Some of you have been asking for Sougo's pov, so here you go.

By the way, I do not own Gintama.


He didn't know how much time he had spent awake. It was pretty late, almost starting to be early, to be honest. Kagura was sleeping by his side, her back to him. He had been looking at the ceiling for a while now, but he wasn't really seeing it.

He wanted to sleep, and he had thought he'd have been slept by now, after the events from before, but it didn't seem like it. His mind was reeling with thoughts concerning the young Yato next to him.

He sighed, a few strands of his hair floating momentarily in the air and falling into place again, tickling his forehead. He hadn't got a clue about what to do with her.

The first time he had slept with her he had regretted it the moment rational thoughts had entered his mind again. What on earth was he thinking? Sleeping with the Yorozuya girl. Out of all of the girls in the city. Sure, she was pretty and had a body to admire, but still.

He had wanted to flee, but the girl had looked at him and he hadn't had the heart to leave her alone. Why? She had been scared, to say the least. It had been her first time. He had been her first time. But he had never cared about that before. And even then, he had pondered what he was supposed to do with her.

Looking back, she must have thought the same he had. What the hell had happened? They didn't have an answer. It just had, given the circumstances. But that was another story.

It had been the first time he had thought about her as more than a brat. Because she was not a brat anymore. But she wasn't anyone too important neither. Just the former Yorozuya girl. So why had he stayed? He only had two rules regarding women. One night stands and no feelings involved. That applied to her as well. Or should have applied.

He was known for his cold demeanor, he didn't care for anyone anymore. Not when Kondo was in jail and the Shinsengumi was disbanded. Sure, he respected his old comrades, even Hijikata fell in that category, but he didn't have the heart to care anymore. He was just a lone wolf. One that still enjoyed the little pleasures life had to offer. That included some steamy nights with random girls. But nothing more. A few kisses and moans was all he needed.

He knew he was admired in the Red Lights District. He was young, strong and handsome. The rumours about him weren't for nothing, and the girls looked for him whenever he was around. He had a mysterious something that made them go crazy and he knew how to please the courtesans. But he wasn't interested in them. After the sex, he left, not minding the pleadings or the looks the girls gave him.

So why he had stayed was something he didn't have an answer to. Not to talk about why he had slept with her more than once. He wasn't supposed to feel responsible for her, nor he was about to admit he had enjoyed it enough to repeat it.

But there had been something else, something different that had led them both to end up in the mess they were in right now. She had something the other girls just hadn't.

After some time, he had come to terms with the fact that he had started to care for her. More than he liked to admit. But what could he do? She was lost, broken and alone. That dog she had for a pet wasn't enough to fill her empty heart. He had realized that much. He had known her before. He had known the carefree, boisterous girl that loved to eat, sleep and to pick fights with him. He wanted that back. Not the dull shell she was now. And that was when he got into the equation. He just made her feel alive from time to time. And she washed all of his worries away.

It would have been inhuman not to care to some extent.

But he wouldn't have called it love. Not during the first months, at least. He had only loved his sister, so it wasn't like he had something to compare it to, but he knew he hadn't been in love with her. However, he didn't know what to think anymore.

Kagura moved and turned around, facing him. He looked at her, her bangs framing her face and her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight entering through the window. She looked peaceful asleep, as if she didn't have any problems in the world. Sougo laid on his side, pulling up the blankets to cover the girl better. He wondered again if he was in love with her.

He wanted her to be happy, and to be herself again. Because one thing was undeniable. She had changed in many ways, but most of them had been for the worst. Her eyes, once blue and full of life, were now void of any emotion. The happiness that had made her shine was gone, and her scarce smiles were fake and sad. He wanted the girl that had laughed at him to come back and to pick fights with him again. He wanted her to be in good terms with the Shimura boy again. He wanted her to get over all the sadness that had surrounded the boss' death. She deserved better.

Was that enough to say he was in love? Or was it just friendly concern? Something in between, maybe?

He sighed again and embraced the Yato, hoping it would help him sleep. She had a calming effect on him. He rested his arms on her back and pulled her closer to him, resting his head above hers on the pillow. The girl sighed in contentment. She smelled sweet, and he relaxed a bit.

"You sure are lucky, sleeping as if nothing mattered. I'm glad one of us is able to do that, China."

Closing his eyes, he imagined a time when she was happy again, smiling and laughing carefreely and he had an answer for all of his questions.

That wasn't happening anytime soon, so he would have to live with what they had now. It was enough for the meantime, he hoped.