Well, this chapter ended up being longer than I originally intended. You guys don't mind, right? XD Here's chapter 4!

Silver Moon - Book 1 Chapter 4

It had been a few days since the night of the birthday party. The sky was clear and the sun was bright. The citizens of Yoshiwara were once again walking around the streets, enjoying the warm weather as much as they could.

Over at Hinowa's house, Tsukuyo stood on the veranda. She was looking up at the blue sky, thinking back on what had happened the other night. She remembered how she and Gintoki had stood next to each other in that exact spot, enjoying each other's company. She remembered what they had said to each other, how they had understood each other. She remembered how he had called her pretty.

Tsukuyo immediately stopped thinking about it and shook her head. Damn it, why can't I stop thinking about what happened the other night? Why can't I stop thinking about him? she wondered.

This had been the issue that had been stressing Tsukuyo out the past few days. For some reason, she couldn't keep herself from thinking about Gintoki. She just kept thinking back to the time they had spent together that night. It was starting to get distracting, especially when she was working and trying to stay focused. It also filled Tsukuyo with a sense of nervousness and unease when she thought about him. It made her feel like she was with Gintoki again; as if he was staring into her eyes like he had that night.

It didn't help that in about an hour, Gintoki would be showing up at her door expecting her to buy him a parfait. It was Tuesday, the day they had both agreed on. It was only a matter of time until he showed up.

Tsukuyo put her head in her hands, trying to clear her thoughts. It won't be long before he's here she thought. If I feel this nervous now I can only imagine what it will be like when I'm actually alone with him. These thoughts only made Tsukuyo worry more.

"Tsukuyo, are you all right?" asked a voice from behind her. She turned around to see that Hinowa was sitting in her wheelchair in the doorway. She was looking at Tsukuyo with a look of concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Tsukuyo. She didn't want Hinowa worrying about her. However, it seemed like she knew better than to believe Tsukuyo.

Hinowa began wheeling herself out on to the veranda to join her. "You seem a little upset, is something wrong?" she asked with care in her voice.

Tsukuyo still wouldn't give in. "Everything's fine," she said simply, trying to hide her anxiety.

Hinowa looked at Tsukuyo with a frown. "Come now, I know something's bothering you. Just tell me what it is so I can help you," she said kindly.

Tsukuyo looked down and sighed. She can always tell when something's wrong she thought. She decided it was pointless to continue hiding the truth from Hinowa. "Ok, I'm just a little nervous about tonight," she admitted.

"Tonight?" asked Hinowa with a confused look on her face. After looking at Tsukuyo for a second, she suddenly remembered. "Oh, that's right," she said. "Gin-san is coming over tonight, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's coming over so I can take him out and buy him a parfait," explained Tsukuyo. She had previously told Hinowa the story of what happened that night and how she had come to be in her current situation. She had left out certain parts of the story, specifically the part that had made her blush.

"Is that why you seem so distressed? Because you're going to be alone with Gin-san?" asked Hinowa, hitting the nail on the head.

"Yes," Tsukuyo confessed. "For some reason, that idiot is all I can think about lately. I don't know why, but I can't help it. He just keeps popping into my head. He's like a disease," she explained.

"A disease you seem to enjoy thinking about," said Hinowa with a smile. "It seems to me that you like Gin-san."

That comment immediately put Tsukuyo on the defensive. "What makes you think I like that idiot!?" she asked.

Hinowa just laughed to herself. "Relax," she said, "I was only teasing you." She paused for a moment to let Tsukuyo calm down a little bit. "Besides, what's wrong with you liking him anyway?"

"He's a selfish bastard that enjoys pissing me off," said Tsukuyo, basically summing up everything she didn't like about Gintoki in one sentence.

"Come now, he doesn't upset you that much does he?" asked Hinowa. She didn't think of Gintoki as a bad guy so she was trying to defend him.

"More than you think," said Tsukuyo, thinking back on the countless kunai she had thrown in his head because of something irritating he had said or done.

"Well, you shouldn't feel worried about being nervous," said Hinowa, trying to help Tsukuyo feel better.

