Chapter 3: Everyone Has Their Own Way

"Welcome home, Toushi." Otae, Shinpachi's sister, smiled. He came close to her and hugged her tight.

"Otae…" he kissed her on her cheek and layed his forehead on her shoulder, "After tonight… I can't see you anymore."

"Oh…" she softly whispered.

"The war is going to start soon… I need to go back to headquarters full time. I can't keep my mind on you. You may get hurt," he kissed her again, "I'm sorry."

"I understand." She put his arms around his neck.

"I might die." There was a long silence between them. All they could hear was the in and out of their breathing.

"…Hey, Toushi."

"Yeah?"

"If you do live… Will you promise to come home to me?"

"I swear on my life." He stroked her cheek.

"Tonight… Will you stay with me…?"

"If you want me to." He put his lips to her neck, and Otae fiddled with the buttons on his coat, and then on his shirt. His hands pulled the top layer of her kimono off, and then he pulled at her bra strap. Melting in each other's arms, they went to the bed.

"Toushi…?" Otae woke up the next morning, looking around for her lover. She was about to sit up, when she remembered she had nothing on. She put on her morning kimono, and walked over to see a note from Toushi.

"I promise." Otae read the note, and tears dripped down her face as she started to sob and whimper.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Toushi woke up and yawned, stretching arms out to the sky. Gin was sitting next to him with Kagura sleeping on his lap.

"You have tears on your face." Gintoki pointed at the wet streams by his eyes.

"D-Don't be stupid!!! Something just spilled on me!!!" he rubbed his eyes and sniffed his nose.

"Uh-huh. Like the rain that doesn't exist?" he said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly, "You had a dream about Otae?"

"…How did you know?"

"You wanted to separate, huh? I guess that's OK, since you can focus on the battle more. But I'm going to stay with Kagura till I have to leave. I can fight harder if I'm fighting for her. I have a place I have to return to."

"…Everyone has their own way. But if I die, I want her to forget me and marry someone else, be happy, you know?"

"I doubt she'll forget about you. Have you seen how much Otae's changed? She doesn't hide her emotions that much anymore, she isn't as violent- hell, she can even cook well now. She's trying to be the best person she can for you."

"…Are you trying to make me go on a guilt trip, or what?"

"Well, even if you can't see her, you could send her letters to see how she is."

"…I'll keep it in mind." Toushi gave in to Gintoki's advice. He had to know how she was. But no matter how much he wanted to feel her lips against his, he knew he wouldn't be able to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaede hummed as she washed off her body in the bath and felt herself warm completely up. Kaede had a beautiful body, pale, well-proportioned and slim. Suddenly, she heard footsteps towards the door.

"Who's there?!" she yelled, fearing for the worst. And she was right.

"It's just me." Okita called from outside.

"Are you peeping on me?!" she screeched.

"You should be thanking me. I just scared off all of those Shinsengumi guys who were looking at you pervertedly. They were trying to sneak a peek. I'll just stay here to make sure no one gets in."

"Yeah right!!!" she scolded.

"Fine. I'll leave." He stood up and went down the hallway. But even after he left, she still had the feeling that she was being watched.

"Who's there?!" she called out again. She heard chuckles of weird guys who weren't Okita. If she got up to scold them, then she would reveal her entire body!

"What are you lowlifes doing?" Okita asked calmly and Kaede heard the click of the bazooka, and the boom and cries of the perverts.

"Okita?" she asked after a long silence, "I'm sorry I doubted you!"

"It's fine. I'll keep watch a bit longer."

"Thank you. Really. I'll make it up to you."

"Cook."

"Huh?"

"Next time I see you, cook something good." She smiled and giggled. She hopped up, dried off her body, and put back on her clothes.

"Leave it to me!" she cutely laughed, and Okita blushed.

"Sure…" he nodded and walked off. Kaede had more faith in him now. She liked him too, but she didn't know what kind of "like" that was until later. She was still uncovering her feelings.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ah, by the way Gin-chan…" Kagura yawned as she woke up with her head in his lap.

"Hm?"

"About my dad-"

"Wait, let me guess… He's a complete clonef of Kaede."

"Bingo."

"Shit." He realized he had this same kind of conversation the moment when Kaede smashed his face in.

"Haaaaah!!!" a manly voice bellowed, and before he could see who it was, another foot was in his face. Oh, GREAT. Two in two days. Tooth fairy, what did I ever do to you? Gin sighed in his mind.

"Papa!" Kagura jumped up and hugged him tight, forgetting that her husband was brutally injured.

"Kagura, how've you been?" a black-haired man who looked in his mid 30's stroked his daughter's head.

