh...fuck that's..." he managed to say. Not exactly what he'd intended.

"Tha's what?" Tsukuyo asked, sounding smug. She leaned forwards and peppered light kisses along his lightly stubbled jaw and his neck while her hand continued to move up and down.

"Fuck," he breathed, tossing his head back. One of his hands was gripping her waist tightly and she moaned happily at the pressure.

While she found it extremely erotic to watch as he fought for control it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore her own needs and the raging fire she could feel in her belly.

Tsukuyo moved from his jaw and kissed him properly, both of them groaning into each other's mouths as their tongues caressed and then battled with desperate passion. She released him from her hand and gripped his shoulders, leaning over him she moved her hips forwards towards his and felt him slide easily inside her. There was still a faint, dull ache that she could feel, probably, she thought with a blush, from having sex three times within the space of a few hours, but it was far less than the first time, and it certainly wasn't enough to stop her from enjoying herself.

With an unsteady, wet hand he reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, getting her hair wet in the process, and then buried his fingers in her hair, holding her close as they kissed, desperately panting and moaning. His other hand still clutching her hip, without much thought, he promoted her to move, back a little and then closer to him again and again. She drew back and groaned, then slammed closer again, forcing him deep inside her with more force than he'd just done.

Neither of them noticed the water sloshing out of the bath all over the floor as she moved again and again and he pushed himself up to meet her as their moans echoed off the walls. Her knees ached from knocking repeatedly against the hard edge of the bathtub and her thighs were starting to ache as well but she didn't care.

"Gintoki," she managed to mutter between kisses as she rocked back and forwards repeatedly and he moved to meet her thrusts every time.

"Mmm?" he breathed. His hand was still around her waist and his other had moved to her breasts now, squeezing and pinching at her pebbled nipples.

"C...can't...close..." she panted.

"Hmmm," he said again, seemingly incapable of forming words when he was so close to the edge as well. Like she'd done to him before, he trailed his hand from her breasts down her stomach and to the apex of her thighs to where they were joined.

It didn't take much for either of them. When his fingers moved to touch her, adding only the slightest amount of pressure she tensed around him and let out the most beautiful sounding moan he'd heard her make yet. That was probably what triggered his own release a few seconds later, spilling inside her as she continued to rock against him gently.

It was a while before either or them regained the ability to speak and it was probably about a minute before Tsukuyo collapsed against him completely, stopping her gentle rocking motions as she rode out her orgasm. She felt limp, straddling him and feeling him soften still inside her. She didn't seem in a hurry to move away from him though.

"Where'd that come from?" he said, still sounding dazed with his head resting against the back of the bath and his arms around her.

"Hmmm?" she hummed. She was resting her head on his shoulder, her face nuzzled into him.

"You attacked me," he grinned. "And I think we might've messed up the floor," he said, peering over the edge of the tub to the soaked floor.

"Erm...oh," Tsukuyo blinked, as if coming back to reality. She pushed herself up a little so that she could look over the edge of the bath and felt a twinge of disappointment when she also felt him slide out of her and then she collapsed back against him. "Didn't mean t...wasn't thinkin' 'bout that," she said, shrugging over at the water logged floor.

"Me neither," he said. He drew his arm up and down her spine, tracing the tips of his fingers along her skin, making her shiver.

"I err..." she blushed, "I...I saw s...someone do tha' once..."

"'That'?" he repeated, "You mean...in the bath? You watched someone do...so, you're a peeping tom?"

"NO!" she yelled, lightly slapping his shoulder in annoyance. "I was there to protect the woman. The man she was with was known for bein' violent so I figured I should stay and make sure she was okay...and she...err...in the bath...I mean...I couldn't just leave her there with him, could I?" she snapped, embarrassed.

"And was she okay? The woman," he asked, deciding not to tease her any further.

"Mmmm," she nodded. "The bastard got what he wanted and he still tried to break her arm afterwards...so I broke his arm first...and his nose...and maybe a few ribs..."

