Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Suggested Listening: Golden Throne by The Tech Thieves
Of Pride and Honor
Chapter Thirty: Next Step
She used to believe that prisons were made up of wooden bars, terrible food and only a tiny window to the outside world. Now she knew that to be a fallacy. Prisons weren't all created equal. This one had tatami mats, a wide-open window and no bars to hold her in place. Yet it was still as stifling of a cell as the ones she used to imagine. The shackles that bound her to this place were not physical. At least not yet.
"You keep starin' like that and you'll lose your sight, sweetheart."
She didn't bother to look behind her. She already knew who it was.
"I'm not in the mood Shiranui."
The man sank onto his haunches beside her. She could hear the subtle shifting of his clothing as he leaned close. The scent of gun powder and steel met her nose.
"Ya know, the more you keep at this the worse it'll get." His eyes lowered to her uneaten tray of food. "Kazama's a stubborn idiot. Ain't the type to bow down to anyone, least of all a woman."
Her gaze hardened. She tilted her head to glare over at him.
"I will never marry that monster. So you might as well kill me." Her tone conveyed the seriousness she felt.
Shiranui curled his lips into a pitying smile, "Hate to break it to ya sweetheart but it ain't exactly your choice." There was a slight edge to his words—a signal to the frustration he felt as well.
She quirked a delicate brow, "Interesting. I didn't take you for the cynical type."
The male gave a quick snort, "Yeah? Life ain't exactly a basket of roses. Seen what shit is like out there." His features hardened. It was the first time he'd ever let down his guard around her. Shiranui was many things but careless wasn't one of them.
She turned her head back towards the people scurrying around outside.
"A long time ago my mother used to tell Yato and I stories. They sounded so outlandish that they were hard to believe at first." Vague memories of the biting cold and the dull warmth of the hearth fire surfaced. It'd been so long since she'd last heard either of their voices. "She used to talk about how our village was saved by a human woman. She said that it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen."
Shiranui paused, "You talkin' about the Shikon girl?"
She nodded, "Yes. Apparently a vile youkai had taken root just outside of our village. Then as our people grew sick from the miasma, she showed up upon the back of a nekomata. Mother said that the sight alone caused the others to be wary of her."
The male sat back. His thumb flicked at the hammer of his pistol. It was a habit he had anytime he was hyper focused on something.
"Yeah yeah, we've all heard the legends. Shikon girl swooped in and destroyed the evil. Then she vanished off the face of the earth." His eyes narrowed. "What's that got anything to do with this?"
Her lips pulled into a soft smile, "Given the choice, I rather believe miracles like that woman still exist. Our mother was saved because of her. I don't want to close myself off to other opportunities just because of one or two bad experiences." She met his gaze with a fierce glare of her own. "Kazama is wrong. Our options aren't just limited to retreating or fighting. We can still live with them. That's my belief anyways."
Shiranui studied her for a long moment. Then he threw himself back and laid upon the floor.
"Whatever you say sweetheart. It still won't stop Kazama." The sour note in his tone told her everything she needed to about his feelings regarding the matter.
She stared out beyond the pane of glass. She spied a woman smiling brightly at the man beside her. One day, she would know that freedom as well.
"We'll see about that."
"Here we go," Kagome led Chizuru down the corridor. "This is where most of the washing is done. Hijikata-san gave me permission to sneak you in here." She offered the younger woman a playful wink. They both knew that her request was less of a question and more akin to a demand. Hijikata was incapable of saying no to her whenever she displayed any amount of determination. Okita had warned her about his weakness once and now she only used it to her advantage when the situation called for it. In this case, she just wanted the chance to give Chizuru something to do. At least then she would feel so listless.
"I'll gather up some of the Captains' haori while you prepare the water. Is that alright?" Conversely Kagome was also concerned about leaving her on her own for too long. Chizuru was still somewhat shy around the others. She tended to drawn into herself too much whenever she thought that she might be pestering them. The last thing Kagome wanted was for her to feel as if she were an outsider while she remained in the Shinsengumi's custody. She'd been through enough as it was. Kagome smiled as Chizuru stuck close to her. Although the girl seemed to be warming up to herself, Okita and Heisuke a bit more. For now, that'd be good enough.
"Oh no, I'll be fine. I'll get things ready for us here!" The girl waved her hands frantically. She shot her a warm smile.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes. If anyone drops by just tell them that you've got permission." With that she spun on her heel. She made her way through the Yagi House. Thankfully most of the guys had left their haori out for them to collect. The only exception being Saito.
Kagome poked her head through the open doorway, "Saito?" She'd dropped his honorific a while ago. After so many times sparring together she'd just gotten used to addressing him by his surname. He didn't appear to mind it all that much. Okita didn't either so she assumed that she was in the clear.
The man was sitting stock still. His expression was a picture of calm as he held his hands over his lap. Perhaps he was meditating?
A low mewl drew her attention to the little calico. She sank to her haunches.
"Good to see you too Mochi." She brushed her fingers over its forehead. "Looks like you've been getting a lot of attention lately."
The feline mewled again. Kirara had taken to following either herself, Okita or, more recently, Saito. She'd run into Mochi the other day and the two got along surprisingly well. They often played and chased each other around the compound but since Kirara's arrival she hadn't so much as knocked over a plate. It seemed that having a playmate helped her. Kagome's gaze drifted towards the nekomata lounging across Saito's floor. Her lips curled up in a smile.
