Good Friends are Always There To Tease You When You're Happy

Set immediately after 'The Birds Do It And The Bees Do It, Even Idiot Samurai Do It.' Just before chapter 1 of this fic.

The rest of her morning was largely uneventful after Gintoki and the others had left.

Tsukuyo patrolled the streets of Yoshiwara with her ever faithful Hyakka at her side. What she didn't see beneath their masks however, were their smug smiles. They had been awake for most of the night, standing guard over the building where their leader had spent the night in the arms of the Saviour of Yoshiwara, but they weren't at all resentful of their lost sleep. They were smug. Extremely smug. And it was probably for the best that Tsukuyo remained oblivious of that fact.

However, it wasn't the only thing she was oblivious of. Her mind wasn't exactly on the job, she saw people and faces as she patrolled but nothing really registered in her mind. It was as though she was moving automatically until they Hyakka called to get her attention.

"Okashira!" one of the Hyakka said.

"Okashira!" another called when she failed to respond.

"Huh?" Tsukuyo blinked and turned to them. "What?" she asked.

They simultaneously pointed down the street to a man who was dragging a woman by the arm. The woman was calling for help.

"Damn it," Tsukuyo cursed.

She quickly pulled out a kunai in each hand and ran down the street.

She had no way of knowing that her face had been flushed red for the last few minutes and it annoyed her that her reminiscing had distracted her from the job. Thinking of her night was all well and good, but she scolded herself for allowing it to interfere with protecting the women of Yoshiwara.

"Okashira's a million miles away today, huh?" Sakura hummed, happily to the other Hyakka.

"A million miles?" another woman replied. "I don't think it's quite that far away. I'd say it's pretty close by actually, wouldn't you? Maybe even just down the street…even…" she said, her name was Saya.

"Not like we can really blame her," a third Hyakka woman said. Her name was Ayano.

"You should keep your voices down. If she ever finds out we were guarding the place, no one will be able to find our bodies," a Hyakka called Mai added.

"I guess you're right," Ayano sighed. "It's just a shame we can't tell her how happy we are for her."

"Well, we can…just don't tell her that we heard how happy she was," Mai said and the others laughed.

"Agreed," they all said with proud smiles on their faces.

"What ya all standin' round for?" Tsukuyo returned to them, having dealt with the handsy customer.

"Sorry, Okashira!" they all said and gave mock salutes.

When the sky began to darken, Tsukuyo returned home to find Hinowa happily humming in the kitchen as she cooked.

"How was patrol?" Hinowa asked her.

"Fine," Tsukuyo shrugged and let out a puff of smoke from her pipe. "Nothin' much happened, it was a quiet day," she explained.

"That's good," the older woman said, relieved. "We seem to have more and more of those as time passes."

"Hmmm."

"It must be boring for you though."

"Not really. 'S better this way," Tsukuyo said.

"I suppose so," Hinowa nodded. She turned to look at her long time friend and protector with a smile. "I didn't cook you anything, so I'm sorry if you're hungry. I wasn't expecting you back tonight, I thought you were going up to the surface with Gin-san," she said.

"Eh?" she blushed.

"For ramen in the park," she reminded her friend. "It sounds lovely. You really shouldn't leave a good man waiting like that," Hinowa remarked.

"EH?!"

"Aren't you going?"

"Well…I…" Tsukuyo bit her lip and looked away.

Hinowa let out an exasperated sigh and gave a rueful smile. "Tsukuyo…is it really so impossible for you to admit that you want to be with him?" she asked.

The younger woman let out a huff in embarrassment and blushed a deep red.

"Who'd wanna spend time with that idiot," she mumbled.

"Lots of people, I imagine," Hinowa replied.

"He's an idiot," Tsukuyo reiterated.

"I suppose we all are, in our own way."

"Huh."

"We could argue that all of us here in Yoshiwara who opposed Hosen are idiots, after all, the odds weren't in our favour and we could've died."

"That's different," Tsukuyo whispered.

"If you say so," Hinowa replied, kindly. She took a breath and regarded her friend with a mix of sadness and understanding. "Tsukki…I understand that you want to protect me and I'm grateful for that. But Hosen is gone. When Yoshiwara was freed, so were you. If you want to venture out into the world then please do. You spent your entire life here at the mercy of others, you've more than earned your freedom. If you want to spend time with Gin-san, then do. If you want to run around on the rooftops of the outside world on your own, then do it. At this point, I'd turn a blind eye if you chose to go and overthrow the government…but, ah, I forget, you already did that," she smirked, thinking of Suzuran.

"That was…"

"With Gin-san," Hinowa added and Tsukuyo bit her lip. "You've changed quite a bit in the last year, haven't you?" she asked, smugly.

