Summary: One night makes all the difference for Hijikata when he lies on the
line of death and life with a broken heart.
Warnings: YAOI, Takasugi x Hijikata, Gintoki x Hijikata.
Disclaimer: All characters owned by Sorachi Hideaki. .
Beta: Lumi75, thanks for all your help, both as beta and a friend.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews, favourites and story alerts. You guys are the best, love you all!
TOSHY-BOY & TAKASUGI
In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back. ~Charlie Brown
***
"I guess life just goes on..."
The same thought ran thorough Sakata Gintoki's crumbled mind, and he kept repeating it, over and over again in his lame attempt to believe it. He was on his way home, or at least that was his plan. Just that...he didn't want to go home. What would he do there anyway? Watch TV? Read manga? Eat ice cream and grow a beer stomach?
Instead had he decided to take a walk, saying that he needed to get some exercise and some suntan. At least that was what he told people if asked. He had walked and walked for hours without voicing any complaints. In the end, his feet started to feel like they were burning up in his black boots, and he realized he had wandered unconsciously into one of Edo's poorer neighbourhoods.
He wandered over to a well with intention to dip his feet in cold water. Fuzzy moss grew on the well and the water he fished up in a bucket smelled of seaweed mixed with alga. He held his nose, letting out a hiss between clenched teeth.
"What the heck is this?!" Do people actually drink this water here? Ew.
He hurriedly put on his boots back on, the warm, sweaty leather felt much better now, and he quickly backed away from the well. Any moment now, he was sure to vomit or die from lack of air. Whichever came first.
Gintoki hadn't looked out behind him so it was no surprise that crashed into something. Looking over his shoulder, still holding his nose, he noticed a bum dressed in dirty throwaway rags. The man was old, and his eyes were squinted permanently like two pine needles. He didn't even seem to have even noticed that someone had pushed on his skinny chest. He was also unbelievably wrinkled and smelled worse then Otose-san's breath in the morning.
Was he blind, or shouldn't he have opened his eyes by now? But Gintoki didn't blame him, what was there to see anyway? He wasn't worth the energy to open your eyes for. He was nothing, no job, no money, no class. He had nothing, and Gin confessed that. Not even Shinpachi and Kagura were his, he wasn't their parent or even related at all, and they both had a family of their own, which was more than one could say about him.
But some people don't see that, especially Tosh-
"I mean that stranger!" Gintoki shouted, stopping his brain from completing the thought. In a sudden burst of energy he began to scratch his head wildly. "Gah, who is it again? Huh? Who? I seem to have forgotten his name, haha! But there's nothing strange about that, no no no. I mean, he's a stranger!" He laughed again, trying to humor his mind that his delusional thoughts were some kind of joke. "Haha! As if I would ever speak with a stranger! Wahaha!"
"Are you alright, son?"
"Huh?" Gin's gaze dropped when he felt a gentle tap on his stomach by bony fingers. He slowly raised a thin eyebrow when he spotted an elderly hunchbacked man from before. Eck, he's still here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else already? This day must be his worst ever; First a PMS-ing T-stranger, then the smelly water, and now this grandpa, has God no mercy?
Throwing his palms to the sky, tilting his head back and looked up on heaven, he waited for an answer from God that would end all his pain, or perhaps just make this grandpa go away, that would be fine to. Please, please, please God, help me now. What should I do, what should I do? Give me a sign or something. Give me a sign! Gin begged in his mind, sacrificing the last of his senses to the power in the clouds.
"...Son?"
"What?!" Gin snapped, screaming straight in to old man's face. "What the hell do you want, you damn stranger? Can't you see that I'm busy talking to God, wait for you damn turn!"
"Ehm..," the old man opened his mouth to speak but all he had time to do is to show Gin just how few teeth he had left in his mouth before Gin begun to rant again.
"What now, stranger? You strange stranger, you. Are you trying to talk, huh? Want to be pals, huh?" he placed his hand on his hips and bent forward. "Well too bad, grandpa! I don't speak with strangers, because-" Gin continued talking, snapping and ranting. Finally the poor old blind man, who just wanted to know if the lad was alright finally saw that no, the lad was not alright, he was down right paranoid! Now he made short work of his escape before the lad would run amok on him.
Unfortunately Gin noticed it, pointing dramatically at the retreating, but surprising fast old man who disappeared behind a bush like a wild boar. "Oi, where are you going stranger?! I am not finished yet!" His sentence was followed by a high shriek.
"Kyaahhhhh!!! Help! Somebody please help me!"
The scream came from an unnaturally dark ally, but the samurai didn't think twice before making his way there. He jumped over the garbage bags haphazardly obstructing his path, making a cat hiss threateningly when he passed. He was presented by a scene straight out of old gangster movies. A young lady with pink hat, pink lipstick and even a fluffy pink dress that suited a princess.
