Hey everyone!
First of all, I'm a non-native English speaker, so I'm sorry if there's any mistake.
It's just fluff with two pining idiots and a fixation on Hijikata smoking because I just love to write about it, so I hope that you'll enjoy it!
See you at the end!
There wasn't a lot of work to do, lately. Hijikata didn't like that very much. It was too peaceful, and the only peace in Edo was the calm they usually got before the storm. It had reached a point where Sougo didn't even try to sneak away anymore during work hours because he knew that he wouldn't be assigned to a mission since they didn't have any. It contrasted with how often Kondo was away from the barracks, spending most of his time harassing the Shimura lady instead. The only one still taking his job seriously was Hijikata, as always, finding himself between these two polar opposites.
The Vice-Commander still trained the new trainees every morning at dawn, and he diligently read all the reports he received. The worst part of it probably was the fact that because there were less reports, he couldn't avoid Yamazaki's anymore. Though, once again, judging on the lack of sheets of papers scribbled with anpan everywhere, the spy probably didn't have many missions to do as well.
When Hijikata wasn't doing any of this, he usually went patrolling in town. These walks were almost always uneventful, except for the occasional thieves having the misfortune of coming across the Shinsengumi's Vice-Commander patrol route. But even this seemed to be rare these days as well.
Actually, if Hijikata thought about it, the calmness had started to settle around two weeks ago, maybe a little bit less, he wasn't quite sure. It coincided with the time the Yorozuyas had taken a new job and disappeared to some secluded place. He didn't think about it much, at first. The quartet often disappearing for an extended period of time for jobs in the countryside.
It was usual, but it didn't mean that he had to like it. Not that he missed the perm-head or anything, but he missed their impromptu meetings at a random Izakaya, often followed by groping and sloppy kisses in back alleys. They'd both grown used to each other's presence in the district and might have pushed the "relationship" further than any of them had intended to.
The thing was that Hijikata didn't really mind it. He was really getting used to it. And now, after almost two weeks of absence of the silver-haired man, Hijikata slowly realised that he quite missed it, and that no matter how much he tried to lie to himself, he just couldn't ignore it anymore. But it was okay, and it wasn't the first time that the Yorozuyas had left for a few weeks, so he could wait. It was the only thing to do, anyway.
Even though he told himself to wait, his feet always ended up dragging him through the familiar Kabukichou street he had slowly come to appreciate. At each patrol he did, he somehow always found a way to walk there, his eyes discreetly trying to perceive any change in the place above Otose's snack house that could indicate that the Yorozuyas were finally back from their mission.
Obviously, after two weeks, he wasn't really surprised to note that, finally, a window had been opened, and noises seemed to be coming from the small house. Though he would have liked to go and greet them, he stopped himself from doing so. He may have a crush on the idiot perm-head, but it didn't mean that he'd lost his common sense.
He simply left, thinking that he'd come back later, maybe in the afternoon, since the day was still young, or even the next day. It would depend on the amount of work he would have to do. As he turned around and was about to leave, he heard the distinctive voice of Otose speaking to someone inside the bar. "Is he still sleeping?", she seemed to ask.
"Yeah he still hasn't woken up, the doctor said he would need to rest and lay down for the next three days anyway, so it's convenient" answered a voice suspiciously sounding like Kagura's.
Hijikata frowned as he walked further away. The Yorozuya had been hurt? This explained why he hadn't heard of their comeback in town before. He sighed as he took a cigarette from his packet and lighted it quickly. He knew the old hag had noticed him, she had probably only even asked the question for him to hear the answer. Hijikata didn't like being seen right through, but the old woman was scary and there wasn't much he could do against it. Every night he spent at the Yorozuya's was always followed by an awkward morning where he had to do the walk of shame, going down the stairs and avoiding Otose's eyes as if everything was normal. The old lady had to have a sixth sense, with how she always chose to get out and throw the trash at the exact same time as Hijikata decided to leave the agency. He knew that she knew. And he was sure that she enjoyed the fact that her knowing about their thing stressed Hijikata.
Anyway. He'd come back later, he knew that Gintoki always healed faster than what the doctors usually prescribed. How did he know that? Ha, the Shinsengumi was just often near the Yorozuyas when they fought against tough enemies, they just tended to recover at the same speed, and Hijikata always surpassed the delays.
The rest of the day went as uneventfully as the previous ones, and though he should have felt irritated at the fact that the perm-haired man stayed on his mind all evening, he had long since gotten used to these thoughts. He had already accepted his crush, there was no denying it.
The next morning came quickly, and without even realising it, his feet dragged him back into the same artery. His legs moved on their own accord and he realised too late that he was in front of the Yorozuya agency. He didn't intend on coming, and he immediately tried to walk back, just like the day before. But as he was turning back towards the other end of the street, he locked eyes with the Shimura woman.
