AN: Kinda funny that after writing almost ten one-shots how I'm still not out of ideas. But I bet right after this, like some curse, I'll run out of ideas. Amazing how this works.

Pairing: Gintoki x Sougo
Warnings: A sad fic again. Sort of. Maybe? Well, not quite.

Time Flies Only When it wants to

A year.

Already, it has been a year. Time flies, they say. And Okita Sougo agreed. It flew by too quickly sometimes.

"Hey Aneue. It's Sougo. I've come to visit." Crimson eyes darkened as they swept across the name engraved in the stone tablet. He knelt in front of the tombstone, the morning dew seeping through the fabric of his pants. "It's been a year, huh?" he continued even as his eyes darkened further, emotions swimming rampant and threatening to surface in the form of tears.

He blinked once, then twice, willing the wetness away. After a moment, deeming it safe to speak without his voice cracking, he continued with the one-sided conversation. "I've been doing alright, Aneue so you don't need to worry. I'm eating well, I sleep more than enough, no one's brave enough to bully me, and I even have someone I can call my own now." He chuckled dryly. "Who would have thought huh?"

He smiled sardonically. He placed his hand on the stone tablet, fingers tracing the name engraved on it. "Remember the silver-haired guy I introduced you as my best friend? Well, he's who I'm talking about. Then again Aneue, you probably knew already right? Ever since you met him. You were always perceptive."

Running out of things to say, he simply knelt there in silence staring at but not seeing the tablet anymore. A stray breeze ruffled his light brown hair and chilled the air, but he didn't notice—lost in memories as he was.

A heavy hand on his shoulder had him almost leaping out of his skin. His head whipped around involuntarily. His wine-colored eyes widened. "Danna…"

Gintoki smiled gently, eyes on the gray tablet. "Heya Sougo's sister. I came to see you."

Sougo lifted his hand to the one on his shoulder and squeezed. "Danna…" he repeated, "you came." He didn't think the other man would remember.

Gintoki dropped onto the ground besides his younger lover, sitting with his legs crossed. "Of course I came, silly." He tugged the teen towards him, enveloping him in an awkward loose embrace. "Yo Sougo's sister. Remember me? The kid's doing good," he said to the deceased woman. "He's causing trouble like usual—destroying my house at least twice a week, sleeps on the job, and is a pain in everyone's neck."

"Danna!" Sougo protested. He punched the man in the side roughly causing Gintoki to laugh.

"Hey it's true," he said, cocking a single brow as if asking the man to deny it.

"Aneue doesn't need to know that!"

Gintoki tightened his arms around the young captain. "And I hope I'm making him happy even being the lazy good for nothing guy I am. Of course I have no idea why he chose me, but hey I'm not complaining. You've got one fine brother." He winked conspiratorially at the tombstone.

"Danna!" Sougo interjected, absolutely mortified now. Even his cheeks were reddening. Those were things no one should be saying in front of his sweet sister.

"Oh quiet, stupid. Your sister won't mind," Gintoki rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Right, Sougo's sister?" He grinned at the tombstone.

"Ignore what this idiot is saying, Aneue—"

"Hey, everything I said is true."

"—because this guy's head is empty."

Gintoki shook his head laughing lightly. "See the mean things he says? That's your brother." When Sougo looked like he was going to protest, he gave the man a chaste kiss in hopes of shutting him up at least temporarily. It worked. "But I wouldn't have him any other way. You wouldn't either right?" he went on to say.

Sougo shook his head exasperated, but smiled all the same. He was amazed at himself and at the man beside him. To think he would be able to smile on this day. "Although this guy's head is empty and all he does is laze around, I'm actually happy, Aneue. There must be something wrong with me."

Gintoki looked away, shoulders shaking with mirth. "So cruel," he managed to say in between laughs.

Silence descended once again as the pair got back onto their feet, brushing their pants off.

"I'll see you again next year Aneue." He laid a hand on the tablet. "I forgot to bring you a gift this time, but next time I'll get you some spicy rice crackers."

"Ah, about that." Gintoki reached into his haori groping around in search of something. "Aha," he announced proudly and produced a bag of spicy rice crackers. He laid it gently at the base of the grave. "Here you go. Happy snacking."

Sougo blinked, staring at the snack in dumbfounded surprise. He really should've expected it. Sakata Gintoki was …strange after all. "Guess you get a gift after all, Aneue."

The two, after another moment of peaceful silence, turned in unison and left the cemetery.

'We'll see you again next year, Aneue. Please watch over us from wherever you are.'