What the hell is she doing in this part of Edo anyway? Gintoki thought, more curious than aggressive. He shifted his gaze to the supposed assailant; a large stocky man in traditional grey kimono who happened to look just like your usual, everyday salaryman, if not for his eyes being a tad too square, making him look extraordinarily robotic.
"Hey, lady…is this man um…irritating you?" Gintoki asked dutifully, feeling almost forced to ask since the girl shot him an impatient glare before assuming the victimized face over and over again, but the thing was...the man. Well he wasn't attacking her or anything, just standing there...
"Yes, sir, he is. Please help me, please, I'm grr-," she almost growled angrily, her small fingers that were captured in the purest white of gloves twitching in the air. "Begging you."
"I'm a bad man," the large man introduced himself for both Gin and the lady. The word was apparently supposed to cover up the lack of 'evilness' the man showed.
"Oh, and I'm a diabetic," Gin uttered back in bored voice. "A pleasure to meet you, bad man."
The man bowed respectfully. "The pleasure is all mine," And suddenly reached his hand out grasping the lady's purse. "A bad man needs money. Give me the money, madam."
"Oh no! Help meeeee!" The purse fell out of her gasp after just one tug, were her arms really that weak? The woman laid her tender hand on her forehead as her eyes targeted at the sky, falling in a dead faint as the large man fled, or...Gin squinted puzzledly. No, he was more like walking away.
"Oof!" The girl suddenly flung herself on his arm, her entire weight hanging on as she gazed helplessly in the albino's eyes, small tears starting to show. "Mister, please, you must catch the chief!"
The samurai blinked his dead fish eyes at her, "Sorry, miss, but do I know you?"
Shocked, the lady's eyes glazed and her mouth gasped out,"...what?!"
He snatched his arm back, the feeling of someone else's skin, even if it was a gorgeous woman, kind of disgusted him now. "Sorry, I don't talk to strangers. And besides I'm no hero, and I don't need your gratitude," he emphasized the last word, feeling proud for some reason.
Haha, see? I don't need gratitude, Tos-damn-stranger! He thought smugly as his feet begun to depart on their own accord. He felt much better now than he had been for a long time. Sadly, didn't he have time to enjoy his happiness to the fullest because it all ended when he felt cold metal stuck up the small of his back. A gun… Gin's mind instinctively confirmed.
It had been quite a while since he was last was threatened with a gun but even so couldn't he say that he missed it.
This girl really doesn't handle a "no" that well.
"Um, excuse me, miss," he chuckled nervously, as his eyebrow twitched. "But it's my back you are aiming at, are you aware of that?"
"Shut up!" screeched the lady uncivilly, reaching up and grabbing the big pink hat on her head with the other hand, her sharp nails tearing at the fabric. In the next moment she sent it flying off in a rage. "We're changing the plan. Instead of him killing you, I shall do the honours," she smiled with deep satisfaction.
"Who could have known that I am so popular with the ladies," Gin thought sarcastically, the dangerous situation not spoiling his sense of humour. He dared a glance over his shoulder, and could see the hot-headed girl's beautiful blonde hair framing her small but sour face. She had bitten off her cute white gloves and stamped them into the ground. She prodded his back rudely with the cold metal, so he turned forward again. Although she got on his nerves, he laughed out loud, to lighten up a little.
"Hehe, I see. And you are?" When Gin's only reply was the metallic click of the pistol being loaded, his eyes widened.
Oh, god! I knew that I should have shut up! I knew it! Good bye dear world!
"My name is Kijima Matako," She finally announced. She seemed calm, so Gin heaved a sign of relief; false alarm. "And a member of the true Joi, the Kiheitai,"
Oh shit...
"And soon to be the killer-," at this word she paused and obviously smirked, "Of the great Shiroyasha....Say good bye, traitor!"
God? Is this your sign?!
A cold wind whistled through the alleyway, silencing the dull boom of a gunshot.
* * *
"Really Itou-sensei, you really pick the worst of time to come here...," Kondou laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
When the other man did not seem amused, instead offered him an offended frown, Kondou quickly added, "Not that I don't want you here, sensei! It's just..," Kondou trailed off as if he couldn't bring himself to lie to his advisor. His returned his hands to his thighs, looked at the floor uncertainly and chewed on his lower lip.
Itou's sudden visit to the Shinsengumi HQ was a big surprise for Kondou, who hadn't had the time to fix things up around the quarters, like cleaning. Kondou was so ashamed when the adviser had raised his eyebrows, noting the dusty floors. He didn't comment on it, but that was nearly worse! He felt so insecure without either of Shougo or Hijikata by his side, even if Shougo didn't stand up for him whenever Itou criticized, his presence was nonetheless comforting and Hijikata's objection always stopped Itou from scanning everything. It was not that Kondou was afraid of Itou-sensei, how could he be? It was just that that he had so much respect for him, and didn't want him to be disappointed with him.