He opened his mouth to speak, but realised that he didn't have any bad excuse to offer, so he closed it as fast. He wanted to move, but she was faster, as she spoke with ease "Hijikata-san, were you paying a visit to the Yorozuyas? How nice of you. Would you mind following me inside, then? I carried bento for everyone all the way from the dojo but it's starting to be a tad heavy, I wouldn't mind you helping me".
Hijikata cringed at her honeyed tone. This woman was evil, and now that she'd caught him wandering around the place, she wouldn't let him leave that easily. With a sigh, he grabbed the bag she was handing to him, and climbed the stairs after her. He didn't need much imagination to understand what was into the boxes, and for a second he contemplated faking a trip into the stairs to spill its content. Such a thing couldn't be good for a sick man, right?
But as he reached the top, he realised that the lady would probably be able to fix the situation and create an even worse meal, so Hijikata just carried the thing as he was asked. He just hoped that this simple act wouldn't grant him the right to have a piece of the so-called "omelette".
The woman barely knocked on the door as she opened it, not announcing herself as she entered into the living room without even checking in. Hijikata was more hesitant behind her, walking slowly as he inspected the surroundings. He told himself that it was simply a reflex to check a place he stepped into, and totally not a way to see if things around could attest of Gintoki being awake. Why would he bother to do so? He would be aware of the man's condition soon enough anyway, he probably was in his room in any case.
Sadaharu didn't even come scrambling at the door like he always did when Hijikata came, and this fact was enough to tell Hijikata, had he not been aware of it, that something was off. The same thing could be told from the odd silence that seemed to fill the place, making Hijikata feel uneasy.
Still, he kept a straight face as he finally spotted Shinpachi into the kitchen, the boy's face scrunched up in concentration as he was staring at the teapot on the stove. Otae immediately walked towards him, urging Hijikata to follow her to drop her "food" on the counter. She smiled gently as she spoke softly, "Are you trying to make the water boil through telepathy or something, Shin-chan?".
The poor boy startled as he seemed to only notice their presence now. He stopped his glasses from falling down his nose with his hand as he tried to babble some excuse. Otae chuckled slightly as she pushed him away from the stove and towards the counter.
"Not that I doubt your willpower, but maybe you can try this later, yeah? I'd rather you switch the hotplate on, this time", she added, and though it probably would have been a teasing comment in any other context, it seemed to lift the boy's mood in a flash.
"Huh oh Hijikata-san! I didn't even notice you being here! Do you want a cup of tea?" the teenage boy asked, finally noticing Hijikata's presence.
The Vice-Commander was about to decline the offer when Otae cut them off again. "You two just go to the room and join Kagura, I'll bring the trail".
It was obvious that Shinpachi wanted to protest, but he gave up as he remembered that no matter what he could say, Otae always ended up having the final word. Hijikata watched the scene silently, concealing a smile from the pair as he followed the boy who had finally turned away. No matter the person she spoke with, Otae always ended up dominating the conversation. She sure was a devilish woman, and though Hijikata rarely had any occasion to speak with her, he couldn't not acknowledge the presence and even the strength she displayed when she wanted to. It was no wonder that Kondo had fallen for her.
Once in front of the room, Shinpachi opened the door gently, careful not to make too much noise. Inside, Hijikata immediately caught sight of the Yato girl sitting on the ground, chewing on a sukonbu stick as she was reading the...Jump? So it wasn't just the perm-head's hobby, huh?
Kagura looked up as Shinpachi invited Hijikata to sit down with a nod. The dog sleeping next to her barely raised an ear, probably already recognising Hijikata with his smell or even his voice. Kagura greeted him before turning her face towards Shinpachi. "I tried reading the Jump out loud, but all he did was fart in his sleep and move his legs!", she said way too loudly and indignantly.
Shinpachi answered something but Hijikata had already stopped listening. In front of him, and covered with bandages, Gintoki seemed to be in a deep sleep. The cover had been pulled up just right under his chin, and his hair was as messy as always, though the usual curls and softness seemed to be missing. Just like after every battle he won, he looked peaceful, no matter how anxious the people at his bedside were. The bastard was just like that, constantly letting people worry for him.
Hijikata was taken out of his reverie when Otae entered the room, holding a tray with one hand. She barely had the time to set it down before Kagura finished her piece of sukonbu and threw herself on the biscuits in the bowl. Shinpachi raised the teapot just in time to avoid a disaster, unfazed. He simply started pouring the tea into the cups, handing them to each one of them as he was finished.
Hijikata accepted his, not feeling like refusing it now that it was in a teacup and handed it over to him. He took a sip before setting it down, letting his back hit the wall behind him. It wasn't very good manners, but good manners weren't really common here anyway.