Tsukuyo looked at her with a look of doubt. "I shouldn't?" she asked.

"Of course not," Hinowa replied. "It's normal to be a little nervous on your first date," she said with a smile.

Tsukuyo immediately froze and her mouth fell open in shock. "Y-y-you think it's a d-date?" she managed to stutter.

Hinowa looked at Tsukuyo, who seemed to be getting even more worried. "You mean it's not?" she asked.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?" asked Tsukuyo, still freaking out.

"Well," she began, looking out at the city. "He's coming here to pick you up right? And then you are both going out to eat together? It sounds exactly like a date."

"No that's not it!" shouted Tsukuyo. "There's no way that it's a date!"

"How do you know for sure?" asked Hinowa, looking at Tsukuyo with a look of doubt.

"That idiot would have told me so," she said, hoping that that was the case. She was starting to get worried that Hinowa might actually be right, that Gintoki was actually coming over for her instead of a parfait.

"Maybe he's trying to be secret about it. It might be his way of being romantic," Hinowa pointed out.

"What does that idiot know about romance?" Tsukuyo shouted. She tried to take a moment to calm down and think about the situation. She figured that the more she freaked out, the more Hinowa would push the idea of them being on a date. She looked over at Hinowa and decided to calmly put an end to it. "Look, it's not like that ok?"

Hinowa realized that Tsukuyo wasn't going to give in to her claims and decided to just let it go. "Just promise me you'll have fun tonight, and try not to be so nervous, ok?" she said with a smile.

"I'll try," said Tsukuyo dismally. How am I not supposed to be nervous now? Now that you went and put the thought of us being on a date together in my head.

Hinowa wheeled herself back into the house, leaving Tsukuyo alone to think about what she had just said. She was desperately trying to convince herself that what Hinowa had just said was not the case.

It's not a date she thought. It can't be a date. He would have told me if that was the case. He said he wanted a parfait, not a date. He wouldn't be secret about it, right? He's not trying to be romantic, right? It's not a date, RIGHT?

Tsukuyo once again held her head in her hands. She didn't know what to think. Hinowa's comments had just made her feel even more nervous than she had been previously. I don't want to believe her, but what if it's true? What if it actually is a date? she questioned herself.

Tsukuyo decided to just calm down and figure it out later. It wouldn't help to worry about it now. She decided to go and get ready before the silver-haired samurai showed up at her door.

About an hour later, someone was knocking on the front door of the house. Tsukuyo went to open the door and found Gintoki standing there, picking his nose like he always did.

"Hey. I'm here for my parfait," he said casually. "You remembered right?"

Tsukuyo was looking at him, trying to figure out what his intentions were. She decided to just go with the flow for the time being in order to figure out if they were on a date together.

"Yes, I remembered," she said. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

"Great, let's get going," he said, walking away from the door. "I've been waiting for this all day."

Tsukuyo walked out the door and began walking after him. "Hold on a second, Gintoki," she said.

He stopped walking and looked back at her. "What's the hold up?" he asked.

Tsukuyo reached into her sleeve and pulled out an envelope. She held it out for Gintoki to take. "Hinowa asked me to give this to you," she explained. "It's your pay for helping the other day."

At the mention of the word 'pay', Gintoki's face immediately lit up. "Thank you very much," he said as he grabbed the envelope with a smile.

Tsukuyo could tell he was already planning on how he was going to spend it. "Shinpachi and Kagura's shares are in there too. Make sure you give it to them before you go blow it all away."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make sure they get it," he said, trying to get Tsukuyo to stop scolding him. "Anyway, let's hurry up get going already."

Gintoki walked around the corner of the house for an instant before reappearing. When he came back he was surprisingly dragging his trademark scooter along the ground.

Tsukuyo stared at the scooter in shock. "What the hell?" she asked. "You brought your scooter down here?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "I figured it'd be more fun to ride than to walk everywhere down here."

"How did you even get it into Yoshiwara?" she asked, still in shock.

"I brought it with me on the elevator."

"You can't do that! That elevator is for people only, it's against the rules," said Tsukuyo.