It seemed that she was starting to settle in just fine. A few of the captains were still wary of her presence after the previous display of strength. However she mostly kept to either herself, Okita or Saito. As of yet the worst she did was lay across their laps and meow incessantly when she wanted attention. Saito had found himself her most recent target.
Kirara glanced at her. As if sensing her dilemma, she leapt onto Saito's shoulder. The tiny animal pushed its head against his cheek. She rubbed against him until the man opened his eyes.
Kagome smiled a little wider, "Someone's popular."
He blinked then turned to face her.
"Kagome," His eyes widened marginally. It was the first time she recognized any sort of surprise from the man. There was a subtle rise in his brows and a tiny hitch to his voice. If she hadn't been used to him already then she would've missed it entirely.
Kagome gestured towards his blue petticoat, "Chizuru-chan and I are fixing to do laundry. Did you want me to grab yours too?"
The ronin's gaze slid towards the neatly folded pile. He made a move to grab them for her.
"That'd be appreciated." He passed the clothes into her awaiting hands.
"Thanks Saito!" Kagome grinned once more. "Oh that reminds me, Souji suggested that we do a joint training session sometime this week. He said that it'd be a good idea if the guys saw us sparring. Was that something you wanted to do?" The captain gave her a thoughtful look. He was never one to shut down a match. If there was one thing she'd learned about the man then it was the fact that he was driven by his desire to fight.
Saito was a little different from Okita though. Both men enjoyed fighting and sparring, however her husband seemed to have a certain thirst for the thrill of battle. He thrived off of the adrenaline and thoroughly enjoyed showing off his skills. Saito on the other hand was more reserved. He was enthused by a good challenge and took pride in improving his own technique. He just didn't flaunt his successes like Okita did.
Her smile turned soft. Her husband was truly a handful sometimes.
Saito scratched at his chin, "That would be preferable. I'll speak with Souji later about the details."
She perked up, "Great! I'm looking forward to the next match!" Kagome wasn't like either of them when it came to fighting. She had fun sparring with them but she found herself enjoying these simple days much more. She hadn't practiced her archery much at all since they came to Kyoto either. It wasn't as if she'd given up on it, but a part of her felt that perhaps it was time to put it away. She'd spent so many years fighting. She'd grown weary of battle—especially ones involving youkai.
Her lips dipped downwards at the thought. There was still one fight left. Shippou had been giving them updates on Kazama. Thus far the oni changed locations so frequently that it was difficult to confront him. Plus he'd decided to wait until he heard back from another contact.
"Is something the matter?" Saito pinned her with a concerned glance.
She waved her hands, "Oh no, I'm fine. Just a little lost in thought."
Kirara took the floor once more. She rolled onto her back as Mochi curled up beside her.
"If I may," Saito started. There was a slight edge to his voice—as if concerned about his next question. "Is there a reason you decided to fight?"
She fell silent for a moment. Should she tell him?
The young woman cast him a wry smile, "I suppose you could say that it was a necessity."
He waited patiently for her to continue. Kagome took a seat beside him as she dove further into her explanation.
"I guess you could say that I had to travel a lot when I was younger. I had some people with me but things got violent pretty often." She sighed, tilting her head towards the ceiling. "I didn't like not knowing how to defend myself. So I picked up the bow and tried to learn archery on my own. It was frustrating to be honest. There were so many times that I couldn't even hit a target right in front of me."
Saito didn't speak. His silence served as the only encouragement she needed to push forward.
"I wasn't exactly around the most understanding people either. So it was difficult navigating that on top of figuring everything else out. I finally got frustrated and started firing off practice shots every night. I did it from dark until dawn. Even when my hands bled and got callused, I just kept trying until it started to sink in." Kagome curled her fingers inward towards her palm. Okita knew a bit of this. Both from the times she talked about it with him and she was sure her mother had said something to him before.
She did worry about concerning him. She knew how deep his affection ran. That being said she didn't want him to become overly concerned for her. It was difficult going any further than what she'd discussed with him.
Kagome pushed forward, "Shortly after that Sango joined us."
Saito cocked his head curiously, "Sango?"
She nodded again, "Yeah. She was the one to give me this wakizashi." Her palm gripped the scabbard of her blade. "She was the one who taught me the basics of fighting. Shortly before she died she asked me to take it with me." Her fingers flexed at the memory. "I'm glad she gave it to me. Even though she's gone it feels like a part of her is still with me."
There'd been so much blood. Even now she could recall the acrid stench of rust and death. Her fingers instinctively wiped at the back of her hand.
Saito took the chance to interject, "It is believed that the soul of a warrior resides in the blade they carry." Cobalt eyes drifted towards the sword tucked at the cinch of her obi. "Male or female she was still a fighter." His eyes met hers directly, "I am certain that she is still with you."
Kagome wasn't sure if he was simply trying to make her feel better or if he truly believed in such things.
Her smile turned soft, "Thanks."
Now she wasn't too certain but she could've sworn that she saw the tips of his ears turn red in embarrassment.
