Hijikata sighed from where he sat underneath a tree, grateful for the shade it provided.
Chizuru had finally deemed him healthy enough to walk on his own and perform simple tasks. So long as he didn't strain himself for another few weeks, he would be fine.
He had taken to writing haiku again, and was doing exactly that right now whilst he watched Chizuru do laundry at the lake close to their home. Although the heat today was not unbearable and he did not have to worry about sunlight causing discomfort thanks to the loss of his Fury powers, it was far too hot to stay inside and he was eager to do something other than sit in the house to recuperate all day.
Although Chizuru had approved of him doing light work, she declined his offer to help with the laundry. Whether she did this out of desire that he rest more or because she enjoyed her chores too much to let him help was not entirely certain. Probably both.
Fine with him, he thought, as several ideas for his poetry popped into his mind just from watching her do chores.
Chizuru occasionally glanced at him with a smile. On one such occasion, he winked at her, making her blush.
He looked up from his book to admire the woman he loved. He'd grown so accustomed to seeing her in male clothing that the sight of her in female attire was more beautiful than he thought possible. Her pink and white kimono and her loose ponytail suited her very well.
Chizuru stood up and moved to hang up the laundry to dry on the tree branches. After finishing this, she sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. Hijikata closed his book and set it aside before beckoning Chizuru. She obeyed, sitting next to him and lazily wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his chest. Hijikata rested one hand on the small of her back. She snuggled further against him, letting out a contented sigh.
They stayed like that for awhile, enjoying the quietude. Suddenly, Chizuru shifted in his embrace and separated herself from him. He playfully clutched her hand to prevent her from escaping. She giggled as she ducked under his arms when he attempted to hug her and dashed toward the lake. He thought she would jump into the water, but she stopped right in front of the lake and sat on the grass. He raised an eyebrow as he watched her dip her fingers into the water and lightly splash.
Hijikata chuckled."For a second there, I thought you were going to dive into the water, clothes and all."
Chizuru looked at him over her shoulder, her face red."I was…considering it." Her voice was scarely above a whisper. The smile she gave him was so innocent, yet so not innocent at the same time that his heart skipped a beat. In a tone identical to the one she'd spoken in a moment ago, she asked,"Would you like it if I do?"
His heart skipped another beat. His mouth felt dry. A warmth and thirst that had no relation to the weather filled his body as he looked her up and down. She laughed, then reached behind her head to undo her ponytail. She waited a few seconds before turning away from him and beginning to undo her kimono.
His heart skipped yet another beat, and his breath quickened. What had gotten into her? In the five years that he'd known her, he never witnessed this kind of behavior from her. Then again, he also hadn't previously heard her express such anger and frustration like she had during their reunion in Ezo, and there was a first time for everything. Plus, it wasn't like he was complaining.
The sound of water splashing as Chizuru dove into the lake snapped him from his thoughts. She emerged as he was approaching her. He crossed his arms and gazed down at her. She gave him a cheeky grin, and he tried to grab her, only for her to swim away. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Alright," he whispered, starting to undress. Two could play at that game. Chizuru's eyes widened from a combination of excitement and embarrassment. She squeaked when water splashed on her as a result of him diving in like she had.
As soon as he was underwater, Hijikata swam toward Chizuru and grabbed her ankle. A squeal escaped her lips as he tugged her down. She returned to the surface, sputtering and rubbing her eyes. He emerged as well, grinning from ear to ear.
Reaching out, Hijikata grasped her shoulder and drew her close. His arms encircled her waist and she hugged his neck as he pecked her on the lips. She sighed softly when he kissed her neck.
Chizuru tensed slightly when his mouth moved lower, so he asked,"Do you want me to stop?" The last thing he wanted was to force her. She had acted seductive toward him mere moments ago, but she had every right to change her mind.
She shook her head."I-I'm sorry. D-Do you think you'll be okay? I don't want you to overextert yourself…" She ducked her head to hide her blushing cheeks. It took some effort on Hijikata's part not to laugh at how adorable she was.
Hijikata took her face in his hands."I know I say this a lot, but I'm fine." He brought his face closer to hers."Do you want this?" She nodded."If at any point you change your mind, don't hesitate to let me know." She nodded again, this time with a smile.
Hijikata leaned down to kiss her; she closed her eyes and moaned quietly as their lips met. Her arms came back around his neck as his returned to her waist. Their arms tightened as the kiss deepened.
Hijikata slowly let his hand move down to the small of Chizuru's back, his other hand tangling itself in her dark tresses. He tugged her hair just a bit to tilt her head back so he could have access to her neck. She made a soft noise in response to the touch of his mouth, and he pressed more tender kisses to her skin in a slow manner, eager to hear her make that sound again. The fingernails of one hand dug into his nape whilst the other hand was tangled in his hair.
His kisses became faster and harder. Her breath quickened, and she emitted a particularly sharp gasp when he nipped at a sensitive spot. He kissed that spot, realizing the extra effect it had on her when she moaned. Pressing his lips there, he began to suckle, smirking as she tugged at his hair and leaned backwards. The arm around her back kept her close, and the hand that had been in her hair came to rest in between her shoulder blades.
He caressed the small of her back ever so slightly with his fingertips, making her shudder. Her nails dug deeper into his nape. He repeated the action in between her shoulder blade, and was pleased to get a similar reaction. He began rubbing her back in circles and continued suckling on her neck. She trembled and gasped nonstop.