"So what?" asked Gintoki, clearly not concerned that he had broke the law of Yoshiwara. "You're not going to arrest me over something like this, are you?"

Tsukuyo sighed to herself. "I'll let it slide this one time since I owe you a favor but don't do it anymore from now on. I can't let you go around breaking the rules just because we're friends. You have to follow them just like everyone else. Understand?" she asked, staring at him with a serious look.

"Calm down," he said innocently. "I was just trying to have a little fun. You don't have to be so hard on me."

Tsukuyo was starting to get annoyed at his act of innocence. She pulled out a kunai to let Gintoki know just how serious she was. "Understand?" she asked with anger in her voice.

Gintoki knew that she wasn't going to let him off easy on this one. "Fine, I won't do it anymore," he said.

Tsukuyo seemed content with his answer. "Good," she said as she put her kunai away.

"Anyway, let's hit the road," said Gintoki. He grabbed the helmet that was sitting on the seat and held it out for Tsukuyo. "Here, put this on," he said.

Tsukuyo gave it a weird look. "What do I need that for?"

"It will protect your head if something goes wrong," he said. "Accidents can happen, you know."

"Why aren't you wearing one?"

"This is my only one. I want you to wear it."

Tsukuyo crossed her arms, refusing to accept it. "I don't need it if you don't need it" she said.

Gintoki wasn't taking no for an answer. He went ahead and put the helmet on her head without permission. "Don't talk crazy," he said. He was now looking at Tsukuyo in the eyes again. "If something were to happen to you, how could I forgive myself?" he asked.

Tsukuyo looked away; she couldn't stand it when he looked her in the eyes. He's making it sound like he cares about me a lot she thought. He's being sweet again.

Tsukuyo looked back up at Gintoki. "Fine, I'll wear it if it will make you happy," she told him.

Gintoki smiled when he heard this. He sat down on his scooter and started it up. "Hop on," he said.

Tsukuyo slowly climbed onto the seat behind him. She had never rode on something like this before, so she didn't really know what to expect.

"Hold on to me," Gintoki instructed.

Tsukuyo was reluctant to comply with his request. She didn't really want to grab on to him; it would only make her feel more nervous than she already was. "Do I have to?" she asked.

"Would you rather fall off?" he replied.

Tsukuyo realized that this was the proper way to ride with two people and decided to give in. Damn it, why'd he have to bring his scooter with him? I would have been fine with walking. She slowly reached her arms out and wrapped them gently around Gintoki's waist. It felt awkward, touching him in such a way.

"Hold on tight," Gintoki instructed. And with that, the scooter shot off down the street, carrying its two passengers into an unforgettable night.

A short while later, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were sitting across from each other in a local diner. Gintoki was looking over the menu, trying to decide exactly what he wanted.

Tsukuyo just sat in silence as she watched him going over every desert the place offered. She was still trying to shake the thought that they could possibly be on a date. This isn't what a date is like is it? she wondered. I've never been on one before, so I'm not really sure. Although, it seems like Gintoki is focusing more on desert than me. If it were a date, I would be what he is focusing on, right?

Tsukuyo's thoughts were interrupted as Gintoki spoke up. "Hey Tsukuyo, can I get a sundae instead of a parfait? They look really good here." He put down his menu in order to look at her.

"Get whatever you like," she said.

"Why aren't you looking at the menu?" he asked her. "Do you already know what you want?"

"No, I'm not getting anything," she said. "I'm not hungry. Besides, I'm only here to buy you a treat anyway."

Gintoki looked at Tsukuyo with a frown. "You're going to make me eat alone?" he asked. "That's no fun. A meal is always more enjoyable when shared with a friend. How am I supposed to enjoy my desert with you just staring at me the whole time?"

Tsukuyo didn't know what to say to him. So now he's paying attention to me? she wondered. She just continued sitting there in silence staring at him.

Gintoki noticed that she wasn't going to respond to him, so he decided to solve the problem on his own. He called out to a waitress that was passing by. "Excuse me, we're ready to order over here!" he shouted. Several people in the diner looked over at their table to see what the commotion was.

Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki like he was crazy. "Gintoki, what are you doing?" she asked. She seemed to be embarrassed to be sitting at the same table with him.