She chose to keep going, "After that I sort of observed my opponents in battle. I guess you could say that I was copying their style for a long time." She threw him a wry grin. "I met Souji a year or so after I finally stopped traveling. He's been rounding out my technique as far as fighting goes. Right now I sort of do it because it's fun and I know it helps Souji feel more secure about leaving me behind when he goes on rounds." She leaned over and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, "Don't tell him I said this but he can be quite the worrywart."
Kagome saw Saito's lips curve upwards in a tiny smile. Now that was a new one.
"I shall not mention anything."
She started to laugh when a male voice boomed overhead.
"Explain yourself!"
They both shot up. Kagome went rigid as she strode out onto the engawa. Saito followed closely behind her. His mood shifted into one of sharp protectiveness. She felt his palm gently push her back as they made their way towards the washroom.
Her eyes narrowed at the tall frame blocking the doorway.
"Takeda!" Kagome raised her voice. "What are you doing?"
Chizuru tucked her hands close to herself. Her face had gone pale as she pressed herself against the wall. The poor girl was petrified.
Kagome felt her fury rise, "Are you really so idiotic as to go after Hijikata-san's page? Do you really think the commander would be thrilled to hear that you intimidated his only page?"
Saito kept himself posed between them. His eyes were hard as he pinned the other captain with a stern glare.
"She is correct," He finally spoke. "You are not permitted access to this house without express permission from the commander or chief." His tone took on a sharp edge. "Explain yourself."
She moved around them, taking Chizuru into her protective embrace.
"Are you alright?" She lowered her voice.
The girl nodded once, "I'm fine." Her eyes shifted towards the other male. "Who is he?"
Kagome sighed, "Takeda Kanryusai. It's best to just ignore him." She raised her voice to address him directly. "The idiot is so far up his own ass that he rather pick a losing fight than admit that he screwed up."
The captain stiffened, "You're just a woman. You should not even be here." A snide smirk slanted over his lips. "It'll only be a matter of time before your presence causes discourse. Once that happens, the chief will be forced to send you away."
Kagome snorted, "Strong words from a man who had his ass kicked by this woman." Her tone turned confident. "Tell me, do you want a second black eye? Because that's how you get one."
Takeda fell silent. His brows furrowed together as he scowled at her. It seemed as if her words had hit their mark.
"It would be best if you left." Saito interjected. "The commander will be hearing of this incident. I would prepare myself if I were you."
Takeda spun on his heel. He spoke nothing as he passed under the threshold. For a second his gaze slid to hers. Kagome glared with all of her fury. Bastards like that had no business tarnishing the Shinsengumi's reputation. It only lasted for a second before the man was gone.
The young woman snorted again, "Good riddance." She cocked her head towards Saito. "Why do you guys keep him on if he's just causing trouble?"
The man offered no immediate response. Perhaps he wasn't even fully sure of the reason himself.
"I'll remain here for now." Saito cast them a short glance. "Let me know if you require my help."
Kagome grinned brightly, "I might just take you up on that."
Okita passed beneath the gates of their headquarters. It'd been a bust today. Chizuru had been ordered to stay home while they investigated rumors of the Choshu planning an attack on Kyoto. They hadn't found shit to back up that claim but there was always a possibility.
His lips pressed into a thin line at the thought. He wasn't keen on the idea of Kagome bearing witness to war.
The man stopped as his wife greeted him at the engawa of the Yagi House. She clasped her hands behind her back. A coy smile played upon her lips.
"Welcome home, dear." Kagome's voice took on a teasing note.
Okita found himself grinning back at her, "Uh oh, what's this about? I feel like you're gonna slap me with some crazy request."
Her features deadpanned, "Now that's just mean." Kagome turned on the ball of her heel. "And here I was going to suggest we have a nice outing together but I suppose that I was wrong."
Okita blinked. A coy grin split across his lips. He took two long strides forward and quickly curled his arms around his wife's waist. He gently held her to him, preventing her from escaping.
"Oh really? I'd like to hear more about this idea." She rarely made suggestions for their dates recently. Usually she was happy with whatever he threw out. Then again he supposed that part of that was because of his long shifts on patrol. They rotated responsibilities but he was often out of the compound five to six days of the week. Of those days he'd work from dawn until a little after nightfall. Kagome was bound to feel a little lonely with him gone so often. It'd stand to reason that she'd rather pick whatever he wanted to do on their spare few moments together away from everyone else.
Kagome turned her head away from him petulantly, "Nah, I don't want to now."
His mouth dipped into a pout, "That's not fair. You're teasing me."
"Well that's what you get," His wife stuck her tongue out at him. Okita gently pulled her further into his chest.
A faint cough drew their attention. The ronin held Kagome close to him as he glanced over his shoulder. She followed his line of sight.
"Souji," Saito addressed him directly. "Do you have a minute?" The man's gaze drifted towards Kagome briefly. She smiled, patted his arm then stepped away to give them some privacy.
"I'll leave you two to it," His wife threw him a playful grin. "Don't think this means that you're off the hook!"
Okita pursed his lips into a thin line. Well clearly she wasn't going to let his earlier slip up go. He folded his arms over his chest.
Saito waited until she'd gone around the corner before he began, "There was another incident with Takeda."
The ronin quickly narrowed his eyes. His body stiffened as he drew himself up to his full height.
