I don't think I've read an OkiKagu fic where they're old or grandparents. This is kinda sad but I think it's sweet…
Prompt: post/149048283532/you-died-a-year-ago-but-i-still-see-and-talk-to
An old woman, maybe in her seventies, walks down the painfully familiar hallway of the hospital while carrying a bottle of hot sauce.
Looking at her, one would never think she was a foreigner or that she was an Amanto. She looked simple, really; clad in her peach-colored kimono and her hair tied in a chignon. But, looking at her face, it was obvious that she had been a very beautiful woman back in the day.
She could hear the lonely clicks of her slippers through the hallways. This was one of the sounds that she hated here. It felt like there was no one there but her. The other sound was that of the beeping machine in the room she was heading for. She wished for it to disappear because it constantly reminded her of something she did not want to know. But it had to stay.
Upon entering the room, she places the odd condiment on the bedside table next to the empty boxes of her favorite snack. She pulls a chair by the bedside and watches a sleeping man.
His face was also riddled with wrinkles and you'd never guess that he was once a captain in the Shogunate's Shinsengumi. They'd never even guess that he was also an infamous sadist. He looked so angelic on the hospital bed. But they could guess, just like the woman, that he had also been very handsome.
She felt a playful tug on her sleeve.
"Grandma," the voice says. "Carry me, Grandma!"
She smiled and was about to lift the girl in front of her when a grown man lifted the child instead. "Kouka, no. Grandma's too old, you'll hurt her back." The man―the father reprimanded.
The said grandma scoffs. "I'll have you know that I can still throw you outside that window even at this age!" She flexes her muscles, which made the little girl laugh.
"You can't. You'll wake up dad." The blond gestures to the sleeping, old man. "Anyway, I'll take Kouka home now. I'll be back in a few hours, mom." With that, the son, together with his daughter, takes their leave.
Once the two were gone, the man on the bed hoarsely whispers, "China."
She instinctively gets closer, holding his right hand in between her hands. "Did you want anything?"
"Where did you go?" he turns his head to look at her.
"Nowhere. I just went out to get some hot sauce." She smiles at him. "You know, so I can put it in your meal when you're not looking."
He reciprocates the smile and nods. "Ah. I did thought my hands were a bit colder." Her heart ached a bit at his words. He never directly says that he missed her. He always had to say it in cryptic words. It was so like him. "Hey, China?"
She hums in response.
"Don't tire yourself. It's doesn't feel good, believe me."
Kagura tried to suppress a tear. He knew it would take a lot for him just to talk and move a bit, yet he doesn't mind. He doesn't ask or say anything, but she knows how painful it was. She did try to stop him from overexerting himself, but he doesn't listen. Even at his age, he was still so stubborn. "Alright," she replies.
With difficulty, he reaches for her cheek, making her realize how cold his hand had become. "Good. We wouldn't want that pretty face of yours becoming ugly, would we?" She chuckles at his compliment. His illness, together with his old age, had really taken a toll on him. She couldn't really say that he was acting out of character. But she likes to think that this was a part of her husband that he tried to keep hidden from other people; the openly-loving part.
"What do you want to do today?" she asks him. It's not that they would really do everything he says, but she always asks him this question. He would answer by saying the most random things from getting the house clean (because he knows she doesn't clean it often) to doing something extravagant like going on a trip to outer space. Although everything was impossible now, it distracted them from the loneliness.
He places his hand back on the bed. "Let's see," he starts, "I want to teach Little Kouka about swordsmanship. I can do that, right? But she might refuse me and say that only boys do that. Let's see, what else?" She listens to him go on about the most random things. It's what she had grown to love about the day. Each time he spoke of those things, she felt as though they were newly-weds once more, planning out their future. It made her feel like there time together wasn't numbered and that they were just entering another new life.
"But you'll get tired. You'll lose that handsome face, too!" she jokes.
Okita holds her hand a bit tighter, as tight as he can. "Then I'll just hold your hand like this. That's what I want to do today." It was so simple but it meant a lot to her. It just told her that all the extravagant things in this world did not compare to holding her hand. She felt so loved.
They just stayed like that for a few minutes, until he broke the silence.
"China, is it okay if I rest?" he innocently asks. "I feel tired."
Her eyes widened a bit, was he feeling some sort of pain right now? "Of course. You should get plenty of rest so that you can come home already." She stands up only to be pulled back down again.
"Don't leave. Stay." She complies and places her hand on his once more. "I feel so tired, Kagura. So tired." He whispers.
Just the sound of her name from his lips was enough to make her tear up. Almost fifty years of marriage and he would never call her by her name unless it was important. She knew what "tired" had meant. He was in so much pain, she could feel it. And, maybe, she was the only thing still tying him to this world; to all this pain. He could let go if he wanted to, but he chooses not to. It made her feel guilty that she was causing so much pain for her dear husband.
"It's alright," she could feel a tear roll down her cheek. "You can rest if you're tired. You don't have to push yourself. I'll be here when you wake up, Sougo."