The waitress came over with a pen and paper in her hand. "What can I do for you two?" she asked politely. She was looking at the both of them, ready to take their order.

"Bring us two hot fudge sundaes," said Gintoki, handing the waitress the menu. "That will be all, thanks."

The waitress quickly scribbled it down and smiled at the two of them before leaving. "I'll get that right away," she said kindly.

Tsukuyo watched the waitress walk away from the table. Once she was gone, Tsukuyo immediately looked back at Gintoki. "What the hell!?" she yelled at him.

Gintoki gave her a casual look. "What's up?" he asked.

"What the hell was that? I told you I didn't want anything!"

"And I didn't want to eat alone, so I solved our problem."

"No, you solved your problem. I don't want a sundae!"

"Relax," said Gintoki. "I'm just trying to help you have a good time. I'll pay for your sundae," he told her.

"You'll pay for it?" Tsukuyo asked in disbelief. She stared at Gintoki like he was talking crazy. This stingy bastard is buying me something? Why the hell is he doing this? Don't tell me it's because we're on a date! Tsukuyo began to worry again.

"Yeah, I'm willing to pay for it if it helps us have a good time together," said Gintoki casually. "Besides, I already ordered it so you have to eat it. Otherwise my feelings will be hurt."

Who gives a damn about your feelings!? she screamed in her head. He's treating me to a sundae. I was supposed to come here to buy him a treat, but now he's buying stuff for me! That sounds an awful lot like a date! She suddenly looked up to find Gintoki staring at her with worry.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a bit concerned. "You seem worried about something."

"I'm fine!" she said suddenly, trying to get his attention off of her.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Look, if it's about the sundae you don't have to-"

"It's fine!" Tsukuyo repeated. "I'll eat the stupid sundae so just shut up!"

"Um, ok?" said Gintoki, a little confused. He decided to just leave it alone for the time being.

Tsukuyo was relieved when he finally stopped looking at her and started staring out the window. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Nevertheless, she couldn't keep from stressing over her current situation. She just wanted the evening to be over so she could stop worrying about it and go home.

She glanced over at Gintoki one more time and thought to herself. I don't know what game he's playing, but the sooner tonight is over, the better.

About a half hour later, Tsukuyo was standing with her arms crossed outside the diner. Gintoki was next to her, leaning against the side of the building with his hands supporting him. He seemed to be in pain.

"Uggggh it hurts," he moaned.

Tsukuyo simply looked at him. "You probably have a stomachache," she explained. "You shouldn't have downed your sundae so fast like that."

"I couldn't help myself, my sugar levels were so low…" he trailed off. It seemed like he was in pain again.

Tsukuyo looked away from Gintoki and closed her eyes. "This is what happens when you have a diet that's all sweets," she scolded him.

"Who are you? My mom?" he asked sarcastically.

Tsukuyo just looked at him from the corner of her eye. Is that what he thinks of me? She started to walk away from him. "Whatever," she said. "I bought you your treat, so now we're even. I'm going home."

"Wait!" Gintoki called after her. "You're not just going to leave me alone here are you? Surely not while I'm in pain?"

Tsukuyo stopped walking and looked back at him. "Just get on your scooter and come with me then," she said simply.

Gintoki managed to stand without the support of the building. He was still holding his stomach in his hands though. "Are you kidding?" he asked Tsukuyo. "That kind of motion would kill me."

Tsukuyo sighed. "Well, what do you want me to do?" she asked him. Please don't tell me he wants me to be his personal nurse she thought to herself.

Gintoki thought of an idea. "I think I'll be ok if I walk it off a little bit and get some rest," he said. He pointed to a public park that was near the diner. "There's a park over there, it should be perfect. You'll stay with me, right?" he asked, looking at her.

Tsukuyo started to worry again at the mention of Gintoki's idea. He just won't let me go, will he? First we go out for a treat, now he wants us to walk in the park together? Don't tell me we're still on a date. Don't tell me it even is a date!