"Is something wrong, Kondou-san?"
"You can't really call it 'wrong'", confessed Kondou, knowing that he couldn't keep things hidden from Itou-sensei. At best if he gave him little information maybe he might lose interest in the whole subject. "It just Toshi, he's not totally alright if you understand."
Itou didn't understand, alright. How was he supposed to when the word 'alright' was so widely used? But considering all things, it wasn't unexpected that an idiot like him would pick this word to describe another. Honestly.
Kondou mistook Itou's displeasure at his choice of his words to be a look of worried concern, and begun waving his hand, a big goofy grin plastered over his face. "But it's no biggie!"
The adviser couldn't stop the instinctive downward turn of his lips, so he quickly lifted the tea cup in front of him and took a sip to hide it. He was a master of faking his expression, he had been forced to carry a smile during his childhood, covering up his tears and suppressed desires, but damn, even that couldn't beat the challenge of being around this idiot without getting frustrated.
"Speaking of Hijikata-kun," Itou locked gazes with Kondou over the edge of his cup, just to be sure the he answer he would receive would be honest and not some pathetic lie. "Where is he?"
"Well..," Kondou pulled diffidently on his collar. Damn, he didn't lose interest. Was it just him or was the air thin in here? He got to his feet quickly, accidentally knocking the table, sending it vibrating. "Sorry," he flushed at his clumsiness and grasped the gliding door that was nearby, opening it. The cold wind that blew on his face was very refreshing. He beamed at the green eyed man with youthful vigour.
"Don't you think the outside of the Shinsengumi is pretty, Itou-sansei, the smell from the flowers, the birds and the blue sky..," Kondou took another breath, filling his lungs with air.
Itou looked out, and he didn't appreciate what was oh-so-wonderful about the view he was presented with. It looked exactly the same as it did all those years ago when he last was here. But he supposed he shouldn't be surprised, the Shinsengumi's economical state was currently worse then it ever been.
"If you say so Kondou-san," Itou said with a roll of his eyes. "I have quite a few treasured memories of that garden, one of them being the time when Hijikata-kun tried to save the kitten in the treetop, truly heroic," the sarcasm was automatic. "I would love to speak with him soon, to find out if he has rescued any more baby animals," he permitted a small playful smirk to show on his face.
"Ugh, well he's sleeping now so..."
"Sleeping?" questioned Itou sharply. "So utterly odd for that man, has he no work to do during the daytime?"
Kondou laughed again, yet another airy laugh, his voice strained to cracking point. If the fake laugh wasn't a dead giveaway then the small drops of sweat down his forehead clearly were. Itou could taste victory...
"Commander!" A Shinsengumi rushed into the room, mail in hand. "Commmander, I have been ordered to deliver this letter to you!"
"A letter?" Kondou blinked at the man from his position at the wall, he never got any letters and had no idea how to act now that his sensei was watching. Oh God, what are the formalities involved? What if I grasp the letter wrong or maybe open it wrong!
"You can give it to me, Kiku-kun," Itou said.
"B-but, ano, I was ordered to give it directly to the C-commmander."
"It's alright," he gave one of his most trustworthy smiles to the underling, opening up his tense face a little. "I am the adviser, it's my duty to know everything so I can draw the quickest and best solution for the betterment of the whole Shinsengumi." He turned towards Kondou, giving him a significant look. "Right, Commander?"
He didn't wait for reply, since he knew he was right, as did the gorilla and the Shinsengumi-turned mailman too. With an ungentle hand he tore up the envelop, unfolded the paper and read its contents out loud.
"Commander,
Shougo has found the main suspect for the crime of attacking Hijikata-san.
It's Sakata Gintoki.
We are currently on our way to arrest the man so we can make further investigation.
The reason why I'm sending this letter to you instead of calling you is because the batteries in my phone are dead and Okita-kun refused to let me borrow his. Sad smily"
Itao's vein on his forehead popped and he decided he needed to organize a lecture for all his men in the Shinsengumi concerning how to write a letter in the correct way.
"Anyway, we'll also look up a tip we got concerning the Joi in some teahouse.
Yamazaki Sagaru."
Itou sighed when he had read the letter to its end, which proved to be rather trying since this Yamazaki fellow's writing style was absolutely abominable.
I will give this Yamazaki-san a lesson in hand writing...
Kondou fumbled with his sausage fingers in front of him, a faint blush gracing his tanned cheeks in embarrassment.
Itou tipped his head a little forward and letting it lean on his index finger a little, closing his light green eyes. He was the perfect picture of a disappointed parent, or in this case teacher.