The other male continued, "It wasn't too serious. He'd entered the Yagi House and began interrogating Yukimura. Kagome and I intervened." Cobalt eyes thinned, "I've already reported the issue to the Commander however you should take caution. It is likely he was looking for Kagome earlier when he ran into Yukimura."
Okita mulled over that prospect. If that was the case then he could no longer sit idly by. The bastard was getting bold. Which was surprising in and of itself as he'd had his ass handed to him by her at least once before. The man's current rate of persistence would only land him in one place.
"I suggest we perform more frequent joint training sessions in the morning and have both girls attend." Saito went on, "I brought this up with the Commander and he currently has no issues with it."
Okita felt a smirk pull at his lips, "I get ya. You want to let the little shit know that he can't approach either of them." While Saito rarely laid his emotions bare for others to dissect, his reasoning was much easier to piece together. The other Captain was far shrewder than people often gave him credit for. In fact it was his taciturn personality that enabled him to take on jobs like infiltrating enemy territory and keeping a close watch on people of interest for their group. In some ways Saito could even be more dangerous than himself, but only some ways.
"Well I'll see you in the morning then," He waved his hand dismissively. "Gotta take the wife out."
Saito spoke nothing to that. He merely turned on his heel and left the rest to him. Okita furrowed his brows as he thought over what'd happened. Takeda wasn't the smartest man. Hell he was only clinging to his position because of how much he sucked up to Kondou and won over his favor. It wouldn't take much to yank the wool from their Chief's eyes if it came right down to it. The real question was why Takeda was so fixated on them.
He scratched at his chin.
Takeda displayed little more than annoyance at Kagome's presence. So he doubted it was anything too sinister. The man probably just wanted to scare her into leaving the compound. Which was a ridiculous notion in and of itself.
"Souji," Kagome came to his side once more. "You're making that face again." She teasing prodded his cheek with her index finger. "You know, I have to wonder what it is you're thinking about sometimes because you always get this crazy look in your eyes." His wife stuck her tongue out at him once more.
He curled his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his side.
"You'll find out tonight."
Okita laughed the second her face flamed a brilliant shade of scarlet.
He'd deal with Takeda later. Right now he just wanted this moment with his wife.
The ronin dipped his head and slanted his mouth over hers once more.
This was all he needed.
Kagome woke the following morning. Her body felt sore as her thighs burned. She shivered as a draft of wind ran through their room. She cracked her eyes open, peering over her shoulder at the empty space beside her.
Ah that was right. Okita had gone on an early morning patrol. She hardly remembered him getting out of bed. It was only the slight chill after his missing warmth that'd notified her of his absence.
She missed him.
Perhaps she was being clingy but she found herself longing for the heat of his body next to hers once more. Their time together had significantly dwindled. Belligerent ronin were beginning to plague Kyoto and she just couldn't the feeling of unease that'd settle in her whenever Okita was on patrol. It were as if the air in her lungs would freeze until he came home safely.
Kagome rose to her feet. She slipped behind their shoji screen and began to prepare herself for the day. It hadn't taken her long to throw on a yukata and pin her hair up. When she was done, she started to make her way towards the Common Room.
Hijikata and the others were probably on duty by now. Which meant that Chizuru was out on patrol with Okita as well. Her lips dipped at the thought. She couldn't go with him. She couldn't stand beside him physically one hundred percent of the time. It was difficult to accept that fact sometimes—especially when the fear of his wellbeing seeped into the back of her mind.
"Ah, Kagome!"
She stopped at the sound of a deep, masculine voice calling out to her. She turned around just in time to catch Kondou approaching her.
"Do you have a moment?" A warm smile spread across the man's lips. There was something about him that reminded her of her own father. She'd never seen Kondou without his smile or kindness.
She smiled back at him, "Of course. Was there something you needed?"
Kondou fell into step beside her, "Ah, nothing quite like that."
Things were still a little awkward between them. As the Chief of the Shinsengumi, Kondou often didn't have much time to spare. The rare few times they were able to talk Okita was usually with them so she hardly had the chance to speak with him one on one like this.
"I was planning on heading into town earlier and wanted to know if you'd accompany me." His smile was infectious—both warm and inviting much like an exuberant father's would be. She smiled back at him.
"I'd love to."
Kagome fell into step beside him as they made their way towards the main market area. The silence between them was a little stifling but she knew that it wouldn't take long for him to speak. Whatever was on his mind, he probably wanted to discuss now.
Kondou glanced towards a couple holding a squirming infant in their arms. His smile turned even brighter as they passed by one another.
"I take it you and Souji might start trying soon?" His tone was quiet—as if concerned that he was broaching a taboo topic.
Kagome flushed. Her gaze diverted towards her feet as she tried to formulate a coherent response.
"It's not that we haven't thought about it," She started off timidly. It was hard to place her concerns into words. With Souji it was much easier as he'd gone through the well before. He knew the sort of things they would have to take into account now for their relationship.
Time paradoxes. Crossing of familial blood lines. Tampering with history.
None of which would lead to a good outcome.
She tried to explain further, "There's a lot going on right now in Kyoto. I think the biggest thing we're worried about is if the worst comes to pass and then that'll make things more difficult on both Souji and the Shinsengumi as a whole."