"H-Hijikata-san." Her voice was so quiet that he only heard her thanks to their closeness.
His smirk grew, and he pressed her even closer to him.
She was clinging to him now, barely able to speak due to the sweet sounds escaping her throat.
"I-I can't…" The words became a moan. At first, he worried that she was trying to resist and so he started to let go of her, but she shook her head. She grasped his wrist and lead him to shore. As she was about to make her way out of the water, he spun her around and kissed her deeply. The force of his sudden kiss caused her back to meet the edge.
She was breathless when he pulled away. Taking her by the hips, he lifted her out of the water and helped her sit on the edge. He grinned at the pleasantly surprised squeal she made when he did this.
Chizuru moved back a little as he partially rose within the water, though her feet were still in the water. Holding her sides, he kissed her throat, and she giggled. That sound pleased him more than the sounds she'd made to express pleasure had, so he brushed his nose against hers, and she gave another giggle.
"Hijikata-san," she murmured, giving a squeak as he pinched her side. As she was tittering in delight, he quickly moved downward and pressed a kiss to the area just above her breast. She squirmed and brought her hands to his head.
One of his hands came up to brush her nipple with his finger. She jumped, biting her lip as the distance that separated his face and her bosom lessened. She inhaled sharply when he took her nipple into his mouth and palmed her other breast. She clutched his skull, whispering his name when he bit her breast.
Hijikata released her breasts and moved lower, pausing to apply a feather-like kiss to her stomach, and she gave a half-yelp, half-moan at the ticklish sensation. He kept moving down, and she shivered in delighted anticipation whilst tugging and twisting his locks.
Hijikata's eyes flickered to her, and their gazes met. Not once did they break eye contact as he gently but firmly pushed her onto her back. He got out of the water and crawled toward her. Their gazes were still locked as he hovered over her. She lifted a hand to cup his cheek, thumbing his skin, and his fingers wrapped around her wrist as he leaned into her touch and kissed her palm.
Hijikata placed his knee between her thighs. She jerked at the unexpected contact, and he grasped her chin to reconnect their gazes.
"Chizuru-" he started. She sat up and kissed him, holding his face tightly in her hands. He held both of her wrists. Like their first kiss, this one contained so many things they could not say. It was an acknowledgment of the past, a promise regarding the future, and most importantly, a request for the present.
Their lips slowly parted. They pressed their foreheads together, exchanging childish and loving smiles.
He didn't deserve to have such a kind, compassionate, strong, loyal, and beautiful woman in his life. He didn't deserve to have her love and trust. But for whatever reason fate had deemed him worthy on that night in Kyoto five years ago. He would never let her go or hurt her again.
Chizuru laid back down on the grass, taking him with her. Their lips met again, and he took this opportunity to bring his hand to the area between her thighs. She gasped into his mouth when she felt him part her folds, breathing his name as his thumb caressed her. Her body squirmed beneath his, and she yelped when his mouth returned to her breasts.
"O-Oh," she struggled to breathe, let alone speak, as he rubbed his thumb in a circle against her. He alternated between biting and suckling her nipple. He didn't hesitate to grant that attention to the other nipple, or to quicken the pace of his thumb as he rubbed that same spot.
He removed his thumb, and she cried out in protest. He silenced her by replacing his thumb with a different finger. This time her cry was one of pleasure. Her head rapidly moved from side to side. She grabbed and tore out fistfuls of grass, rocking her hips along with the pumping of his fingers.
She couldn't stop writhing and moaning and crying out and uttering his name. And he loved every second of it as much as she did.
They had only been intimate once before: that night in Ezo, as the fear of death once morning came despite their vows to fight to live and the joy of having finally confessed their love for each other overcame them both. There was so little time then, but now they had their whole lives ahead of them. Hence, why he loved taking his time with her.
"Hijikata-san," she choked out, her voice raspy."Now. Please."
Without hesitation, Hijikata pulled out his fingers and crawled up her body. Chizuru put her hands on his shoulders as he grabbed her leg and held it to his waist. He asked her if she was certain she wanted this, and a bright smile lit up her countenance as she nodded.
Slowly he entered her, both of them sighing at the feeling. Chizuru's grip on him tightened as she pulled him closer.
His pace was gentle and unhurried at first, drawing sharp inhales and exhales from her, as well as the occasional groan. Her eyes were tightly shut as she made those vocalizations. Steadily he started to go faster, and she begged for more.
He came to a sudden stop. Before she could react to that pause, he slammed into her, and she emitted a strangled cry. He repeated the action, and her voice grew louder.
Her nails sank into his flesh and produced small scratches on his shoulders and chest. He continued to torture her, and soon she'd had enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Her forcefulness both shocked and thrilled him, his own desire prompting him to comply with her wishes. He reentered her, keeping their lips locked as he declined the urge to tease her some more and rocked into her. She lifted her hips to meet his pace, his lips muffling her moans.
She held him tighter than ever and broke their kiss to throw her head back in pleasure, gasping as her climax hit her. He grunted as he followed her soon afterward.
He rolled off her and settled beside her. Chizuru hummed in satisfaction as she rolled onto her side and cuddled against him, resting her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.
"I love you," he murmured against her forehead.
She caressed his cheek."I love you too," she replied.