I let down all the paperwork on the desk in the small room and ran my fingers through it, skimming through the letters and reports. The glimpse I had was showing me that most of it wasn't really pleasant news.
On the futon, Chizuru was waking up with a moan and I came closer to pull her to my arms as soon as she sat up, putting back her kimono on her shoulders.
« Good morning ? » she seemed to ask, not sure how long she slept.
« You only slept a couple hours, the evening is still to come. »
« Oh, okay. » she said, closing her arms around me.
Now that Kazama was gone and that Chizuru was back in the Shinsengumi, I was relieved. Nothing could happen to her now. I was there and all the other captains too. There still was the danger that me or another Rasetsu tried to harm her but I had trust in the captains to take care of the problem before she really could be in danger. This was the safest place I knew, even more now that there was no more sadistic Oni prince trying to abduct her every year.
I caressed her cheek with the back of my fingers and kissed her lovingly. I was feeling like I was falling in love all over again with her, out of relief that she was safe, my anguish quitting me. My mouth worked on her with a slow motion, trying to swallow each of her breaths. My hands moved to her free hair and I combed my fingers inside it, pulling the back of her head closer to me. I felt her melt in my embrace and I released her mouth to have a look at her swell lips and blushing face. My eyes stopped at the annoying peach kamon on her shoulders and I frowned.
« This needs to go. » I said as I pulled on the kimono.
She chuckled and wrapped her arms around my neck with a teasing smile.
« You're cute when you're jealous. » she said with a smirk.
« I have every reason to be. » I said calmly even if a storm of emotions was swirling inside me « the man abducted you and put his brand on you as if you were his. »
And you are mine. You will always be mine. I'll make sure of it.
I ignored the sentence in my head. I knew the Rasetsu in me was speaking in that instant, making my emotions bigger than they should be, even the bad ones like jealousy and possessiveness. I'll have to do a bit of meditation before attacking the paperwork to not be disturbed by these kinds of thoughts.
« There are spare kimonos in the cupboard if you want something more appropriate. » I told her.
« Oh ? » she said, surprised and maybe a little disappointed « so you intend for me to dress ? »
I nodded. I couldn't do anything too... intense... with her before meditating first. I couldn't take the risk to have the Rasetsu in me take control of my unleashed emotions. I didn't know if it could be dangerous for Chizuru, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't... When I had sex with Mika, a few days ago, I didn't try to hurt her in any way but I was bewitched and restrained, unable to move. Maybe it could have played a role in it, maybe not. Yet, I was sure that it was more cautious to meditate first.
« What's the matter, Hajime ? » she asked, caressing my cheek.
« Nothing » I lied « I think Hijikata-san would like to see you as soon as possible. You should go. »
« Okay, I understand. » she smiled teasingly « duty above anything else, as suitable coming from Saito Hajime. »
« Indeed. » I nodded before authorizing myself to kiss her again.
I wanted to keep her in my arms forever, fill myself with her warmth and her scent, hear nothing but her voice, taste nothing but her lips. I parted from the kiss and nested my head in her neck.
« I missed you so much... » I whispered so low that I thought she couldn't hear it but the arms clenching to my kimono reacted, clenching even more.
I detached myself from her and went to the cupboard before my reason could leave me, and took a simple plain yellow kimono out.
« This is better. » I told her as I handed her the attire « Hijikata-san isn't a very patient man, you should know by now. »
« Oh, I know, » she chuckled. « I've known him for four years now. I think I was even more afraid of him than I was of you when I arrived. »
« You were afraid of me ? » I asked, curious.
I never sensed her fear of me, even when she was a fifteen years old girl trapped in a house of wolves. Could it be that I had been mistaken ?
« Not really afraid » she confessed « I was very curious about you. You defeated me so easily, remember ? »
Of course I remembered. I couldn't ever forget her face filled with resolve when she wanted to show me she was capable enough to accompany us outside. And I couldn't ever forget the way she looked at me with my blade on her throat, her gaze showing nothing but respect.
« But I did praise you. » I objected.
« You were just being nice. » she chuckled « and you praised my teacher, not me. »
« Did I ? Maybe... » I muttered, putting the yellow kimono on her shoulders.
« Yes you did ! You said something like "you had a good teacher, Yukimura. I'll report this to Hijikata-san" »
« That does sound like something I could say. » I escaped a small bark of laughter, passing her arms in the sleeves of the kimono.
« I have grown curious since then. » she confessed.
« That soon ? » I asked, surprised.
« Not in a romantic way but I wanted to know more about you. You were always so busy, so quiet... And I thought you were avoiding me. You weren't as friendly as the others even if they all reassured me that you were nice, just a shy workaholic. I didn't have many occasions to speak with you and I started treasuring these moments since they were so rare. »
« I was avoiding you. » I told her, feeling my ears becoming red.
« You were ! I knew it ! You told me that you just had a lot of work ! » she slapped the back of my head playfully.
« I lied. » I confessed « At that time, Souji already had noticed my... growing interest towards you and I wanted to calm things down before he started to... well, to be Souji. »
« So that means... We've been loving each other for what ? A year ? Before we finally told each other ? »
« I don't know... » I blushed « I can't remember exactly when I fell for you... Maybe around the incident at Ikedaya... »
« So a year. » she confirmed.
« I guess. » I nodded, getting behind her to tie her obi. « You're ready. »
She turned to me, the yellow of the kimono making her natural beauty glow and I put my hands in her hair to make a bun, and planted Harada's hairpin in it.
« You have it ! » she said with enchantement « I thought I lost it ! »
« I have Sakamoto's one too » I said grudgingly, taking the silver hairpin out of my sleeve and adding it to her hair.
« It's one of my favorites. » she said with a giant smile.
I know. You're wearing it a lot. I never told you how much I hate that hairpin.
« Why ? » I asked, looking at the bun to be sure that it was symmetrical.
« Because I remember you putting these both in my hair after our first kiss. » she blushed « You must think I'm stupid. »
« No. » I smiled genuinely « I think I'm blessed. »
Maybe that hairpin isn't that bad in the end.
She tiptoed and deposited a small kiss on my lips curled into a smile before turning around to meet Hijikata-san. My gaze followed her, heart pounding like a teenager. Alone, I sat in seiza to meditate, ready to start reviewing all that paperwork.
Author note : Today is February 18th and Saito's birthday ! Happy 176th birthday Hajime !