Kondou gave a thoughtful hum at her words. He scratched his chin with his thumb and index finger—as if contemplating everything she said carefully.
"But you do want kids, don't you?" His question came more as a statement.
Her face flushed once more. The memory of Okita interacting with her brother and the Yagi family's child came back to her mind. He was incredibly good with kids. So much so that she was slightly envious of him. Perhaps his lighthearted nature lended itself to getting along easier with children. Regardless she knew that he'd be an amazing father.
That was something she could never deny.
Kagome nodded once.
It was something she couldn't deny about herself either. The more time they spent here the more she craved that sort of life. For so long she spent her life fighting, struggling and traveling. For the first time she truly felt at home. Sure she missed her family but as it stood Okita was now her family as well. She wasn't alone.
Taking their small two-person household into three would be something she could only dream of doing.
Kondou smiled down at her affectionately, "You don't have to worry about us." His tone calmed her as they set about wandering through the streets of Kyoto. "Our duty is to protect this city regardless of circumstances." There was a faint glimmer of paternal pride as he spoke, "Should you and Souji decide that you want to have children then you don't need to worry about anything else. We're only young once. If there's something you want to do then that's the time to do it."
She paused at that.
He was right. At least to some degree. They were young. They could possibly wait a few years without too many issues but by that time the dangers around them could implode. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach.
It wasn't smart, but she found herself yearning for it all the same.
Kondou led her to a small dango shop. She and Okita had stopped by there a few times since they'd returned. The food was always good and the staff exceptionally pleasant. The establishment was quickly becoming a favorite of theirs.
"We should get something to eat. You must be hungry by now!" Kondou's jovial attitude caused the worries she had to slowly slip away.
In many ways he reminded her of her own father. The exuberance, near childlike attitude and lighthearted disposition were nearly identical to one another. Even if she could no longer return to her family she knew that she wasn't alone in this era either.
"That sounds great to me." Kagome smiled as she followed him into the shop.
This was all she could ask for.
Okita scratched at the back of his neck. No new information on Kazama today either. For all the searching they were doing the man was more like the wind than anything else. He was heard but never seen. His lips pressed into a thin line.
This wasn't good.
The sooner they could get Hayato's sister away from him, the sooner they could put all this shit behind them. No more youkai, furies or powerful jewels. All he wanted was to give Kagome a peaceful life without those sorts of influences. Granted they already had more than enough on their plate to worry about with all the damn ronin wandering around the city. He couldn't let Kagome go into town on her own anymore with how bad it'd gotten. Not too long ago he'd allowed her the chance to wander the streets during the day while they were on patrols. Since then ronin from the west had started to gather around Mibu Village in droves. They did their best to keep them in line but at one point they'd decided that it'd be best if she simply took an escort whenever she needed to leave the compound.
Okita folded his arms into the sleeves of his haori. His jaw clenched in frustration. Bastards. Every single one of them.
"Souji," Hijikata stopped him as he passed under the gates of the compound. "Kondou took your wife out earlier this afternoon."
He blinked. Kondou did? Now that was unusual. The two got along but they rarely spent time together—especially without him. A smile pulled at his lips. That was good though. Kagome needed the chance to bond with the others without his influence. Besides she was bound to be missing her family by this point. Spending some quality time with Kondou wouldn't quite replace what she'd had with her mother and brother, but it'd be enough to ease into the transition of living here permanently at the very least.
"Are they still out?" His question was met with a low sigh from the other man.
"Yes, they should be back soon enough. The guys were already complaining that they weren't going to have her food today since Kondou took her." An exasperated smile pulled at the commander's lips. If he didn't know any better, he probably would've thought that the man didn't mind their complaints so much.
Hijikata stepped beside him. He clapped a hand to his shoulder and lowered his voice.
"You did good."
With that he was gone.
Okita stared after him for a long moment. Since their arrival Hijikata hadn't said much of anything about their marriage. The man was frustrated by the fact that they had to do damage control with the sudden presence of a woman within their organization but other than that he typically kept himself distanced from the entire thing. Was that honestly his way of congratulating them?
He shook his head. Hijikata really sucked at these kinds of things. Ah well, it wasn't all that important anyways. For now he just needed to get things ready for when Kagome and Kondou came home.
Okita returned to their shared quarters. His wife had done well to keep everything in order while he was gone on his patrols during the week. Kagome was never the type of person who could lay around all day but since their marriage she'd kicked up that aspect of her personality into a whole other gear. Most days she was downright exhausted by the time they crawled into bed together. She never complained though. She just smiled and welcomed him into her arms every night.
Okita scratched his chin at that thought. He really should do something for her soon. He didn't want her to wear herself down taking care of him all the damn time. He needed to reciprocate her efforts every now and then. So what could he do this time?
"Souji!" Harada poked his head into their quarters. "Hey, you think you can lend us a hand? We've really got ourselves a problem."
Okita cast him a curious look, "Problem?"
This couldn't be good. He had a sneaky suspicion that whatever they wanted of him wasn't going to end well.
"That cat you guys took in," Harada started. "It apparently decided that Saito's hair would be a great napping place. We're having a hell of a time getting it out. Think you could help?"
The ronin fought the urge to laugh. Now this he couldn't pass up.