"Erm…"

"But really I'm glad," Hinowa said quietly, so quietly Tsukuyo almost didn't hear it. "Just go and have fun…and be happy. And don't worry about work. The Hyakka can handle things here."

"B…but…"

"Unless…you don't want to spend time with him."

"Wha…"

"In which case, things would be different and…"

"Who says I don't wanna…"

"Well, you didn't say…"

"I want to!" Tsukuyo exclaimed and blushed when she realised what she'd just said.

"I know," Hinowa said, kindly. She wheeled her chair over to where her friend stood and took her hand in hers, gently. "And I know it's difficult for you. I know it's all new to you and trusting people is hard for you too, let alone loving someone. Especially when you swore never to love a man. But loving someone isn't a bad thing. And Gin-san would never hurt you or betray you or…"

"I know that," she snapped. "I do know that," she repeated in a much softer tone. "And I never actually said the word…L…love…" she stammered after.

"You don't have to," Hinowa replied, knowingly. "And despite what he says, he doesn't seem the type to sleep around just because he could. The women would have told me if they'd actually slept with him. And they haven't. Although they've said, more than once, that it's not for lack of trying," she grinned and Tsukuyo scoffed.

"Yeah, he said that," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, so you did find the time to talk…in between…other things," Hinowa said, coyly.

"Hinowa," Tsukuyo sighed, still blushing red.

"Does he know that there's a bet among the women about who can drag him into bed first? Did he tell you?"

"EHHHHH?!"

"I'll take that as a no," Hinowa smirked. "I suppose he would have told you if he knew. There's not a man alive who wouldn't brag about that. And it means that you won the pot, it's quite a substantial amount of money."

"T…they…they were bettin'?!"

"Yes," Hinowa laughed.

"Urgh," Tsukuyo sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Can't believe it. Don't people 'ere have better things to do?" she muttered.

"Not really," Hinowa told her truthfully with a raised eyebrow. "This is Yoshiwara, after all," she added in a musical tone. "But, you should be happy. If anyone can brag, it's you."

Tsukuyo covered her face with one hand and sighed deeply.

"What else did you talk about?" Hinowa asked, trying no to reveal the fact that she, along with the others, had in fact heard a lot of their conversation.

"Just…this and that…"

"Ah, I see," Hinowa smiled. "It's good for couples to talk about things," she added.

"C…couples?"

"Mmmm," she nodded.

"It…it was one d…date…"

"And you'll have your second date tonight."

"I don't…know…" Tsukuyo sighed.

"Know what?" Hinowa asked.

"It's just…maybe not a good idea."

"What isn't? Tsukuyo…what's wrong?" Hinowa asked.

Her tone had taken on a sudden despondent tone and the conflicted look on her friend's face had Hinowa concerned.

"It's annoyin'," she mumbled.

"What is?"

Tsukuyo pursed her lip and crossed her arms. "Earlier…on patrol…I wasn't…I was…distracted," she ground out, sounding as though every word was painful to utter. "The Hyakka had to tell me that…somethin' was happenin'…I hadn't noticed. I was thinkin' 'bout…doesn't matter. Anyway, I wasn't focused on the job. Someone could've got hurt 'cause I was too busy thinking' 'bout…"

"Tsukki," Hinowa beamed at her kindly. "It's alright. No one was hurt, were they?"

"Well…no, but…"

"You're not the only one protecting people here. You don't have to do this alone. We're here to help you; me…the Hyakka…Seita. We're your family and we want you to be happy. Denying yourself a life to protect the women of this city won't make you happy," Hinowa said and Tsukuyo couldn't really deny that statement. "We both know that from bitter experience," she added.

"But…"

"So you were daydreaming," Hinowa shrugged. "You're human. It happens. To be honest, I'd be surprised if you weren't, and I'd love to hear every detail of just what you were day dreaming about…"

"N…noooo…ya don't need t'hear about…" Tsukuyo blushed and waved her hands.

"Don't worry. I don't embarrass easily. There's nothing you can tell me that I haven't heard before. But if you think there is…then please share it," Hinowa told her in mock seriousness.

"W…"

"That good, hmmm?" her friend gave an angelic smile.

"I…I didn't…why are ya…what'd ya…"

"I couldn't exactly ask you earlier with everyone else there, but I've been dying to talk to you all day." Hinowa said, still smiling.

"T..talk to me…" Tsukuyo stammered again, still embarrassed.

"Yes, of course. You finally took Gin-san on a date and you spent the entire night together. And it was memorable enough for you to be daydreaming about it," she said, wistfully.

"Erm…I…" Tsukuyo stammered. Then suddenly her embarrassment took a back seat and she exclaimed, "Don't ever tell him! Promise me! He'll never let me forget it!"

