Saito secured his hold on the Infant as he was taking a stroll through town. The bundle in his arms was babbling away in baby talk as if Saito understood him. His pudgy little hand was clutching onto the man's hair as if to get his attention when the man turn away.

"Dabu!"

Saito glanced down at the bundle and raised an eyebrow. "We're almost there," he assured the baby, who responded with more baby talk, distracted by the scenery as the raven haired Shinsengumi Captain continued on. As he reached the riverbank, he spotted a grinning Shinpachi waiting for him wearing a satisfied expression.

He looked like a cat who'd received something good. "Hey, Saitou! And how's my favorite little person doing~?" Shinpachi cooed, earning a squeal and incomprehensible if cheerful baby babble as the infant spotted him from Saito's arms.

Humming and nodding along to the baby talk, the taller male even responded as if to share gossip.

Saitou just gave a soft sigh, interrupting the scene to carefully hand the baby off to his fellow Samurai. "He's been quite talkative, been at it since morning, so I've been hoping he'd fall asleep soon, but..."

Shinpachi easily took the babe, cradling him in his arms and even bouncing him to earn more squeals of joy. "He will after a meal," he promised, before pointing out, "that'll probably come up sooner than later, too."

"You do know if you keep doing that he will puke on you eventually." Saito pointed out, earning a pout from Shinpachi. He does not know why the man was here in the first place since Nagakura wasn't normally allowed around the infant unless Yukimura was around.

God forbid there be a repeat of what happened when Heisuke was left to watch him. The boy'd had to wash his clothes several times to get the stain out, let alone the smell. Which still left him rather confused as to how it'd happened in the first place.

Had they not watched him closely enough, then? Saito's mind wandered, oblivious to the little conversation the other two were having as he pondered the issue.

"Dah!"

"I know, right!"

"Duh."

"I see your point but, she should just confess already." That comment snapped his attention to the other two. "Is he really telling him about the ongoing tension between Yukimura and..." The thought trailed, broken by the cries of the little one.

"H-Hey! Saiiiitooouuu! Help!" Shinpachi wailed, the sound bordering on a whine, as he frantically trying to calm the infant down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! ...Please stop crying? Ahhh, Chizuru-chan definitely' won't let me hold you again, now!"

Saitou just shook his head at the antics of the two before him.

"...I did not agree to babysit two infants..."

A : Hi, long time no see! I'm back for a small amount until then but, I have been getting emails about all the followers who follow this story for the past few years. I am so honored that you guys love this story. As you can see I am pretty rusty with this chapter. This been Beta Read by my trusty ConMom Kohaku~ Til then, please R&R!