[...the date of execution for the first five terrorists caught by SparrowHawk has been confirmed for the 17 th of next month. A further 8 have received sentences ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment. For those at the execution next month, they will have the option of dutifully taking their own life with seppuku, or being hanged. They will also be permitted to see their families and give their last words in an unusual mix of amanto and human law. Expert in amanto law, Mr. I. Zak Knewton, is here to explain the slight variations in the Edo justice system and that of the Yellow planet, and why the decision to overlap the two has occurred in this case …]
It wasn't his sister's cooking that was making Shinpachi feel ill for once, rather the atmosphere in the room. He chewed lazily on the parts of the meal that he had cooked so that the inedible pieces stuck out as black char remains on the plate, though he really didn't feel like eating even the good bits. Kagura's appetite hadn't been smothered - that didn't seem possible - but she looked like she was sucking on a hornet's nest. Otae shared her meek silence with downcast eyes. In the distance, the sound of normality filtered on a light breeze, the quiet hum of chatter and traffic. They hadn't spoken for a long time.
Hope was torture, but more so was the idea that soon, Gintoki could unfairly be prised from their family. Shinpachi truly believed him to be a good man; convincing the justice system otherwise was becoming an impossible task. On Katsura's instructions, the three of them had begun a petition to give Sakata Gintoki (and all other ex-joui) a retrial based on the Jus In Bello principles. Fighting the battle that crimes during war should not be judged outside of such circumstances had seemed like the perfect answer initially. Shinpachi came to understand that instead, it was Katsura helping them to feel better about the situation - less useless, in essence. He was giving them something to do. There wasn't much chance of them having any sort of impact. At least, not before the 17th.
The petition had, of course, been signed by any person who had been touched by Gintoki's light. And that was a lot of names. During the endless hours they spent finding supporters to sign the petition, Shinpachi was filled with pride by how many people loved Gintoki. The vast number who crawled out of dark corners and high places to give their support was astonishing, each of them insulting the man but still scrawling their name and telling Shinpachi where to find them if they needed anything else. It had been a traumatic experience, too. Already feeling scared and shocked, revealing that Gintoki was about to be executed to other people was like re-living that every time. Tsukuyo broke down and had to be held back from rounding up her fighters; Sacchan had gone strangely quiet, and Shinpachi got the feeling she was making shady enquiries of her own.
Now the hundreds of signatures were stuffed into an envelope and hidden in his kimono – he daren't leave such a precious item anywhere else. He liked to touch his hand to his chest every now and again to check it was still there. It was useless, he knew, but it was a start. Hope. And they were currently waiting for Katsura to make an appearance and announce their backup strategy …
If all else failed, it was not an exaggeration to say they'd break him out of there.
They would.
Katsura's appearance was marked by the shadow of his figure falling across the trio. Eyes rose. He was of course tailed by the unmistakeable figure of Elizabeth. Neither of them were the type to easily share a smile, but today of all days, such an emotion was vacant from their faces.
"I've been contacted by an ally to Gintoki's cause." Katsura begin immediately as Otae gestured to the tea pot. He shook his head and continued. "It was a surprising connection, but not one I'm going to pass up on due to personal feelings. Not this time. I have come to request your aid."
"There's no need to even ask," Shinpachi tried to smile but the gesture never quite reached his cheeks.
"I'm asking because it will be dangerous. Too dangerous for me to involve you unless I really needed to. Otae … as their guardian, if you deem this too dangerous, I will understand."
"Of course." She nodded. "But don't rule me out of anything either."
"Big sis won't be able to stop me." Sadaharu nudged Kagura gently in support.
"..." Katsura sighed and let his shoulders drop briefly before re-adjusting his posture. "Then I will ask of you … Leader, you're familiar with the Shogun's younger sister, right?"
"Soyo-chan?"
"I … need you to get us into the Shogun's fortress."
"Wait," Kondo rested his hand on Hijikata's shoulder, "Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" He was less than comfortable with Hijikata dealing with this alone and made that clear with his expression. Regardless, inside, Hijikata was on fire. And he was adamant that he was going in there. Behind that reinforced door was Gintoki, and no amount of chains could hold him back. His blood was roaring with adrenaline. Hand hovering above the handle to the door, he nodded impatiently but refrained (barely) from opening it until Kondo let go.
Into the bright whiteness he plunged.
God, it hadn't even been a week, had it? They had been apart longer before now. So then why was he running to the glass and hammering against it? Gintoki sat up, startled, and on the other side of the glass window, a horrified expression stretched his eyes wide.