Gintoki just watched her, waiting for her response. He decided to try and make her feel bad for him so she would stay. He put his hands together under his chin and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Please Tsukky…" he said, using Kagura's nickname for Tsukuyo in order to help seal the deal.

Tsukuyo just looked at him out of pity and sighed. "You're pathetic, you know that?" She paused for a moment, and then said, "Fine, I'll stay with you until you feel better."

Gintoki looked pleased with himself upon hearing this. "Let's go then," he said, slowly making his way towards the park.

Tsukuyo followed after him, feeling stupid for giving in to the silver-haired idiot's request.

Once they were in the park, the two of them were slowly walking side by side. It was still light out, but the sun was slowly making its way toward the horizon. It would be dark in a few hours.

Tsukuyo looked at the sky and wondered how much longer Gintoki planned on keeping her there. I don't know if I can stand this much longer. Being alone with him makes me feel uneasy. I don't even know if this is supposed to be a date. And honestly, I don't know how much longer I can take it.

Despite her thoughts, Tsukuyo just kept quiet as they walked. Gintoki wasn't saying anything either, possibly because of his stomach pain. They both just walked along in silence. Tsukuyo couldn't help but compare it to the time they spent in silence on the veranda the other night.

This continued for a few minutes until Gintoki interrupted. "Hey, can we rest for a few minutes?" he asked Tsukuyo. "I'm tired of walking."

"That's fine," she said, a little relieved that he had broken the quiet between them.

Gintoki gestured towards a nearby bench. They both walked over to it and sat down, only to have silence fall over them once again.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Tsukuyo, hoping to start some conversation.

"A bit," he said bluntly.

Tsukuyo looked over at him, to see him smiling at the sky. He doesn't even look like he's in pain anymore she thought. Could it be that he's faking? Does he just want me to stay with him because he thinks we're on a date?

Tsukuyo immediately stopped thinking and threw her head in her hands. Damn it, I can't take this anymore! she yelled in her thoughts. I can't go one more second without knowing what the hell is going on right now. I'm done worrying over something that might not even be happening. I want answers. Now.

Tsukuyo quickly lifted her head out of her hands and looked at the samurai next to her. "Gintoki, I need to ask you something," she told him with seriousness in her voice.

Gintoki looked over at Tsukuyo. "What's up?" he asked.

"Is this-…are we-" she tried to say with a struggle. For some reason it was hard to get the words out.

Gintoki just looked at her with confusion, unsure of what she was trying to say. "Huh?" he said.

Tsukuyo took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She tried saying it once more. "Right now, are we…on a date?" she finally managed to say.

Gintoki just stared at her with a blank expression, giving almost no reaction to what Tsukuyo had just asked him. No words or sound came out of his mouth, but he managed to say one thing in his mind:

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?

Author: Excuse me, Gintoki, can you please come into my office?

Gintoki: Huh? What are you talking about? You don't have an office.

Author: Well, just pretend like I have an office.

Gintoki: But you don't…

Author: …Just listen up, ok?

Gintoki: Ok…

Author: This isn't easy to say, but…I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go.

Gintoki: …Let me go where?

Author: Well, you know…

Gintoki: What are saying?

Author: Basically, you're fired.

Gintoki: What!? Why?

Author: Well, you see, the editors and I think it's best for the story if we cut you out of this segment.

Gintoki: Editors? Like hell you have editors!

Author: We think you talk too negatively about the story and point out too many of the mistakes I make to the reader.

Gintoki: Yeah right! Your mistakes are so obvious that the reader already knows about them. I just bring them up with you so you can answer for your awful writing!

Author: Well, either way, you're still fired.

Gintoki: Hold on a minute! If I'm not going to be in this segment, then who will be?

Author: I was thinking we could invite other characters from Gintama and let them have a try.

Gintoki: Those idiots? They won't be able to do this job like I can!

Author: That's what we're hoping for…

Gintoki: You know what? I'm not leaving! You can't make me!

Author: Security, please come escort Gintoki out of my office.

Gintoki: You don't have security! Or an office!

Author: Anyways, feel free to leave a comment letting me know which characters you guys want to see in this segment. I'll pick some myself, but I'm also taking requests. See you all next chapter!