Gintoki gave a quiet chuckle and held her close. "That's my girl," he said.

"...G...girl?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry, I meant woman," he said with a small grin. "One hell of a woman," he added.

"T...that's better," she stammered.

"If you planned all this from the start as the first date, I can't wait to see what you come up with for the second," he said after a moment.

"Eh...y'mean, ya want a second d...date?"

"Why wouldn't I? Don't you? You had a good time, didn't you? And I don't just mean the sex," he clarified. "I mean, that was good too, more than just good, but I don't mean like just a sex date I meant...Argh," he stopped with a sigh. "S'no good, you broke my brain, I can't think. What I meant was..."

"I get it," she said, rolling her eyes at him and smiling in relief. "I just didn't think ya'd want...more...so I wasn't gonna ask," Tsukuyo admitted. Honestly, she'd not thought beyond the one night. Not that she didn't want to think beyond that, but it had taken all of her courage just to actually plan that one night and she hadn't thought he'd have wanted more than that. She'd heard him say before that he never slept with the same woman twice and though she admitted, at least to herself now that she loved him, just because he'd slept with her three times now, didn't mean that he felt the same way. Did it?

"Why?" Gintoki asked again, startling her.

"J...just didn't think ya were the type. Ya said ya weren't."

"Guess I wasn't. Never really had a second date with a woman before. Was never really looking for that, honestly."

"And I never had a first or a second date with anyone...so it's fine," she muttered. She hadn't been an apprentice courtesan for long and most of that time had been spent in the punishment room, tied up like an animal in the dark for refusing to follow the rules. Then not long after that, she'd been taken under Jirai's wing and her training with him hadn't left any room or desire to spend time with men. Until now of course.

"Well, I'm a little fuzzy when it comes to second dates," he drawled. "So...remind me...what do people usually do after the first one? Isn't it usually...fancy restaurants or something?"

"H...how would I know?" Tsukuyo asked, surprised. "A...and I don't need anythin' like that," she added.

"Y'don't?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Hmm-mmm," Tsukuyo muttered and he sighed in relief.

"That's good," he exhaled. "'Cause I don't have the money for those those stupid places. What's the point in spending a fortune for a fancy meal when the portions are so tiny you leave feeling hungry anyway?"

"I don't need fancy restaurants," she reiterated. "We'd both prob'ly get bored somewhere like that anyway," she said.

"Probably," Gintoki agreed. "Then how 'bout this? If you want, I know this little old guy and he's got this little ramen stand out in the park, he runs it with his family, they're nice. Doesn't look like much, but the guy's a ramen genius, I swear. It's not fancy, but the food's amazing. His wife makes the best pies and he tells the best jokes, too."

"Sounds nice," Tsukuyo whispered, honestly. She hadn't even planned to pester him for more no matter how much she wanted to, but she was relieved that he'd actually done it. That meant quite a lot, especially coming from him.

"But you're staying away from the sake," he said.

"Obviously," she scoffed.

"Then that's what we'll do," he shrugged, "You can stay at my place. We can watch crappy tv and read Jump and eat cake. I'll kick the kids out for a bit, they can stay with Shinpachi's monster sister and god help them if she cooks for them. They're dead. Maybe I'll have to feed them before I kick them out."

"Ya can't just kick them out of their own home," she said.

"Oi, last time I checked it was my home. And anyway, you were pretty loud earlier, you really want them there listening to every little noise when we're..."

"Okay, okay, fine, I get it," she interrupted him. "I wasn't loud," she mumbled.

"Well, how would you know? You weren't paying attention."

"Neither were ya.."

"And you snore."

"I don't snore!" she exclaimed, finally raising her head from his chest and glaring at him.

"You snore like a trucker," Gintoki said.

"I don't!"

"Yes, you do," he smirked.

"Well, so do you!"

"Funny that Shinpachi and Kagura never mentioned it," he said.