"I've got no damn clue how to handle that little beast but I'll lend a hand." They really need Kagome here to deal with the animal instead but he'd take a shot at it regardless.
Okita followed Harada down the corridor towards Saito's quarters. The other man kept his eyes closed as Heisuke tried to pry the two-tailed cat from his hair. Okita fought the urge to laugh.
Kirara burrowed herself against the crown of the man's head. Her claws dug into his hair as she bristled at the teen trying to pull her out of her newfound resting spot. Heisuke drew back. He shot him an exasperated glance.
"There's no moving her."
Okita pinned Saito with a playful grin, "What did you rub some cat nip in your hair or something? I knew you liked cats but this is pretty excessive you know."
His colleague opened his eyes just enough to glare at him, "Souji now isn't the time for jokes. Can you remove her?" The man's tone was clipped as he tried to cut off his source of amusement.
The ronin peered at the furious feline. Its fur was still raised as scarlet eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. There was one trick he could try.
"Hey," He directed his comment to the cat. "You're nice and comfortable, right?"
Its eyes narrowed into thin slits at him. They'd all seen its secondary form once before. His heart had just about dropped out of his body the second he'd watched Kagome take it within her arms. However the feline never once attempted to actually harm her, therefore he would proceed with caution when dealing with it. None of them were familiar with this animal. Unlike his wife, they couldn't read its moods or decipher its body language that easily.
"So why don't you come down here instead?" He opened his arms for it, patiently waiting as it scanned him with a curious glare. "Hajime's hair might not be able to take much more of that if you stay there. Plus Kagome would just have to move you later when she gets back."
Frankly he had no damn clue if this thing could actually understand him. All he knew was that it needed to move right now.
The two-tailed cat opened its jaws and let loose a low yawn.
"See?" He tried once more, "Wouldn't be very fun to have to keep balancing yourself like that, now would it?"
Saito cast him a blistering glare. Clearly he did not believe that sweet-talking the creature would encourage it to leave.
Okita opened his arms a little more, "Come on, you know you want to."
After this there wasn't much else they could do besides have Saito fling himself to the floor and roll around like a crazy idiot to shake the cat loose. While the image was hilarious in his head, he didn't think his colleague would appreciate having to go through something like that. Okita's lips curved upwards a little more. Hell it would be funny seeing the man stop, drop and roll just like those old commercials that'd played on the Higurashi family's TV periodically. His heart clenched at the thought of them. He had to keep focused.
Kirara blinked. Her tail flicked once before she leapt from Saito's head into his arms. Okita brought it closer to his chest as he held it firmly. The cat purred happily as it nuzzled its face next to his shoulder.
He flashed his friend a bright grin, "You buy drinks tomorrow and I won't say a word."
Saito's shoulders dropped as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Okita glanced between them, "How'd this thing get on your head anyways? You get lost in thought and found yourself to be a nice napping post for it?"
His companion glared at him, "Not exactly."
Which meant that was precisely how things had gone down. Harada and Heisuke were still leery about going near the damn thing and Nagakura was still out on patrols. His lips curled upwards into a faint smirk. Ah well, he'd tease the man about it tomorrow when they went drinking. For now he had a few other things to take care of. Namely figuring out something to surprise Kagome with. Chores were one thing but there had to be something he could do for her.
"Hey," He directed his comment to the three still standing around listlessly within Saito's quarters. "You guys got any idea of what to give as a gift to a woman?"
Harada laughed heartily, "You married her but you don't know what to get her?"
Okita rolled his eyes, "She isn't that easy to shop for. Kid's satisfied with what she's got so she never drops any hints." His lips pursed together, "Last time I got her a yukata she thanked me before threatening to skewer my hide for spending so much money on her."
Harada laughed even louder, "Looks like she's got a firm handle on you, now doesn't she?"
He didn't bother with his comment. He simply rolled his eyes before glancing between them. What else could he do? The tansu chest was starting to get full anyways and they didn't have the space to buy another one for her. Plus he doubted that she'd want something like that when she already had so many.
"Is there something she doesn't have?" Harada steered the conversation toward something more productive.
Heisuke glowered at him, "This one is always buying her stuff. You think he hasn't gotten her at least one of everything by now?" His tone was scathing but Okita didn't pay much mind to it.
"I'll take that as a compliment," He shot back at him. The ronin thought a little harder. Clothing was a no go. Kagome had little interest in other material items like hair pins. She already took great care of her wakizashi which just left her bow. His lips dipped at that thought. Ever since their trip back to Kyoto he hadn't seen her so much as pick it up. She was a skilled archer so perhaps this was her way of putting her past behind her?
Saito interrupted his train of thought, "Perhaps you should speak to her." His voice was calm as he set to work on retying his hair. "It's likely that there's something that she wants but is uncertain of how to ask you."
Okita cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean?"
He pressed onward, "Kagome takes many things into account. She's diligent but doesn't want to pester you with menial requests if she can help it. However if you were to ask her directly I'm certain that she'll be willing to give you some sort of response." His hair fell about his shoulders as he tugged it free from its binding. "She is more willing to be honest with you than anyone else."
The ronin thought over his words.
Honest, huh? Perhaps there was something Kagome had been thinking about recently. She'd been so focused on her daily tasks that everything else seemed to slip by her. Maybe that was her way of distracting herself.
