Have you any of you ever felt when life just comes back to hit you in the stomach?
Well that's the reason of why I couldn't make it on time for Friday.

But at least I made it before the week ended!

So here you guys go! Hope you all enjoy it!

He heard his voice and soon enough his footsteps start echoing all over the hallway, getting closer and closer, and with that all the alarms on his mind went on, screaming him that he should get out of there before it was too late, that he should run away as fast as he could.

But if he did hear those screams, if he did got out of there before Gintoki could there… He had the feeling that that would be the last time they would be so close to meeting, maybe even the last time they would be so close to each other.

And that, that was really something that didn't bode well for him.

"Over here Gin-chan!" She called happily before giggling at him. "Such a good timing, don't you think?" She whispered.

The footsteps getting, even more, closer, his heart beating faster, he had to make his choice now or else it would be too late…

He chose to stay.

To stay and see what could happen, to stay even if his legs were trembling, to stay even if he wasn't ready to see him again.

"Seriously Kagura," he heard him at the end of the hallway and almost instinctively he turn back to see him. Gintoki's hand was rubbing the back of his neck, while his eyes were looking at the floor—something that he was grateful for, thanks to that Gintoki hadn't noticed his presence—and he seemed to be just as how he was the last time they saw each other, he was only a little thin, but it's not like he was looking that good either. "You have to stop roaming around, what if you me—" his eyes finally got up and noticed he was there. "Hiji-Hijikata…" He was starting to get pale.

Never thought he would react like that… But to be honest, in a way that was good. He didn't seem to hate him or to hold him a grudge after all the things he said and did. He couldn't help but feel glad.

"I found him for you Gin-chan!" Kagura answered proudly as she was pushing him closely to Gintoki. "Now you can stop being sad, right?" She asked with the same concerned tone of her voice that made him felt so bad. Worrying your kid this much…

"Kagura… I…" He averted his eyes while a hand ran through his hair. "There is something I haven't told you Ka—"

But before Gintoki could finish his answer, he interrupted, he had to. "I'll talk to him." He patted her head, feeling how Gintoki's eyes were staring at him. "I have to go and buy cigarettes, you will come, right?" His went back to looking at Gintoki, holding his stare for some seconds before the man averted his eyes.

A little nod was his response.

"You will?!" She gave him the brightest smile he has ever seen. "See Gin-chan! There wasn't anything to worry about!" She giggled before going to somewhere else, but not without giving him and Gintoki a last happy smile.

They came out of the Shinsengumi in complete silence, not even looking at each other as they were getting closer to cigarettes shop. Both of them lost in their thoughts, or at least it was like that for him.

He sighed before peeking at him through the corner of his eyes; he seemed to be so out of him, out of everything in general. Just what did we use to talk about? The days in where they used to talk nonstop really seemed to be so far away and found himself really missing them.

The things he felt, the nights they spend together, the days talking about nothing and everything at the same time, before even knowing them all of those things became part of him, he became a part of him, and even now he was craving all that back.

Just why did he end things for?

Locking himself in his room, drowning himself with work, all of that to escape from him, from that reality, from noticing that he was just doing something he didn't want to do…

"So…" Gintoki started, but his eyes still refused to see him.

"You didn't tell them about it?" But he was the one finishing the sentence.

"About that…" His hand went to rub the back of his neck again. "I guess I never found the time, you know?" He chuckled and he finally turned back to see him, a sad smile on his face. "But don't worry, I'll tell them once I get back… I'll make sure they don't bother you once they know." Hearing him say those things… Why did he feel so bad?

"Lea —" But he stopped himself, just what he was trying to say? Leave it like that… What was he trying to achieve by saying that? He was the one breaking things, he was the one ruining everything…

And now he was the one thinking of repairing something that was broken, wasn't he?

Gintoki only looked at him confused for some seconds before taking a deep breath. "Anyway…" He averted his eyes once again. "I'm sorry that Kagura forced you like this to talk with me, I'll make sure to never bother you again." He didn't want that. "She is a good kid that wanted to help, you know? So don't blame her too much either. She wouldn't have done that if she knew that we're not a thing." Those words, he didn't want to hear them. "I know you're busy with work and all that, so well…"

Work… His precious Shinsengumi…

When did it become to be less important, less precious to him?

He always thought that there was never going to be something more important than his work, but with Gintoki… The things he thought would never change, start doing it, his most important thing became his second most important.

And it scared him.

Instead of focusing his all on his work, he starts looking forward to seeing him again, he starts to work faster just so that they could see each other faster… And that was something he couldn't allow himself as the vice-captain. Soon enough he started pushing Gintoki away, trying to stop all those changes to happen.

He chose his work because he was scared.

I… Just what did I do?!

"What I'm trying to say… Well… Thanks for doing this…" His hand ran through his hair before giving him a little sad smile. "Guess… It was nice to see you." He bowed a little before turning back, walking slowly to the other side.

"I'm a stupid…" He whispered, but loud enough for Gintoki to hear him and to stop.

"Did you say something?"

But instead of answering, he only walked closer to where he was and grabbed his arm with all his might. "Stop saying those things!" He screamed and Gintoki only looked at him weirdly. "What I did… I shouldn't have done it!"

The things he felt, his crave for being with him… Those were things he wanted more than anything else, and this time he wasn't going to listen to his fears.

"Hijikata… What are you doing..?" He tried to pull his arm free. "Oi, oi, let me go. People are looking at us weird!" He tried to reason. "Really! Let me go! People are going to start talking dammit!" But he couldn't bring himself to care about the rumors, about the disgusted looks, about the curious ones, hell he didn't care about anything.

"Let them talk, I don't care." He answered with the serious tone he could do. Since when all this was so easy? All the time he spent running away from him, from his feeling, when the thing he wanted was so simple.

"What?! Did you went mad?!" He screamed. "You were the one that wanted to hide all this, you know..? You can't come and say all this now dammit!"

"I know, I know, I know I'm being a damn mess!" But that's what he wanted more than anything else, he wanted to be with him, he wanted his funny day with him back. "But it's not too late, right?" He pulled him closer and Gintoki only laughed.

"You…" His free hand went to his to rub his forehead, a big and silly smile on his face. It was funny how much he missed to see that smile. "What are you even saying in the middle of the street Hijikata-kun? You know that I'm not going to let you go this easily once again?"

"I know." He could feel the eyes of the people over them, he could hear them whispering, but he really couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

"Man… You really got me worked up for nothing," he sighed but the smile was still on his face. "Guess I won't have to tell them anything, huh?"

"That would be nice." They stared at each other for some seconds before laughing wholehearted. "Oi," he called and Gintoki only looked at him curious of what he would say now. "Would you come with me to talk with Kondo-san?"

"Kondo..? What are you going to ta—" He stopped himself, his mouth wide open. "Are you…? Are you really going to tell him?"

"Well yeah…" His free hand went to rub the back of his neck, he was starting to feel embarrassed. "It's about time, don't you think?" Sougo was probably going to teased him his whole life, but he was tired of hiding an important part of his life.

"Took you long enough Hijikata-kun," Gintoki added before laughing.

It was funny, but he could feel that they were going to be good from now on.

Fin.

These one was surely a wild ride for me, and when I started I never thought I would continue until this point, but I'm really glad that I did.

So thanks to all the people that leave a favorite, that leave a rewiew, or that simply read it, without any of you this would have been just a simply one-shot.

And to Maoruwa and Hellooo, thank you so much for your comments on the last chapter, they really meant the world to me, so I really hope I made and end that you two would enjoy!

So I really hope you all enjoy it!