"Maybe they just don't want ya to kick them out if they tell ya the truth," she retorted. "And if I snore so bad, why don't ya just kick me out now, huh?"

"Fine, fine, I forfeit. You don't snore. No one's kicking anyone anywhere. Happy now?" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Hmmm," Tsukuyo scoffed. She settled her head back onto his shoulder with a satisfied little grin. "Water's gettin' cold," she said after a minute.

"What's left of it," Gintoki snorted.

"Should prob'ly get out."

"Mmmm," he hummed in agreement, "So much for not kicking each other out."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," he said, "Just don't wanna move. But I don't wanna be a wrinkly prune either. Actually, I don't think I can move," he added, closing his eyes.

"Well, I'm gettin' out, it's gettin' too damn cold," she insisted.

"Fine, but you might have to help me," Gintoki grumbled.

"Such a baby," Tsukuyo chided with a smile.

"Thought you didn't like pet names, honey," he retorted, dryly.

"Shut it," she snapped and reached out to grab the sponge that was resting on the side of the bath by the wall. Using the water that was left and the flower scented soap she quickly washed herself, since that was why they'd gotten into the bath in the first place. Shivering a little at the cool water she looked at him and saw that he still had his eyes closed and didn't seem in any hurry to move at all. She sighed and began to wash him, almost like a mother would bathe a child, although, neither of them had ever had mothers, at least not ones that they could remember and her touch felt far more intimate than that.

"Wha're you doing?" he drawled, forcing one eye open to stare at her.

"I ain't gonna get back in 'ere just so ya can have another wash," she said, slightly flushed. She'd never done anything like this before and she was expecting him to tell her to stop any minute, but he didn't.

"Well, you ambushed me," Gintoki shrugged. "I was just gonna have a bath," he said, letting her move his arms gently, leaving a trail of soapy suds over his chest.

"Fine, I won't do it again," she replied.

"Oi, I didn't say it was a bad thing. Does this look like the face of a guy who just had a bad time?"

"Ya look comatose," Tsukuyo snorted.

"Exactly!" he said and she rolled her eyes, feeling slightly smug.

"There, done," she declared after a few moments, tossing the sponge side and used a hand on his shoulder to help her stand up, then leaned on him so that she could climb out of the tub. She grabbed one of the large, fluffy towels and tucked it around her breasts so that it wouldn't fall down.

"What? Already?" he grumbled.

"Come on, ya can't stay in there all day," she said, looking down at him.

"Says' who?"

"Ya gonna turn into a wrinkly prune," she told him, "And ya butt'll prob'ly go numb sittin' there."

"I guess I could live with being all pruney if I had to, but I don't like the sound o'that last part," he admitted with a grimace.

"Right? So get up," she said. She reached out and took his hand to pull him up. He made an exaggerated groan of protest but he let her help him up and he got out of the tub. She wrapped the towel around his shoulders and turned to the mirror, sighing in annoyance when she saw what a wet, tangled mess her hair was.

Gintoki quickly dried himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist and began rummaging through the cabinets and drawers. "This place is pretty well stocked," he muttered.

"Well, 'pparently this is the best room in the best building in town so it should be," she shrugged, patting her hair dry with another, smaller towel.

"Who says it's the best?" he asked, curiously. He handed her an unopened packet of toothbrushes, a tube of toothpaste and some deodorant from the cupboards.

"Hinowa," Tsukuyo answered. She used the deodorant, finding that it also smelled lightly of flowers and opened the toothbrushes to brush her teeth.

She'd never gotten ready in a bathroom before with anyone else at the same time before and she wasn't quite sure how to act. Even living with Hinoawa and Seita, or even when she'd shared rooms with the Hyakka before, sharing a space like this hadn't felt like such an intimate act. He didn't seem to mind so she decided not to question it. After all, like he'd said before, what was left to be embarrassed about really? She'd quite literally just jumped him in the bathtub a moment ago so sharing a sink and a mirror was nothing in comparison. At least that's what she told herself, she'd likely always be a little flustered around him and she doubted she'd be able to help that.

