The sun was high in the sky, the division on patrol had left at least one hour ago and Heisuke, who was on kitchen duty that day, just passed her on his way back from the market.
Chizuru was training with her blade under the watchful eyes of Saitou, repeating the movements time and again and correcting her stance, every time her teacher instructed her to. Hajime was a strict instructor, who would not teach her anything new until she perfected his precedent lesson. Sometimes it was very frustrating to the young woman, but most of the time it was only tiring like hell.
Every captain had his fighting style and his own way of teaching. They had taken it upon them, to instruct their little princess themselves. Nothing less than the best, Kondo-sama had said, for the most precious flower in their garden. Chizuru wondered how long that statement would ring true.
Shimpachi and Sanosuke were the once for strength. They made her run around the perimeter of the building countless times, carrying weight on her back and pushing that old, heavy wheel in front of her.
Heisuke was the most playful one. He loved to play catch with her, where she had to avoid him in any way possible. Running around for hours, jumping over every obstacle that lay in her way because he would not hesitate to do so himself, or climbing trees and roofs to get small advantages was extremely taxing too.
Sannan on the other hand, preferred tactics. He would teach her about different tactics used in combat and war and afterwards, he would let her solve his very tricky practical problems. One thing was sitting over books and understanding the ways of the old warriors, another all together was applying the methods and improvising on the spot. Because, as he liked to remind her, she was not the only one studying the old texts and her enemy would have known how to counter them in the first place.
Saitou was the perfectionist.
A light breeze carried over the place, cooling Chizuru down from the exercise and the burning sun. Sweat was running down her back and her cheeks had redden from the workout. Saitou stood behind her, in his black kimono, not even affected by the heat of the midday. Even for spring, it was warm.
They heard their voices before they could see the group of men coming through the portal. With the demon commander ahead of them, the travellers returned home, flocked by a group of their own soldiers whom they had encounter entering town. Okita was joking with some of them and the rest of the travellers, while Hijikata made his way directly to the main building.
„Look Hajime, they are back!" Chizuru forgot all about her training. She wanted to run up to the group and greet them warmly, but her housekeeping responsibility told her, it would be prudent to alert Heisuke first. She had sheathed her sword, when Saitou asked her unimpressed: „And where do you think you are going?"
She smiled at him brilliantly. „Don't you agree that someone should warn Heisuke."
He would not have let her go, if she just wanted to great the home coming, but because her practical sense had won over, Hajime closed his eyes and let her leave training earlier. After all he did not want to hear the young warrior complain if he had to cook twice.
Chizuru run all the way to the kitchen and jumped in like the house was on fire, scaring Heisuke and nearly making him drop the freshly washed vegetables.
„Heisuke, guess what!", the brunet exclaimed without letting the boy do so. „Hijikata and the others are back!"
Smiling at him as if someone had presented her with the most beautiful of kimonos, she run up to the startled boy and hugged him.
„Oi,oi Chizuru! I'm not the one who was out for over a month now!" The man tried to disentangle himself from her. „Besides, now I'll have to go out to the market again and buy more food. There is not enough fish for us of all, as it is now." He murmured aggravated.
She let go of her companion and looked around.
„Lets see, I'll help you with this and you wont have to go out again, ok. Lets make a meal worth of the shogun for them", and she started busying herself around the kitchen. Heisuke inspected their meagre ingredients and doubted she could even satisfy a lesser ronin with them, much less a general.
Dinner that evening, was very lively. Shimpachi and Sanosuke were loud with their questions, most of them about the beauty of the Osaka Geishas and the quality of their sake, a point where Heiske joined in.
Okita had his share of laughs and retold the most hilarious of their misadventures in the far away city, while Hijikata sat stoically at Kondo-samas side. From time to time Sannan inquired about some of the more technical details and then even Saitou looked interested in the conversation. Chizuru had a great time listening in on the lively tales. Only her attempts at making eye contact with Hijikata seemed to not take any fruit.
Before the night got to old, Kondo-sama ended the little banquet and wished them all a good rest. Heisuke started to clear up the dishes. Surprisingly he got some help from Okita, who normally despised housework, but who seemed to have missed this camaraderie quite a lot on his journey with the demon commander.
The rest of the captains excused themselves and retreaded for the night.
This was Chizurus best chance to have a word with the withdrawn second. She got up just after Kondo-sama left, made her way to the porch and waited in front of Hijikatas door, for him to come by. She casually sat down on the veranda, loosing herself in the beauty of the gardens at night.
It wasn't long, before a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.
„You are very persistent tonight, what is it you want Chizuru?"
-Right to the matter,- she thought as she looked up to the man standing behind her. He could have slipped into his rooms and she wouldn't have noticed, or ignored her all together.