There were many questions Hijikata wanted to ask, but he didn't really know if he wanted to hear the answers. He knew what kind of reply he would get anyway. Gintoki got hurt in a stupid way because he tried to protect the kids or the person who dragged them into the mire, and he was now out of danger and only had to get back on his feet with a little rest. He shouldn't have come here in the first place.
The thing wasn't that it was awkward or anything, but he just felt stupid, being here, worrying for the silver-haired man even though he wasn't supposed to. But burying his head in the sand would have been stupid. No one in this room was stupid, and even if they had tried to hide it, Hijikata knew that his meetings with Gintoki didn't go unnoticed, whether it was by the kids, or even by Otae. Actually, Otae knowing about them probably was the reason why she had dragged him there in the first place. She probably thought that now that Hijikata was kind of dating Gintoki but not so much, Hijikata had to at least wipe off his indifferent expression in their presence if he and Gintoki wanted them to accept their relationship.
He was thinking too much. The situation was way more stressful than he had expected. It felt like he was being judged here, as if now was the time when Gintoki's weird family finally decided to take the decision of whether or not the Vice-Commander was worth Gintoki's time.
Hijikata turned his face towards the window, realising only now that it was slightly ajar. The kids were still noisily talking with Otae, and Hijikata had stopped listening to them already. By reflex, he fished his cigarette packet out, tacking a cigarette out, before lighting it. He took a drag, before turning his head towards the window to exhale most of the smoke outside.
He didn't notice the silence in the room until the kids started talking again, "Heee Toshi what do you think you're doing here? You don't have the right to smoke the room out! I'll let you know that I have delicate lungs!" Kagura shouted extravagantly.
"Hijikata-san, you should not be smoking next to a recovering man, especially in his room. Please put your cigarette out or I will crush it and your wrist with it", Otae added threateningly.
None of them seemed to notice the movements under the covers of the futon in front of them as they were too busy scolding Hijikata, and as the Vice-Commander tried to comply. Up until they heard a voice.
"You're stinking my room out, asshole", croaked out the form under the covers.
The small group of three stopped dead in their tracks, slowly turning towards the futon in the middle of the room. Slowly, Gintoki opened his eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the dim light of the room. He gave an enormous yawn, not even trying to conceal it, before talking again "Oï, what's with the faces? You look like you just saw a ghost".
The kids burst in screams as they threw themselves on the man still laying on his back. Otae immediately tried to stop them, scolding them about sparing the man useless straining movements. In the midst of all that, Hijikata decided to slip away to finish his cigarette in peace. At least that was what he would pretend if he was asked. It was a reunion between the man and his makeshift family, Hijikata didn't have a place here, he wasn't wanted. Well, at least not right now.
He finished his cigarette in relative silence, eyeing the street through the window, and trying not to eavesdrop too much. Though it was hard not to hear everything that was being said in the room with how loud Kagura talked and how much Shinpachi screamed. Gintoki was probably regretting having woken up right now.
Being alone in the back of the living room wasn't something he was used to. Actually, he didn't remember ever coming behind the desk that Gintoki seemed to use only as a footrest. It was also the first time he caught sight of the picture displayed in a small wooden frame on the side of the same desk. A simple picture of the Yorozuya family, Gintoki and Kagura smiling devilishly as Shinpachi and Sadaharu desperately tried to squeeze into the picture. Hijikata's lips twitched at the sight, a smile threatening to spread on his face.
The Vice-Commander stepped back from the desk, walking to the couch. He was about to sit down, when the sliding door to Gintoki's door opened. Otae left the room first, an unreadable expression crossing her face as she noticed that Hijikata was still here. The man himself was surprised for not having left already. He didn't really know what to expect, but leaving like a thief in the night wouldn't have felt great to the Vice-Commander.
"Hijikata-san! Would you like another cup of tea?" Shinpachi asked as he saw him, his big smile finally back in place.
Hijikata didn't really know what to answer, but Kagura interrupted him mockingly even before he started talking "Shinpachi, he's here to see the convalescent old man, not to drink tea, idiot!".
The kids started bickering, and as Hijikata turned his head towards Otae, the latter nodded towards the still open door, urging him to get inside while the kids were focused on something else. He silently thanked her before stepping in, slowly closing the door behind him.
Inside, Gintoki hadn't moved an inch. He was still lying on the ground, head propped up on a big cushion, though the covers had fallen a little, showing the top of his chest. Hijikata caught himself staring and walked to the other end of the room, sitting back where he had been minutes before.
They stayed in relative silence for a few minutes, Kagura and Shinpachi's argument dying down as they moved to the kitchen. Gintoki was staring at the ceiling, his eyes looking as bored as ever. Hijikata pretended to look at the wall across the room, though his eyes often drifted back to the silver-haired man's face.
Gintoki was the first one to break the silence, asking with a steadier tone than Hijikata had heard before "You don't offer me a cigarette, Vice-Commander?" the latter almost snorted.