"You can't come here!" He shook his head, anger ebbing into him. He stood up so violently that his chair skittered away from him across the floor. Hijikata hated that his voice was muffled through the glass. He wanted to hear him properly.
"I ordered them to cut the CCTV and audio. We're safe." Come closer so that I can see you.
"Just you coming here will raise suspicions, you absolute idiot!" Gintoki raged and refused to step closer. He'd put up a mental barrier and wouldn't shift even a foot past the line. "Are you fucking stupid?" Hijikata noticed a bruise on his left jawline and a cut in his lip, but regardless felt relieved. In fact, out of the two of them, Hijikata looked the worst: heavy black eyes, uniform he'd worn for three days straight now, and his usual V-shaped bangs appeared as though he'd slept in a wind tunnel. I want to touch you.
"It's fine, Gintoki," he reiterated and finally Gintoki seemed to take a breath. Then two more. His shoulders sank.
"You're a fool."
"Who's the bigger fool?" Hijikata searched the glass with his fingers until Gintoki matched them on the other side. He wished for the glass to be thinner – he at least wanted to feel Gintoki's heat passing through. The centimetres of barrier between them seemed much further. Nevertheless, this was the best compromise he could come to with Kondo. They were at risk for even getting involved in this since their involvement with the Shiroyasha was already on record. Gintoki sighed and bumped his forehead against the glass, heaving a cloud of condensation between them and distorting his image. "Whatever happens, you're getting out of here." Soft words barely filtered through the solid barrier. Hijikata hadn't expected a response, but was surprised when after a second, Gintoki nodded. "It all happened so fast. I couldn't hold onto you."
"You couldn't have negotiated away this glass barrier, too, Mr Policeman?"
"I wish," he snorted. Gintoki chuckled, the sound vibrating onto Hijikata's forehead and providing a warm buzz in his stomach.
"Jeez, what do I even pay you for?"
"If you did paid your taxes, maybe I could have gotten us a better deal."
"Oh, so this is my fault?"
"As always." Hijikata parted from the glass to open the small letter box sized passage which provided the only break in the barrier without a lock. Wordlessly, Gintoki picked his chair up and dragged it as close as he could get. Hijikata sat opposite and slipped his palms through the box until they met with Gintoki's warm hands.
Holding hands had never been a thing for them. Neither of them were that fussed. If they were touching, then they were grasping and pulling. They were moving, exploring. Anchoring their hands together wasn't satisfying enough. The gesture meant nothing to them. It didn't bother Hijikata in the slightest. It was a public gesture and that was forbidden for them. Even if they were concerned with that sort of behaviour, it was impossible for them because of who they were.
That's why Hijikata had never imagined how gratifying it would be to hold Gintoki's hand. Warm, like his whole body, and strong. Those calloused hands he knew. Rough. And how Gintoki's fingers seemed to slot straight in between his own. That didn't mean they'd go back to hand holding in the future. He still wanted to get rid of that stupid barrier, even if it was just to hit the bastard. It was only because they were starved of contact, and torturingly, this was all they could get. Like drinking raindrops in a drought. Gintoki leaned forward to kiss each of his fingers and then pressed their clasped hands to his cheek.
"If things don't work on my end," Hijikata couldn't cover the break in his pitch and no doubt his hands were just as unsteady, "do anything." He said. "Anything." To which, Gintoki hummed but didn't respond. His eyes were closed, as though he was only concerned with the heat of their hands pressed against his skin. "I mean it, Gintoki. Don't play the martyr. Not this time."
"Can we talk about something else...?" It was the first time Gintoki had seemed tired in their encounter and reluctantly, Hijikata dropped the subject. "How are Kagura and Shinpachi?"
"As well as can be expected. I've not seen much of them but Kondo has been going over to visit a lot more."
"Good." Gintoki breathed into their hands and the clap of his lips kissing Hijikata's hand again was just as calming as the warmth it provided.
Hijikata let his head rest against his bicep, stretching through the claustrophobic gap as far as he could. "You're probably eating better in here."
"It's a nightmare! No sugar in sight!" Gintoki wailed in true despair. "Couldn't you have brought something for me? A parfait? My last request?"
"Stop saying that." Hijikata iced over and raised his eyes through his bangs. They made eye contact. The laughter seemed to melt away from Gintoki's eyes. Slouching forwards, Gintoki blocked himself off from conversation with his body language. "Don't sulk. We don't have long."
"Just talk at me. That's enough."
"I want to hear what you're thinking." Hijikata shook his hand gently. "Hey."
"I'm not thinking anything."
"You're always thinking something." He tugged on his arm again. Gintoki allowed Hijikata to play with his fingers but still remained silent. "Oi, talk to me."