-But Toshizo is no coward- the young woman reminded herself. She tried to smile up to him, but her eyes were sad.
„There is something I'd like to talk about with you, Hijikata-kun", was her answer.
He waited patiently for her to start speaking, but instead Chizuru looked to the door next to his, where the light was still on. She got up, made her way into the garden and went to the training area,
that was empty at night. Two steps behind her the tall man followed.
The young woman reached a set of stairs and made herself comfortable on them, her companion remained standing. Chizuru looked up, first at the man who changed her life so much, then further up at the sky.
„You remember...," she started, not exactly knowing how to word the things she had to say. It had seemed a lot easier when she was practising this conversation in her head, alone in her rooms at night. „...the night of the first snow." It was a statement and he did not respond. „How much do you remember of that night?" Her voice trembled when she finished her question.
Silence was the only thing to answer her at first. She knew she had to be patient, wait for him to order his thought and phrase his response. It seemed to her he would not say anything that night, but she was mistaken.
„I woke up my usual self, naked, tucked into my futon with blood smeared blankets."
She considered his answer for some time, when she was about to replay, he continued.
„At first, I did not know what happened that night. Then I started remembering,... the pain, the change,... and finally ...Chizuru." Hijikata whispered the last words. At that moment he seemed more interested in the ground than on his female interlocutor. The brunet bit her lips. She was nervous to no end. This was a conversation she never wanted to have in the first place. But the question reminded: „All?"
Before the vice commander answered verbally, she could read the pain the whole incident cause in him.
He could not forgive himself for his deeds and he knew exactly what he had done that night. Hijikata closed his eyes and lowered his head until only shadows covered his face. His white knuckled fists shook at his side as he responded hoarsely.
„All." After that the proud warrior turned around and took some steps in the direction of the main quarters before her tears strained words stopped him in mid stride.
„I'm pregnant."
Hijikata Toshizo froze.
Somewhere in town a dog had started barking, the wind rustled between the green leaves, an owl cried in the distance. For two people the world had stopped moving.
Hijikata knew without the slightest doubt, that Chizuru, the sweet and innocent Chizuru, had not laid with any other men, neither before nor after him. He knew she would never joke on a matter as serious as the one at hand either, for she was way to good at heart.
Oh so slowly he turned to face her, trembling, his head lifting inch by inch to look her in the eyes.
Her tears glistered in the moonlight, those big brown pools she had as eyes were dark like the blackest night and her outstretched hand pulled him to her side like a sirens call. He closed the small distance between them without him even noticing and took her hand into his. She made him sit by her on the dojo stairs. Then, as irrefutable proof of her words, she guided his hand to her stomach and placed it on the small bump, not showing yet through, but steadily growing under her clothes.
A long time none said a word, because no words were needed. Toshizo understood, that she did not blame him, as much as he understood how scared she was, of what would happen now with her, with him and with the child. The rules were clear on the matter, the punishment was so too. None the less, she would love the child he had given her, as much as...
„Who knows about this...?" He trailed of, not knowing how to call their situation, nor wanting to go any further in his own thought.
She had found new courage, it seemed, now that the difficult conversation was over. Now she could take action, now she would find a solution.
„No one," she told him resolutely. „At least not for the moment. It wont be to long thou and the secret will be done for."
He took her answer in straight and was ready for the next one.
„And what were you planning to do?"
For this question she took her time. Finally she concluded her thoughts.
„I don't know. This was the most important and the most difficult part until now." She smiled up at him. „Now,... I think I will leave the group. That would be the best, for all, I fear. Perhaps..." she thought it up on the moment, „I could find Sen and ask her if her offer still stands. Of course things have changed somewhat now..."
Chizurus cheeks coloured slightly in embarrassment. She had not thought of any escape rout, she had no plan for her future, nothing to present the father of her child with, that would reassure him, that she was capable of living and rising their child on her own.
He smiled at her reassuringly. „It is a start. We do not need to find a way right this moment. Soon yes, but not right now. None the less, we should tell Isami..."
„No!" She interrupted him. „If Kondo-sama knows the whole truth, he will be forced to act upon it. I do not want to see that happen."
„But you can not leave the Shinsengumi without telling anyone." Her companion argued back.
She grabbed his hand tighter and sight. „That I know too." Chizuru got up from her place on the stairs and smiled at the man who had captured her heart. „We will find a solution for this problem. Come", she gestured. „It's getting late."
The first thing in the morning, before Hijikatas sense of honour could make him do something very, very stupid, Chizuru went to speak with their fearless leader, a plan, not the best, but at least a plan drawn up in her head. All those lessons with Sannan were paying up.
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Next chappy up soon^^