"Matchmaker, I tell you. That woman is a matchmaker," he muttered.

"Well, she's not wrong, is she? This place is nice."

"Sure, it's great...as long as I don't end up with the bill for that mess you made of the floor just now."

"Oh, right..." she mumbled, having forgotten about the drenched floor. She set down the toothbrush and threw a few towels onto the floor, hoping it would help even if only a little to soak up the water and then she returned to brushing her teeth

"And where's the razor?" he grumbled. "How come they've got five different kinds of bubble bath, plenty of flowery deodorant and soap and...a whole lot of other stuff...but no razor?" he said. "Oi, you gotta be kidding me," he complained after another moment of rummaging.

"Wh't?" she asked, still brushing her teeth.

"Look!" Gintoki exclaimed, holding up a straight razor.

"A r'zor?" she blinked, confused and spat into the sink so that she could actually speak properly, "That's what ya wanted, ain't it?"

"Not that kind of razor! This is just a stupid, old, non electric razor! What is this? The Sengoku era?! What am I meant to do with that? Slit my throat?! No one's awake enough in a morning to risk using one of these!" he threw it across the bathroom at it clattered to the floor. "Ah," he scrubbed a hand over his cheek feeling the stubble. "Why'd I have to have silver hair? Whenever I grow a beard I just look like an old man," he moaned.

"It ain't that bad," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it is! There was this one morning, my electric razor died and I had to go out to buy a new one and this kid tried to help me across the street! He was shouting in my ear and everything asking me if I'd lost my walking stick. He thought I was some deaf, old geezer! It was traumatic!"

"I meant, it ain't that bad usin' a razor like that," Tsukuyo sighed. "Women 'ave to use 'em all the time. I 'ave to use 'em all the time."

"On your face?!"

"NO!" she yelled. "They're better than electric ones...o...on my legs..." she mumbled.

"That's different than on your face!" he insisted and then sighed. "Ah well, guess I don't have a choice. There's no way I'm leaving it like this. If someone tries to help me cross the street again I swear I'm gonna kill them," he said, retrieving the razor from where he'd thrown it. "Alright, I don't like you and you don't like me, but we don't have a choice here," he told the inanimate object and she rolled her eyes.

"It can't hear ya," she said.

"Sure it can, the sadistic little bastard," he grimaced and moved back to the mirror hanging over the sink where she was standing. He moved close enough so that his shoulder bumped into hers and she nudged him back. He tossed aside the lid on a small pot of what looked like traditional shaving foam and sniffed at it warily. "At least this stuff doesn't smell like flowers like everything else here," he said, sounding relieved as he lathered it onto his cheeks and jaw with one hand.

While Tsukuyo finished brushing her teeth and then started to pat her hair dry again, he very carefully began to use the razor, cursing under his breath. After a few minutes of snorting at his creative insults and curses for the hated razor, each one more ridiculous and imaginative than the last, he threw it into the sink, seemingly finished.

"Missed some," she said, pointing at the underside of her jaw, "There," she explained

"Damn it," he grumbled, picking up the razor again.

"Are ya being a baby on purpose or do ya actually hate those things that much?"

"What? You never accidentally cut yourself with one of these before? It hurts like hell."

"Ya been hurt loads before, way worse than from one little razor."

"Yeah, well, that's different," Gintoki said, glaring into the mirror at the patch he'd missed under his chin.

"'Ere, hand it over," she said, holding out her palm to him.

"Why? So you can slit my throat?" he asked, dryly.

"Like I'd do that?!" she exclaimed and snatched the razor from his hand, not that he tried to stop her at all.

"How'd you even know what you're doing? You ever done this before?" he asked as she used her other hand to turn his face to the side.

"No...but how different can it be from using these on my legs?"

"I already told you; your sexy legs are not my face," he sighed.

