Author's note –

This is a short one because I'm terrible at writing chapter wise stories. I just write it all in one go and then divide it into chapters. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

P.S. - I do not own Gintama.

Kagura was almost at the door when she heard his shout of pain which had her reflexively turning back. She had never heard the sadist cry out like that. He was sitting up and clutching his stomach and the bandage there was turning light red.

Kagura was at his side in a flash, her worry and panic eclipsing any thoughts she was having before. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to help him stay upright, and asked in a trembling voice. 'What's wrong? Does it hurt? Should I call the doctor? Hold on.' She was about to stand and call for the entire fucking Shinsengumi when his hand, the hand that had been clutching his stomach, grabbed her wrist.

He was breathing heavily and his face was dotted with sweat. 'Don't. I'm fine.'

'Of course you're not fine! You're bleeding. You must've opened your wound. Don't move, sadist!' Kagura was about to rip her hand from his grip when he tightened it and when she turned to glare at him, he held up a small bottle of Tabasco sauce that he'd gotten from god knows where. His expression was blank and Kagura saw no sign of remorse in his eyes.

'China, before you react, I just wanted to remind you that I am severely, critically injured everywhere and even a single flick from you could kill me. All your effort would go waste and you won't even get payment, you know.'

Kagura hung her head and took deep breaths to calm the rage that had taken over her body. She also contemplated what the best way to hurt him was without killing him. After ruling out his arms, legs, torso, and head, she naturally went for the one place that was god's gift to all women. Oh no, she wasn't referring to how the equipment could be used to bring pleasure but how a single hit could render a man immovable and bring unspeakable pain.

With her head still down, she gently removed his hand from her wrist. In her peripheral vision, she could see him looking at her warily, as if she were a snake about to strike. He had great instincts, after all. She looked up, gave him a evil smile, and quick as lightning, she grabbed his crotch and squeezed with a might that had crushed iron poles like toys. His scream echoed through the entire compound and within seconds, a stampeding herd of elephants sounded outside the door before it was slammed open to reveal the flustered and panic-ridden faces of the Shinsengumi men. Kondo and Hijikata were at the forefront of the group.

'Sougo! Are you okay? What happened!?' Kondo was the one who had asked the question before his and everyone else's eyes traveled over the first-squad captain's pain-stricken face to the death-grip Kagura had on his very delicate organ. As if scripted, all the members winced in unison. Some even discretely cupped themselves. Kagura turned to look at the group with the same grin that she'd flashed Sougo, unaffected by the interruption.

'Oh, he's perfectly alright. In fact, he might be good enough to start work since he's obviously well enough to play stupid pranks on someone who has been kind enough to take time out of her busy day to visit a rotten person like him.' With each word, her anger intensified and she twisted her hand, making the sadist grunt and moan. And not in a good way.

She watched as the men's faces lost color and their expressions filled with fear. The sadist turned his head to look at the door and his eyes were barely open because of the agony contorting his features. His breathing was labored and his voice was barely above a whisper. 'Kondo…san….save...me'.

But Kondo himself was looking as if he was going to pass out any second. He had one hand on his crotch and he put a hand on Hijikata's shoulder and spoke in a strained tone. 'Toshi…save Sougo!'

Hijikata, having gotten over the shock, let out a puff of smoke from his cigarette and spoke in his usual disinterested tone. 'Leave him be. He probably deserved it.'

'Die…Hijikata.' The sadist apparently had enough motivation to get that out.

'You bastard! Oi, China! Keep crushing his balls until he can't make any mini sadists!'

Kagura let the grin slip off her face and gave them a deadly stare. 'You don't have to tell me that. Now, get out. You're disturbing my torture session. Or would you rather join in on the fun?'

Turns out, they weren't complete idiots because before she could finish her last sentence there was a flurry of activity and within seconds, the door had slammed shut, leaving just the two of them. And as much as Kagura would have loved to continue the torture, she thought he had had enough since his face was turning a sickly shade of white. She released her hand and watched as the sadist gulped in air while his right hand, which had been trying and failing to dislodge her grip, went to his crotch. He hunched over, but then winced and straightened, pain still evident in his features.

On any other day, Kagura would have been mortified to pull off such a move but the sadist had pushed her beyond her limits and she had realized that a little embarrassment meant nothing if she could inflict pain on him. But now that she was done, she was reminded of why she had decided to torture the sadist in the first place. She recalled his words from before and while she understood his resentment at his current situation, she wasn't going to be his punching bag. She sighed and turned to leave when his hand, once again, latched onto her wrist.

She was tired and in no mood to hear his explanations. But his hold on her wrist felt urgent and desperate. If touches could speak, his would be a garble of words that were spoken with such speed that you couldn't understand a thing. But as with everything else with them, she did understand. She knew he wanted to ask her to stay but didn't know how to. She knew he wanted to apologize but was too proud to. She knew he wanted to ask her if she was okay but didn't think she would answer.

The thing was, Kagura understood every single thing that he couldn't say out loud because they'd become attuned to each other in the last few years. And she wanted to let him off the hook. She wanted to give him all the answers he was seeking and comfort him. But she was also tired of being the only one who put herself out there. Who took risks and got hurt.

She was about to force her way out of his grip when his next words, spoken in the lowest of voices, stilled her.

'Don't go.'

His grip had tightened to the point where it was a little painful and when she turned to look at him, he was staring straight ahead. She was wondering if she was hearing things when he turned to look at her. His face held little emotion but his eyes had softened the tiniest bit and held a plea. It was a change so imperceptible that Kagura only noticed it because she had spent a good chunk of time studying his expressions.

Unable to hold his stare any longer, she looked down and responded in a whisper, because her voice wouldn't come out stronger than that. 'Give me a reason not to.'

When his hold on her became even tighter, she winced from the pain, causing him to loosen his grip. But then he unwound his fingers and his hand slowly traveled from her wrist, over her fingers, and to her palm so that they were holding hands. Kagura's mouth fell open in shock and she was glad she was looking down because her cheeks were redder than Santa's suit. Her heart was racing and she didn't know what to say so she kept quiet.

And just like everything else, Kagura understood his reason perfectly. And she stayed.