The group huddled together as Kondou's voice boomed over the courtyard. They glanced towards the sound of his enthusiastic tone. Okita couldn't make out what was being said but Kagome was beside him. Her face was flushed a bright shade of red as she held her hands to her face.
Well this wasn't looking good.
"Thanks guys but I should probably head over there," He stopped just as he breached the engawa. "Oh and Hajime-kun, try not to let the cat use your head as a napping post. We don't need to be cutting your hair out just to make it happy."
The guys laughed as Saito threw him a displeased glare.
Okita rolled his shoulders. Oh well. He strolled towards the pair still standing in the center of the courtyard. Kirara had been surprisingly quiet for the duration of the talk but the closer they got to Kagome and Kondou, the more she writhed; attempting to free herself from his grasp so that she could go greet his wife.
He let the creature free. It darted across the ground in a flash of yellow and fire.
So much for the warm welcome. The cat was going to get attention before he would at this rate. A faint smile pulled at his lips. As long as she was happy then it didn't really matter all that much anyways.
"Something good happen?" He glanced between his wife's flushed face and Kondou's brightly grinning expression. Now what could've happened to cause that?
Kagome brought Kirara to her chest as she shook her head vigorously.
"Ah Souji!" Kondou clapped a palm over his shoulder. "Sorry to keep you waiting but I thought it'd be a good idea to talk to her." He flashed Kagome a wide grin, "Sorry for all the trouble but I'm glad you were able to make time."
Kagome shook her head again, "Oh no it's fine." Her eyes darted towards Hijikata's exasperated expression. The man stood upon the ledge of the engawa. He folded his arms into his sleeves as he stared on at them.
"I should probably get going. I left without letting anyone know earlier," Kondou made his way towards the commander. "Don't forget what I said earlier. It's something you two should talk about."
Kagome flushed again.
Okita scratched at his chin thoughtfully. Now this was an interesting development. What in the world did Kondou tell her?
He didn't wait long before she leaned into his side.
"Do you think we could talk?" Her voice sounded so small and shy. The ronin smiled as he curled his arm around her waist, leading her back towards their shared quarters as he did.
"Fine by me."
It didn't take them long to return to their room. Kagome gave a heavy sigh as her shoulders slumped forward.
Okita curled both of his arms around her waist as he pulled her into his chest.
"Rough day?" He lowered his voice as he spoke. Kondou wasn't the type of person who would pick on others. So whatever happened was likely something that'd been weighing on her mind for some time.
His wife shook her head, "Not quite it's just that there's something I've been thinking about." Her fingers curled into the cloth of his kosode. He felt the heat of her breath upon his neck as Kirara darted behind their shoji screen. She'd taken to napping behind it during the evenings like this. That wasn't a problem for him as it made things less awkward during the night. The last thing any of them needed was a cat crawling all over them while they were trying to be intimate. He shook the thought from his mind.
Okita trailed his fingers through her hair as she worked up the courage to speak. Kagome was never the type to hold back in her feelings or thoughts but recently she had a habit of placing his wellbeing above everything else including her own feelings. So encouraging her was the best he could do at this point.
"Souji," She tried again. "Kondou-san brought something up earlier that had me thinking."
Oh boy, he had a feeling that he knew where this was going.
She tipped her chin to meet his gaze, "I know that we've got a lot going on right now. Because of that I didn't want to put too much pressure on you." Her hand slide from his chest towards his abdomen. His arms tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer to his heart.
"What kind of pressure?" His breath caught in his throat. He'd seen her watching other families lately. There was almost a glint of nostalgia in her eyes each time they passed a couple with their children. He'd known that she likely craved that sort of future for themselves but the timing never seemed to add up. With the fight against Kazama coming up, she was still quite leery towards doing anything that could put her out of the battlefield.
His brows furrowed at that thought.
He didn't want her to fight. Not if he could help it. Alas, he knew that Kagome was likely to argue with him on that point so he wouldn't push it at the moment.
"Souji, I think I want to ah," Her face flushed once more. She tilted her head as she buried her face into the nape of his neck. She was embarrassed.
A smile pulled at the corner of his lips.
"You want to have a kid?"
Her shoulders twitched. Then after a short pause she nodded once.
"Is that foolish of me?" Kagome's voice went soft. "We have so much that could happen and I know that it wouldn't be right but it's something that I want."
Okita nudged his mouth next to her ear, "There's nothing wrong with knowing what you want." He closed his eyes. He knew that this time would come. Personally he thought that it'd take a little longer to get there. However him being gone all the time besides the evenings and the tight schedule the had overall was bound to sew feelings of absence within her. Whether she realized it or not, this was also likely due in part to her missing the time they were able to spend together previously in her era. After all, he found himself longing for those simple days on more than one occasion. It had to be even worse for her who'd grown up and lived there for the majority of her life.
He lifted his hand to cup her chin between his fingers.
"Hey," He encouraged her to look up at him, "We'll figure it out."
"But Kazama…" Okita slanted his mouth over hers gently. He kept his movements soft but purposeful. He knew what she was worried about. Hell he was worried about it too, however sitting on their asses being scared wasn't going to solve anything. They were at a standstill anyways since their info kept changing. It would be best to just sit back and wait for the opportunity to come knocking—which it would.