"My...my what?" she blinked. "Whatever, just quit worryin'. And quit movin'," she snapped.

"Fine, slice away," he said, dramatically, standing still. His eyes stayed fixed across the room while she gently held his skin taut and moved the razor over his chin and his jaw with a feather like touch. It actually felt relaxing despite the fact that she was holding a sharp blade to his throat and it wasn't like he actually thought she'd hurt him on purpose...unless it was with a kunai.

"They used to try and teach us this when I was a kid 'ere, guess it was just a part of being a good courtesan or somethin'...Fleece 'em for every penny I guess. I dunno. I never really paid any attention. I was always too busy try'na make trouble or answering back and I used to think maybe they'd let me go when they realised I was no good or just kill me so I wouldn't have to end up like the rest of 'em," she admitted.

Knowing what it felt like to actually want to die, Gintoki said nothing, anything he said would simply feel empty and wouldn't help her. Sometimes just standing close to someone in silence was far better than offering flat words of comfort. So he stood, unmoving while she finished her task, then she dropped the razor into the sink and washed the foam off her hands. "There, see, didn't even scratch ya," she said.

"Hmmm," he hummed, tilting his face from one side to the other in the mirror, proving that she was right. "You should be a barber," he said.

"Don't wanna," she scoffed, pursuing her lip.

"It can be your backup plan. You'd make a fortune."

"I don't need a backup plan or a fortune."

"Fine, but I still say it'd work," he said, splashing water on his face and neck to wash of the remains of the shaving foam.

"Pass," she reiterated. Before she could say anything else, he'd wound an arm around her waist from behind her and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"Thanks," he said, quietly and she nodded, leaning back against him.

"Grrr...grrrr..." Tsukuyo's stomach made a loud, pained sounding grumble and she tensed in shock. "Err..." she muttered, sheepishly, glad that he couldn't see her face.

"Hungry?" he asked with an amused raised eyebrow.

"...Maybe," she admitted.

"I'm not stupid enough to get between a woman and her appetitive," he chuckled. "Go raid that gigantic bento Hinowa left last night. But save some for me, okay?" he said. He reluctantly released her from his arm and picked up the other toothbrush from where she'd left it so that he could brush his teeth.

"What am I, a pig? Have you seen the bentos she makes? There's no way I could eat all that by myself," she said, walking the few steps away to where his white yukata lay discarded on the floor.

"Well, it sounded like there was a monster in your stomach," he noted, "I wouldn't put it past you."

"I'm stealin' this again," Tsukuyo declared, picking up his yukata. She let the towel fall to the floor and replaced it with his yukata, then walked out of the bathroom.

"Oi! I'm gonna need that back! A one second view of your butt...no matter how sexy it is...doesn't mean you can just steal my clothes forever! We're a low budget anime, y'know, I can only afford so many of those a year!" he yelled after her. "She's not even listening to me," he scoffed and started to brush his teeth if only to help him wake up a little.

"There's ya clothes," he heard her say after a moment. She'd sauntered back into the bathroom and left his folded clothes on the closed toilet seat.

"And my yukata?" he asked.

"Still usin' it," Tsukuyo said, sounding disinterested as she turned and left.

"Thief!" he yelled and she laughed.

When he was finished in the bathroom, wearing his black trousers and shirt, he made his way back to the main room to find that Tsukuyo had a set up a small, portable gas cooker with a pan and was eating from a bowl eagerly.

"Oi, I said to save some for me," he said, walking over to sit opposite her and helped himself to the food.

"I didn't eat it all," she rolled her eyes.

"Well, you made a damn good start," he scoffed. "Why'd she leave us yakiniku for breakfast...well, I guess it could be lunch time now for all we know," he pondered.

"Who cares?" Tsukuyo said, swallowing another mouthful of rice.