"What should I do with you, Kondou-san," the commander winced, but Itou continued. "What have I been telling you? You shouldn't keep secrets from me, how else can I play my role as adviser when I don't have all the facts?"
"S-sorry, Itou-sensei...," Kondou bowed his head in shame.
"It's alright," Itou said, delighted at how the tension in the large man's shoulder relaxed at his words of forgiveness. But he wasn't about to let all this go.
"Now, tell me everything, and I mean everything...
***
Shougo found himself taking cover behind the car door, it didn't sound much like him but even he know better then to go out there. Shooting was heard everywhere as men in Shinsengumi uniforms tried to overpower a crazy gun-wielding gal. The whole situation was pathetic, since the woman, described by witnesses as a pretty little princess who graced their streets with beauty turned out to be a berserker bitch with the ability to stand up against the most brutal of armed policemen.
The report Shougo would later be forced to write about this would be a nightmare…
"Oi, Yamazaki," Shougo called. The other man was hiding behind the other door of the car. Ever since the two of them had arrived on the scene, they never even got the chance to leave the car before bullets flew over their heads.
"WHAT, CAPTAIN, WHAT SHOULD WE D-?!" Yamazaki yelped, his answer interrupted when a garbage pin lock flew straight through the window of the door he was hiding behind. He covered his head with his arm to dodge the sharp squares of shattered glass that sparkled over him like rain.
"Do me a favour, will you? Go out there and do something heroic so I can have some good news to report to the Commander when we get back to HQ!" After a little more thought, he cupped he his mouth and promised. "If you die will I personally give you a nicely done funeral."
"I refuse!" screamed the spy, seeming both horrified and angry. "And besides how can me dying be good news to the Commander?!"
Shougo could think of many ways Yamazaki's death could be twisted to his own benefit but a big explosion stopped him from listing them out. He barely had enough time to stuff his fingers in his ears before an explosion shook the ground like a small earthquake. A bright flame spurted out of the second-floor window of one shophouse, it started eating up the wooden framed walls, sending glowing embers flying and flickering to the neighbouring houses, which began to catch fire. Black smoke billowed above the broken buildings, spreading an uncomfortable warmth over the battlefield. Man's rough coughing sound, the wails of women mixed with the thick ash and smoke that rolled over them like waves. People's cries for the fire department were drowned by the deafening reports of gunfire.
"Just come here, you fucking assholes and I will show you just what we in the Joi think of scum like you!" Matako laughed maniacally as she shot wildly but dangerously about. Bullets flew everywhere, and the Shinsengumi men ran around like headless chickens. "Tch," she snarled at the gun as she tipped it backwards.
"Already out of ammunition, no way!"
***
Hijikata opened his eyes and groaned when he woke up, though he had no idea why he was awake. But he guessed that the cramp he felt digging in his back had something to do with it. Tch, sleeping on the same side too long. He tried to egg his body to move, changing position in the warm, cosy bed. The task was harder than it should be, Hijikata found out the hard way that he could not move much, before his sore body irked in pain. Since he was still half asleep didn't he care, but the cramp really got to him. He yawned and stretched his neck in a weak attempt to get more comfortable. But it was useless, he had only one last resort.
"Oi, Shougo! You there?"
To beg the bastard for help was very low of him, but he was nearly desperate. He wanted to sleep and forget, and to do that must he stop this fucking cramp. Gah, it hurt…
"Fucking god-Shougo!" If the bastard didn't get here soon he would die, and he wasn't being over dramatic, lying on one side in bed could kill you, at least it felt like it.
"Shougo!" he screamed at the top of his lungs with the last of his energy, he took a big breath and closed his eyes. He felt so tired...
Finally the door creaked open, and light streaked into the gloomy darkness. Hijikata heard someone making his way in the room. He wasn't familiar with the footsteps though. He frowned, it was to big to be Shougo and still not quite as big as Kondou-san, it must be some rookie....Hijikata yawned again, if the rookie wanted to know what he wanted he could try and wake him up, but if he knew better would he leave him alone. Hijikata hated to have a stranger's hands touching him.
Bang!
He jumped and turned around to the direction the sound come from. It was just the door being slammed, but... his eyes widened when he saw the person who caused the sound, no, not person, but the vengeful spirit of total destruction.
A cold feeling washed over him, pure fear and panic.
"Good afternoon," greeted the one and only Takasugi Shinsuke, leaning on the closed door, his arms crossed. He smirked. "Have you missed me...Toshy-Boy, was it?"
***
We only part to meet again. ~John Gay
A/N: I'm deeply sorry for the late updates, I guess it's hard for you readers keep a fresh memory of this fic past and a few of you meybe is forced to re-read to get all, sorry. Please don't forget it's existent and reviews encourage me to work faster^^