"It'll be fine." He moved his hand towards the back of her head, pulling her into his embrace once more. "Besides I wanted to ask you what you wanted earlier. I guess this is the answer I was looking for, huh?" He spoke in a joking manner. Okita pressed onward the second she appeared ready to argue with him, "As for Kazama and the others, I don't think you need to worry about that just yet. There's still a lot going on but nothing's really happened."
His gaze softened as she glanced up at him, "What I'm saying is that everything will be alright." His words sounded somewhat empty even to himself. He couldn't just simply lie to her but he knew that he was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy. If it meant giving her a child then so be it. Besides, he wasn't that put off by the thought of becoming a father himself.
Okita curled his lips upwards into a faint smirk, "Think you can keep up with a newborn though? It'll be tricky with all the late night crying."
Kagome laughed, "Throwing my own argument back at me?"
He grinned even wider, "It's only fair. Besides," He waited until she tilted her chin to meet his eyes once more. "I want you to be absolutely certain that this is what you want. I don't want you feeling any sort of regret later."
He inwardly flinched at the tone he'd used. He hadn't meant to put her off of the idea. This was an important step in their marriage. Once they went past this line then there'd be no going back. It'd no longer just be the two of them but they would have one more to raise and look out for.
He couldn't imagine anything better.
Still, the decision would have to be hers.
Kagome swallowed. Her hand clenched around the cloth of his kosode as she thought over his question carefully.
"I don't want to have any regrets," His wife started slowly. Her eyes narrowed with determination as she spoke to him, "I want to take the risk."
He smiled, "That's my girl. Now we just have to start trying." He lowered his gaze towards their futon. "Feeling like trying right now?"
Kagome slid her arms around his neck. A faint smile spread across her lips as she pressed herself against him.
"Why not?"
Okita lowered them to their bedding.
He had no idea what was to come next. All he knew was that soon, they would no longer just be a family of two. His arms slid under her as he pulled her close to his heart.
Eventually there would be three.
A/n: I apologize for the super long wait guys! I kinda got stuck on a few aspects since technically Kazama wasn't supposed to come in later and with Kagome's upcoming pregnancy, well I kinda screwed myself for a bit there. So I'll just admit that upfront. I did end up reworking quite a few plot aspects to take these new developments into account so hopefully things won't feel quite as thrown together as they had been for me. Tbh I think I got a bit too ambitious on this section so I want to take it a bit at a time and rather than slowing plot pacing, I want to find the right way to piece it together without it feeling rushed or shoehorned. I believe that is my biggest issue.
I know one thing for certain, character development has gotten easier for me over time but overall I think I could do a bit better on the pacing. So the next few chapters I want to experiment on that aspect without trying to drop the development as we go. I have kind allowed Daichi's character to fall to the wayside in these recent chapters so I want to bring him back and showcase all of these OC's importance in the upcoming arc. Also, a few more major Inuyasha characters will likely resurface within the next 5-6 chapters if I get my pacing right so we'll see how that all plays out.
I did get this question before but Inuyasha's character is, in a word, complicated. He does have his reasons for doing what he did but I'll get into that the further we go along. From the start I never wanted to turn this into a simple "bash Inuyasha!" fic. I'd rather that his character have layers and development to him that would make sense so I've got to build up his character as well. Sorry to keep you all hanging in there for so long but once I finish Harada's one shot for One Thousand Wishes I want to refocus on this story now that I've finally got the plot and pacing organized.
As always thanks so much for your support! I couldn't have gotten anywhere near as far as I have without it. To date, this is the first story I've ever written that hit 30 chapters. So thank you for staying here so long. All of your words and support really does help. Love you guys!
Edited to Add: Ah, sorry I did get called out in a review. Usually I'll respond by PM but since that's not possible here it'll probably be better for me to address it here. After all, they honestly made a great point and it's an important topic to tackle. For what I said earlier, I think the better wording is less justification and more of an analysis of what made him do that in the first place. I don't want to spoil too much but I wanted to foil Okita and Inuyasha's actions. I wanted to showcase what made them so different from one another in spite of having similar backgrounds. What Inuyasha did was unforgivable. There's nothing that can ever possibly excuse his behavior. That being said I do want to go into Inuyasha's decisions, why he made them and then add layers onto him as an antagonist. I don't want this to simply be another bashing fic. I do want depth to the story which is what I had meant earlier.
Now with that said there is one thing I want to tackle. Yes, Kagome will still fight. Yes, she will still have her power and that will come into play later. However looking at things from her perspective, she's spent much of her adolescence being scorned, dragged into a war between powerful youkai, beaten, abused and overall run down past her breaking point. Now she's finally found a place where she doesn't feel like she has to walk on eggshells. She doesn't have to prove herself to anyone. She's happy where she's at and she'd longed for some semblance of normalcy since she was first dragged down the well. Right now Kagome is more focused on what it's like to find love, marry and start a family. Is she ordinary? Not quite. But that doesn't mean that her character is useless as she is now. She'll have her chance to shine but I need to build her up again as well. I never wanted Kagome to be an overpowered marysue who takes on everything on her own. Right now, she wants to live a happy and ordinary life but things will start up soon. I promise you that.