"Told you she had a party. Why else would she have made all this?" Gintoki mumbled. He practically threw some of the food from the pan into the bowl she'd left for him with the chopsticks and gracelessly began shovelling the rice hungrily into his mouth. "Ah, damn, that's good. Alright, I can't stay mad at her when she cooks such great food," he said.

"There's no way she actually had a party," Tsukuyo protested, pointing her chopsticks at him, rudely.

"Bet she did."

"She prob'ly just made all this for the kids when they were watchin' TV last night and this is the leftovers."

"You think Kagura or Shinpachi would leave leftovers?" he scoffed. "She'd eat it all and he'd try and take stuff home in his little lunch box collection, he's such a domestic, that kid," he said, stealing another piece of tender looking beef from the pan. "You looked in that parcel she left?" he asked with a mouthful of food.

Tsukuyo shook her head, "Nope," she said. It was on the floor within arms reach of them but it was still wrapped up. She'd been more interested in the food than the parcel, honestly.

"What'd you reckon it is? Considering it was Hinowa who left it there, it could be anything," he said. "Maybe it's money," he exclaimed, suddenly.

"Why would she be leavin' us money?" she scoffed. "Suppose I should open it," she said, setting down her now empty bowl and chopsticks.

"Y'sure you wanna know?" he asked.

"Be rude t'just leave it," she replied and he shrugged. She placed the parcel on her folded lap, untied the string and pulled back the paper to find her usual dark green kimono with orange leaves on it, her fishnet stockings, her boots, and her red obi folded neatly inside, as well as a clean pair of underwear much to her embarrassment.

"Oi, oi, she totally is your mom," he chortled. "She didn't want you to do the walk of shame in last nights' clothes," he said and she blushed furiously. "Guess that means I get my yukata back...shame, you look nice in white," he added, "But I do kinda need it."

Blinking down at the bundle of her clothes, Tsukuyo put them onto the floor beside her. "T...that's the most embarrassin' thing yet," she mumbled.

"What? Her leaving your clothes for you? I figured it was pretty thoughtful of her. Kinda funny, but still, it's a good idea. It's practical."

"Yeah but..."

"Or d'you mean me seeing your little red pants over there," he said, gesturing towards the clothes and the red scrap of fabric. "Sorry, but the S.S tayuu panties ship already sailed," he teased.

"Stop starin' at 'em."

"Why?" he asked.

With a sigh she folded them away, hiding them underneath her green kimono and picked up her porcelain bowl again, helping herself to more food.

"Y'know," Gintoki began after a moment, sounding oddly thoughtful as he stared at her intently. "Can't believe I only just thought about this...you're only wearing my yukata...right? You're not wearing any panties right now, are you?" he stated as though he'd just had some kind of profound revelation.

"Will ya stop talkin' about my underwear?!" she yelled at him and he grinned.

"Stop fidgeting already," Gintoki said as she adjusted her red obi belt for the fifth time. He'd zipped up his shirt, put on his yukata as usual and his belts and he was lounging on the floor by the open shoji door overlooking the small garden. Tsukuyo had gotten dressed and fixed her hair in her usual style but she was messing with her belt and had been for the last five minutes.

"I'm not fidgetin'," she said.

"Then leave your damn obi alone, it's fine."

"It's twisted," Tsukuyo protested.

"No, it's not."

"Ya not even lookin' at it."

"It was fine five minutes ago and still it's fine now," he sighed, "What's the problem?"

"I don't wanna look like a got dressed in a hurry or somethin'."

"What's it matter? It's not like we've done anything wrong. And anyway, you look fine, so stop fussing already."

"Y'sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm..." he looked over at her and stopped. "Oh great, now you really have twisted it. I told you to stop messing with it."

"Eh?" she exclaimed.

"You forget how to get dressed or something today?" he grumbled, standing up and walking over to her. "Turn around," he mumbled.

"W...why?"

"So I can fix it and you can stop complaining about it," Gintoki said. "You're old enough to dress yourself, y'know," he griped as she turned around.