He nods. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," he slowly closes his eyes. "You look so beautiful in that cheongsam. I haven't seen it years."
She completely lets go of herself. She didn't care if her cries were loud or disturbing, she just wanted to drown out the deafening sound of the heart monitor.
"You're starting to annoy me." Kagura says to no one in particular.
She was lying down on a futon, some medicine, a towel, and a basin of water beside her. If a normal person saw her, they'd think she had already become crazy. After all, didn't people start to hallucinate about their past life when they aged? But she wasn't crazy. She could still tell the difference between reality and fantasy and her mind was still as sharp as when she was a teenager. She just did these monologues whenever she was alone and felt sad.
It had been a year since Okita Sougo had passed away and it had been a year since she started doing this routine. She swears, to herself, that every time she was alone, a handsome, young officer appears in the room and just watches her. Although the familiar face doesn't answer back, his annoying smile managed to melt away her sadness, and suddenly, she doesn't feel so alone anymore.
"You don't even answer back to me. I'm really going crazy." She smiles at how stupid she must sound. Okita's ghost still doesn't answer back and just watches her from the door leading to the engawa. "How's your sister?" she asks.
The ghost's smile grows a bit wider. Even after death, Okita still had that sister-complex of his. She takes it as a sign that his sister, wherever she was, was happy and doing fine. Somehow, she felt a bit jealous that Mitsuba got to be with Okita and that she, the wife, was still here on Earth. She was really feeling all alone here, what with most of her friends and family having moved on before her. It felt unfair that she was left here just to reminisce their times.
"You're making me feel jealous, you know?" she attempts to reach him but fails to do so. "I want to be with all of you as well and you're rubbing it in my face." With that sentence, she saw the ghost's countenance become a bit sad and shake his head. What did it mean? Was he trying to tell her to keep on living? That would be a bit harsh. Other than her children and the children her friends had left here on Earth, she had no more reason to continue.
The ghost moves from its position and heads to sit beside her. Even though Kagura couldn't feel its touch, she felt all warm inside when he attempts to brush her hair aside. It doesn't move, but it's the thought that counts. She chuckles.
"Do you remember when I took care of you before you left?" The ghost nods. "This must be how it feels, yes?" The ghost continues in petting her hair and just smiles.
She continues on by talking about how their son, Souichiro, was getting another promotion and that their Little Kouka was growing to become a beautiful girl like her grandmother. When she didn't have any story to tell the ghost, she just talks about some of their more fun memories. If it remembers it, its eyes would grow a bit wide and then curve, as if they were also smiling.
"Oi, you sadist, you better not be cheating on me up there." She points up. "I swear, when I get there, I'll hunt down all your women. I don't care if it's 'til death do us part'." The ghost rolls his eyes and gives her a frown. "Good." She answers, as if she understood what he meant. The ghost places an innocent kiss on her lips and stands up to leave.
"Where―" she stopped herself when she heard the tiny voice of a girl coming inside the room.
"Grandma!" A redheaded girl called. "Mami told me to bring some tea. Who were you talking to?" The girl places the tray down and fills the mold-green teacup.
"No one, dear." Kagura lies and sits up to accept the teacup.
But the child was unconvinced. "Was it the blond policeman?" she asks. Kagura almost spat her drink in surprise. She raises an eyebrow, questioning her grandchild.
"He talks to me as well. He says that he's Grandpa, but I don't believe him. He's handsome and young. Grandpa was all wrinkly. And he looks like Papi."
He talks to Little Kouka but not to me? That Sadist!
"Is that so?" she hands back the cup. "Well you're right. That couldn't possibly be your Grandpa Sougo. Your Grandpa was so ugly and mean, the police officer seems kinder." Even though she was joking, she could imagine Okita hitting her on the head, annoyed with her jokes.
"Yeah! The policeman even tells me to take care of you. I don't think Grandpa told me to do that."
Kagura couldn't help but smile. She instantly regrets destroying Okita's image to their granddaughter. Leave it to her husband to be so subtly affectionate, even after death. He hasn't changed a bit. "Well, can you pass a message for me?"
Kouka's red eyes widened in anticipation and nods vigorously.
"Can you tell the nice policeman to tell your Grandpa Sougo that we miss and love him very much?" When the girls agrees, Kagura pats her head. "Thank you, Kouka."
Kouka heads back to the kitchen and the Yato was left all alone once more. The policeman didn't come back yet but she doesn't feel lonely or sad. There was this certain feeling of contentment, much like when she was still in the Yorozuya and she was sure she didn't have to worry about their food tomorrow. Okita loved her very much, that was for sure, that even after he passed away, he couldn't bring himself to really leave her.
She lies down and closes her eyes, readying herself for sleep. She isn't worried that she'd wake up alone, because, for sure, it would either be her son and granddaughter or the ghost of her husband who would be greeting her good morning.
END
This is so sad uggh and I think it's a bit long but the prompt simply inspired me to write this. Tell me what you think (I hope you guys liked it) BYE! :))))