"Recovering people don't get the right to smoke", the Vice-Commander simply answered.
Gintoki snorted as he retorted, "As if being hurt had ever stopped you from smoking one".
Hijikata didn't answer, simply letting his head fall back against the wall, closing his eyes as he sighed. The sunbeams coming from the window were warm on the exposed side of his face.
"How long had you been awake?" Hijikata asked, genuinely curious.
Gintoki shifted, straightening up as he propped himself on his elbows, "Your smoke woke me up", he answered.
Hijikata opened his eyes, surprised. He was met with a pair of crimson eyes watching him, a lazy smile on Gintoki's face. "Really?" was all the raven-haired man could ask, repressing the need to squirm under the scrutinizing look the silver-haired man shot him.
"That's a recognisable smell, I guess I just woke up because I wanted to have a taste from it", the sprawled samurai said, shrugging as he lazily scratched the back of his head. He looked up, eyes locking with Hijikata's once again, the glint in his eyes changing for something darker. "I guess that if you don't want to give me a cigarette you can at least have the courtesy of giving me a taste", he said, eyes drifting to Hijikata's lips shamelessly.
Hijikata barely contained a blush from spreading on his cheeks as he understood the request. He detached himself from the wall, leaning towards the man in the middle of the room and kissing him easily. Gintoki broke the kiss a few seconds later, groaning as he said "Hey I'm the injured one here, I shouldn't be doing all the work".
Hijikata didn't even stop his smile from spreading as he scooted closer to the man, leaning down and grabbing Gintoki by the jaw. He tilted his head to have better access to his lips and kissed him properly this time. He didn't hide his eagerness as the man under him sucked at his bottom lip and deepened the kiss.
They made out for a few minutes, breaking off only to take their breath back, Hijikata's hands buried in the other man's hair, and Gintoki's grabbing the Vice-Commander's neck and shoulders to steady himself.
Hijikata definitely pushed Gintoki away as the man's breath was becoming more and more laboured. "Oï don't get too worked up, I thought you were supposed to be injured? Act like one, at least".
Gintoki grabbed him by the nape as Hijikata was about to get up, making the man stumble as the silver-haired man kissed him messily, murmuring between breaths "Don't feel like it".
In the end, it was Hijikata's ringing phone that broke the momentum. The Vice-Commander pulled away with a groan, looking at the caller's name and groaning a second time as he picked up.
He started to pace in the room as he answered to the man on the other end of the line. Hijikata made the call brief, hanging up as soon as possible. He sighed before putting his phone back into his pocket. "Sorry for that", he said.
Gintoki stretched out awkwardly in front of him, his bandages restricting his movements. "Yeah yeah".
Hijikata stood there, feeling stupid now that the momentum had passed. Gintoki seemed to notice it, though, because he asked about the phone call, "The Gorilla, I guess?"
The Vice-Commander nodded, not even bothering correcting the other, before looking around the room in search of his jacket. He spotted it near the window and he crouched to grab it, putting it back on in silence. He dusted himself uselessly and turned back towards Gintoki. The man hadn't moved an inch, still eyeing him lazily. It pissed Hijikata off a little, to see the smug smile on his face as if he'd won a fight or something. It made Hijikata want to lean down again and kiss his silly look away.
Instead, he just pushed the phone back into his pocket, checking that he hadn't left anything around, before saying "Anyway, I've gotta go. I'll see you later, then".
He walked towards the door, ready to open it, when he heard the ruffling of sheets and Gintoki's voice again "Sure thing, Vice-Commander, I got what I wanted, anyway".
Hijikata turned his head towards him, raising an eyebrow.
Gintoki chuckled, voice low as he answered devilishly "Thanks for the taste", before licking his lips.
Hijikata couldn't help but blush this time and he pushed the door open before he could embarrass himself further. He was barely surprised to see the kids stumbling on the doorstep. Eavesdropping, huh?
Hijikata stepped over them, blatantly ignoring them as he was still trying to make his blush disappear. Though before leaving the place he looked up to send a nod towards Otae, a silent thanks for the forced invitation. The woman simply smiled at him, and it seemed genuine, this time.
As he left, he couldn't contain the smile that spread on his face as Gintoki's voice arose from the bedroom, "All right kids, shows' over, what did I miss?" and the loud scrambling footsteps across the living room. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a bad idea, after all.
So I hope that you liked it!
I've been charmed by the idea of Gintoki smoking Hijikata's cigarettes from time to time, but the other day I thought about Gintoki liking the smell of cigarettes just because it reminded him of Hijikata, and I had to write something about it! It's kind of a silly story, and I'm more used to writing angst than fluff, so I hope that this fic didn't turn out to be boring or weird! :D
A huge thanks to the wonderful Rai who beta read this fic, she really was of great help!
Please leave some kudos and comments, it always makes me so happy to read them! :D