"And Mama too!" Kagura looked like she would explode with joy, even though she knew they were coming already. Gin prayed to himself, "Oh, PLEASE, Santa Claus, don't let her beat the crap out of me!!! She's going to be violent, isn't she?! You just hate me that much!!!" However, when he turned around, what he saw was different from what he imagined. It was a beautiful woman with hair like Kagura's, except long and a bit wavy. She was sitting in the wheel chair Kaede and Kagura were discussing.

"Kagura…" she said softly. Before Gin could process all of it, Kagura was crying deeply in her mother's arms.

"I'm so sorry!!!" she cried and screamed, unable to hold in her feelings, "I'm such a horrible person!!!"

"Kagura…!" Gintoki tried to calm her down, and all of the Shinsengumi just stared, "Let's go to Shinpachi's house, we can talk there."

"All right." The father nodded and pushed the mother's wheelchair. In a single glimpse, Gin saw a single teardrop fall from the woman's eyes. Gin thought he would cry too for a second, but he stroked his fiancee's hair to help her calm down.

"I'll send the pay check over to your place." Kondo told Gin as he hopped on his bike with his girlfriend. Kagura had stopped crying now, and her eyelids were starting to flutter closed.

"Thanks. Sorry."

"No, thanks for cleaning the base."

"Just asking… Isn't getting rid of mud wasps something you guys can do yourselves?" Kondo looked down and sighed.

"It is, the wasps were only a pretext."

"For what?"

"…Toushi. He seems to brighten up when you're around, his main rival. After parting with Otae, he…"

"I know."

"I shouldn't even be talking to you right now… If the Shogunate found out, man, I'd be dead," he put his hand on Gin's shoulder and patted it once, "This is goodbye. I hope we both live."

"Yeah."

"She's grown into quite the beautiful lady, hasn't she?" Kondo smiled and walked away.

"Oh, can you tell Kaede we went home? I couldn't find her."

"Oh, sure, but I think she already left."

"Thanks. I think she'll be fine." Gin turned on the engine and kicked off towards home. Sadaharu was bringing the parents home, so transportation was all right.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Eh? What are you doing?" Okita walked up to Kaede at the lake. He had gone there to get his favorite yakisoba, when he saw her with her legs soaking in the water. She was totally silent for a moment.

"I never realized… Kagura was putting on an act… Not showing her sadness for mom… It was all so Gintoki and I wouldn't worry. I was angry, I thought I was the only one suffering, the only one taking on the pain. I wanted her to suffer too… But… Seeing Onee-chan like that… I realized that she's suffering for mom more than I am… I've been with my mom and dad every day since she left, and I spent all the time with her, and now she only has 3 weeks left to be with her… I'm such a horrible person…!"

"Lots of people want someone to suffer with them. I had a rough childhood, and that's how I became a sadist. I wanted other people to suffer with me, and to see their hilarious reactions to let me laugh in my head. We all need someone to lean on in hard times." He looked at her, "I never say this, so don't make me say it again…" Okita blushed, "I-If you need someone to lean on, come to me." Kaede's eyes watered up as her face blushed a little.

"I'm sorry… Please let me hug you, just today…!" she grabbed him tight in her arms as she cried. He put one arm around her torso.

"Cry all you need to."

YES. I SUPPORT OTAE AND TOUSHI TOGETHER. They're cute, what can I say? Both extremely violent. They had their moment in an episode where they were trying to capture an underwear thief. Oh, so precious… |3 YES, I KNOW MITSUBA EXISTS! I'M MAKING HER AN OBSTACLE LATER, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S DEAD. And I know Okita's VERY out of character. That's true. Some of the lines are awkward too… I don't really like to do lemons because people will think I'm a pervert. I get all hot and feverish. XD Honestly, I've never even had a boyfriend, so I don't know why I write these… Well, what do you think of Kaede and Okita? Pretty cute? I do think the Okita and Kagura pairing is cute, but because I'm true to my Gin and Kagura, I decided that Kagura's sister would fall in love with Okita. Ohhhh, so obvious… Okita, Toushi and Gin are my homeboys. Wow, that sounds really stupid. If I had to rank them, it'd be…

1. Gintoki

2. Okita

3. Toushi

…And Katsura's 4. I was actually thinking about having Toushi second, but I think of Okita's sadistic jokes, and I start laughing. I mean, the guy I'd go for first would be Gin, then Toushi… Probably Okita last. Well, maybe. But they're already taken (LOL, wait, why did I say LOL… I NEVER DO!), so I guess I'll have to find someone here in the real world. XD

ANYONE WHO READS THIS, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! I NEED COMMENTS! I'VE BEEN WITHOUT THEM SINCE I STARTED SUBMITTING STUFF TO THE MISC. SECTION!