"Like ya old enough to shave ya own face?" she mocked.

"Oi, that's different, no one likes those stupid, old razors. No man wants to risk his life first thing every morning just to shave. Electric razors are the best thing ever invented. No question. Except maybe for JUMP...oh and strawberry milk," he stated confidently as he untied her now twisted obi and string. "And sake," he added and she scoffed. "They're all tied for first place of best invention ever," he said, retying her obi gently.

"Idiot," she mumbled with a fond smile.

"Don't agree? Then what's the best thing ever invented?"

"...Kunai," Tsukuyo answered, perfectly seriously after a moment's thought.

"You would say that," he scoffed.

"And tobacco."

"Kunai and tobacco...two things that'll kill you. Great choices," he grumbled and placed his hand on either side of her hips. "Don't start messing with it again," he said having finished tying her obi.

"Thanks," she muttered, picking up the two small containers she always kept tied at the back of her waist, both of them full of kunai and hastily tied them around herself.

She busied herself by folding her her pink, layered kimono that she'd worn yesterday and wrapped it up in the paper and string that Hinowa had tied her day to day kimono in. It was difficult as the pink dress had so much more bulk to it, but she just about managed it. He'd tidied away what was left of the food whilst she dressed earlier so there wasn't much else to do.

"Oh, and by the way," he began. "I want it on record that I was the one saying how important safe sex and all that crap was and you still jumped me in the bathroom like that. I was the adult in this, so..."

"What record?" she mumbled. "And I keep tellin' ya, it's fine," she instead sounding bored.

"Oi, I dunno what kind of education they give you women here about all this but I already had the kid scare once already," Gintoki said, thinking of Kanshiro. "And I still haven't got over the heart attack from it," he said.

"We've been using the same thing since Yoshiwara was founded and no woman ever got pregnant using it. Ever. Hosen had it made way back then and he and kept it a secret. Ya still can't get it anywhere else other than 'ere. Anyway, bottom line, it works."

"What about the woman who gave birth to Seita? I know Hinowa's his mom but..."

"Yeah, I asked about that back then," she replied. "Apparently that woman stopped takin' it. She wanted a kid so damn bad and she didn't tell anyone she'd stopped," she said.

"Poor woman," he couldn't help but mutter and she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," she mumbled back.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it," Gintoki said, in a more optimistic tone. "But if you and that matchmaker friend of yours knew that in the first place, why'd she send that box of goodies with you?"

"Probably just to embarrass me more," Tsukuyo pursed her lip.

"She means well; she's practical, that's all," he shrugged. "Except that means she thinks I've picked up some kind of killer disease from sleeping around. Sheesh. What does she think I am?" he grumbled.

"So...now what?" she asked, looking out at the garden and standing up, holding her neatly wrapped parcel.

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean...are we gonna stay here all day or...what?" she asked.

"Don't mind," he shrugged. "We could if you want. Or we can go back to your place and you'll see that I was right about Hinowa throwing some kind of party. She'll smile that stupid, kind smile at us and she'll do her best to embarrass the hell outta you."

"She didn't throw a party," Tsukuyo insisted.

"I say she did."

"Stupid," she grumbled.

"Besides, you're a workaholic who hasn't worked since yesterday morning, I bet you're itching to go back to work right now aren't you?" he sighed

"I could check in with the Hyakka and see if I missed anythin'."

"They can take care of things by themselves," Gintoki said. "Honestly, I'm more worried about what kind of trouble Kagura and Shinpachi have got into at your place. If they've torn your house down, don't blame me. I was here all night, you're my alibi. It was nothing to do with me. Nothing at all."

"They're your responsibility," she said and he sighed.

"I hate that word."

"Okay," Tsukuyo said, smiling a little, "We'll go back."

"Sure, but if she's got party banners hanging up outside when we get there, I get to say 'I told you so'," he replied.

A.N. One more chapter to go now :) I'll be sorry to see this story end, I've really enjoyed writing it.