"..." Gintoki's head fell to rest on the table so Hijikata reached through his other arm to pull at his hair.
"Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."
Though Hijikata kept prompting, Gintoki remained stoic in his silence. Maybe he didn't have anything in particular to say; maybe he had so much to say that he didn't know where to begin. Hijikata had never really minded that Gintoki was a quiet person. He could understand him even without words. There was so much buzzing around that permy head that even Gintoki couldn't straighten out his thoughts into sentences. Hijikata accepted that. In that moment though … he wanted to hear everything. Uncut. Raw. He wanted to hear his voice, his thoughts, those little connections zapping in his brain and the noise they made. It didn't even have to be meaningful or emotional … this silence made Hijikata feel like he was missing something, and if Gintoki didn't speak now …
He just wanted to hear it. Anything. Everything.
"Not yet," he pleaded when he heard the click of the door, but he knew Kondo wouldn't be interrupting if he didn't need to.
"Come on, Tosshi."
"Nice to see you, Gorilla."
"I'd like to say so too, yorozuya, but it's not the same when you're behind bars. Tosshi, I've stalled for long enough already."
"I-!" He gritted his teeth. Gintoki let go.
"I'll see you. Soon."
"Gintoki!"
"Look after the kids for me."
"I can't! I won't!" Kondo began to pull him away, trying to hush him from making a fuss. They were already pushing their limits. "You do it! They're your kids!"
"C'mere. One last thing." He beckoned Hijikata forwards and even if Kondo hadn't let go, Hijikata would have dragged him along back to the glass. Gintoki leaned forwards and whispered to him. "Don't forget that," he added, and Hijikata had to squeeze his eyes shut to control himself.
"Let's go, Tosshi." Kondo gave him a gentle nudge.
"Mm."
He didn't give Gintoki a reply.
He should have.
Oh God, he should have.
"I'm against it." Kondo declared into the meeting room. They were not in the barracks, for it felt disloyal to make plans against the bakufu in such a place. Instead, they had taken residence in Otose's snack bar … amongst unusual company. The doors had been closed, the blinds down, creating a suitable air of secrecy. And betrayal. "But that's not going to stop you, is it Tosshi?" Kondo let his eyes soften, a mix of worry and affection swirling in them.
"Damn right."
"It'll be your first real action since the incident and I'm not happy with you going into such danger. You're not as strong as you were." Hijikata tried to reason himself out of the hurt that came with those words, but it was unsurprisingly difficult and just left him with a twisted expression.
"I'm still going."
"And unfortunately, you know I can't participate in this."
"I know. I wouldn't want you to. Whatever happens, the shinsengumi need you. If you get caught then there'll be nothing left of us." Hijikata glanced across the table to another member of the discussion. "What about you, Sougo?"
"As much as I'd love to lend a hand to danna, two members of the shinsengumi going down for this would raise suspicion against us." He swirled a glass of orange juice and shrugged. "Plus, if you're gone then I finally get to be vice-commander." At that, Hijikata clicked his tongue.
A long haired terrorist raised his head to speak.
"I'm against collaborating with the shinsengumi at all. It's reproachful that you'd go against your beliefs to do this."
"It's not against my belief." Hijikata literally growled low in his throat. "I don't want to do this as much as you don't, Katsura, but I don't have a choice. We'd be too late if we took the official route."
"I can't believe Gintoki got involved with you lot." Katsura spat. Elizabeth popped signs around him, which he ignored.
"Katsura-san, Hijikata-san, please," a be-speckled part of the group interrupted. "There's no time to argue."
"I agree," came Otose's voice, commanding even despite her calm tone. "You're planning to break into the Shogun's castle, for gods sake. And you're taking these two innocent kids with you. You both need to set your differences aside or give up on this mission." She lowered her head before adding, "If you were going to risk these two, you know that he'd rather you not bother." Kagura was about to speak up but a tap on her shoulder from Shinpachi caught the words in her throat. Otose continued. "That useless guy … you know what he's like. He wouldn't want any of you to get hurt doing this."
"I can't stand by for a reason like that." Hijikata made steady, almost challenging eye-contact with her and she did not rebut.
"Then I suggest we get down to business." Kondo unravelled a map of their target. "To plan how we're going to break into the most steadfast fortress in Edo."
AN- I was late updating on here soorrryyy. If you like my works, follow my FanFic tumblr account, catharsis-reindown using password rain. There's not a whole lot on yet (just me talking to myself) but I'm going to be adding shorts, one shots, little ideas, etc. You can also message me any questions on there, requests even. See you next chapter!