"That you were daydreaming about having s…"

"Don't ever tell him!" Tsukuyo leapt towards her friend and covered her hand over Hinowa's mouth. "Promise me!"

Hinowa nodded silently and Tsukuyo slowly pulled her hand back.

"Hai, hai. I promise," Hinowa smirked.

"Never ever!" Tsukuyo pointed at her.

"Never ever. I promise," Hinowa held up her hand. "But you're hardly the first person to reminisce about such things. Man or woman, we all do. It's perfectly normal. And…I had my suspicions from day one, you know. You two were practically made for each other. Oh, but you're both so stubborn," she sighed, sadly. "I thought it would never happen. I guess this proves you should never say never, and I suppose if it was really that good, then it was worth the wait."

"W…worth the…what are ya…"

"The sex, of course," Hinowa said with a perfectly straight face.

Tsukuyo dropped her pipe and it clattered onto the floor. She almost collapsed in shock too. She was as red as a tomato, utterly embarrassed and staring at her friend in mortified shock.

"Admittedly, I'm not the best person to ask about relationship advice with my horrendous track record, and I know that sex isn't the most important thing…but it really does help, doesn't it," Hinowa continued.

"W…will ya stop saying…that…what if…what if Seita hears…"

"Don't worry," Hinowa assured her, "He's out getting groceries. So I can hear all the wonderful details about your night without any censoring."

"D…details…"

"Every single one."

"Erm…I don't really…" Tsukuyo looked away. "Are ya…supposed…to…talk about…it…to other people…" she muttered.

"Of course," Hinowa said.

She knew fully well that her friend wouldn't share such details but she couldn't help but ask. Really. Tsukuyo made it so easy sometimes, it was impossible to resist.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing now, honest," Hinowa said and Tsukuyo breathed a sigh of relief. "I really am just happy for you both. You deserve to be happy. He's a good man…and it doesn't hurt that he's quite attractive too," she added with a smile.

"Hinowa…" Tsukuyo sighed and ran a hand down her face.

"I know, I know. I said I'd stop…but I was perfectly serious."

"Don't tell him that, either." she muttered.

"Don't tell him what? That he's a good man…or that he's attractive?"

"Both."

"You didn't deny that he's a good looking…"

"Please…stop," Tsukuyo gritted her teeth.

Hinowa let out a quiet, music laugh and smiled at her friend.

"But you really should get going, shouldn't you? You don't want to be late for your date."

"I…"

"Go on, go," Hinowa shooed her with a wave of one dainty hand.

"Ya…gonna…be okay…right?" Tsukuyo asked, slowly.

"I'll be fine," her friend assured her kindly. "Seita will be back soon and we're going to watch a new show that he says I just 'have' to see. If it helps, as always, the Hyakka are standing guests over the house. We'll be perfectly safe," she said.

"Well…" Tsukuyo sighed. "Alright. But call us if anythin' happens," she said, sternly.

"I will," Hinowa nodded. "Of course I will. You and Gin-san will be the first ones I call if something happens. But it won't. So don't worry. Go and enjoy your night and don't give us another thought," she said.

With one hand, Hinowa wheeled her chair towards the door and with the other, she held onto Tsukuyo's hand, pulling her across the room, gently.

"Hinowa…"

"Good night, Tsukki," Hinowa said, interrupting her and all but pushing her out the kitchen door. "Give Gin-san our love and please, do your best not to think about work or anything else like that," she said.

Tsukuyo blushed and blinked at her friend. "I…I'll try," she mumbled. "I'll…just…I dropped my pipe…" she said and went to retrieve it from where she'd dropped it.

"You might've gotten out of sharing any details with me tonight, only because I don't want you to be late. But next time, I want details, you understand?" Hinowa remarked. "So be sure to have LOTS of fun, 'kay?" she smiled, serenely.

"Err…I err…night…" Tsukuyo all but fled from the room, her heeled boots clicking behind her.

When she hears the front door close Hinowa gave a sigh of relief.

"Honestly," Hinowa said, still with a small smile on her beautiful face. "I really hope she has a lovely night. Good luck, Tsukki," she said.

"Ka'a-chan, I'm back!" Seita announced, walking into the room carrying a bag of groceries. "I saw Tsukuyo-nee leaving. Is she going on a date with Gin-nii-san?" he asked.

"Mmmmm," his mother nodded. "And hopefully she won't be back again until tomorrow…maybe even later if she's lucky," she added.

"Erm…" the boy flushed. "Okay, then I'll just put all this away," he began to bustle around the room putting away the groceries.

A.N. I figured since I teased Gintoki last chapter, it'a only fair that Tsukki gets tormented as well, and who else but Hinowa would do it lol.