CHAPTER 10 – Your Obsession Is Showing
Danna is a strange guy.
Sauntering to the Yorozuya office, Sougo caught sight of Gintoki arguing with a horned, green-skinned giant with a pink flower sticking out his head.
Well, arguing wasn't exactly the right word.
"I don't know a thing about plants, really! But I know a guy, a real Mada… professional. He's practically made for the job!"
Gintoki stood in front of a flower shop, surrounded by various plants that sagged miserably in their pots. Sougo barely knew anything about plants, but he guessed they looked like they didn't have long.
"Sakata-san, you don't have to do anything. Just please stay right where you are", the giant politely said to the panicking man in front of him.
Gintoki went pale. "I knew you still held a grudge for making you an EVA… you're planning on making me the fertilizer…" he mumbled, backing away from the giant. As his eyes bounced around in horror, they met Sougo's.
Sougo saw relief wash over the man.
He couldn't wait to see the light leave those hopeful eyes.
"Soichiro-kun! That's right", Gintoki scrambled to get behind Sougo, "we have to go somewhere far away, right now, right!?"
The flower giant crept closer with a fanged smile that clashed with his polite tone. "It would only take a moment, Sakata-san…"
"Aaaaah, don't come any closer!"
"Sakata-san", Sougo mockingly repeated, "I don't mind waiting for you to finish."
He slowly turned around, gazing downwards at Gintoki who was vainly trying to hide his bigger frame behind Sougo's. "Finish being turned into fertilizer for those poor plants", he whispered.
Why Gintoki was so afraid of the horned giant, Sougo didn't know. Sure, they all had that close encounter in the bathhouse, but they made it out more or less safely. What he did know, however, was that he took great pleasure in seeing Gintoki tortured like this. Seeing him pale in fear, wilting like the flowers around them.
What he didn't want to see again, was…
"Next time! I promise I'll bring a sacri… Madao next time!" Gintoki's hurried rambling broke Sougo out of his reverie and he lurched backwards as Gintoki pulled at his collar.
"Sakata-san!"
As the flower shop grew smaller in the distance, Sougo noticed a tiny white flower almost hidden behind the bigger pots tremble slightly and spread its petals. Before they rounded a corner, Sougo saw it shakily stand upright and turn its head towards the brightening sky.
When Sougo felt like his neck would finally snap off from Gintoki's iron grip, they stopped in the middle of nowhere, far from the little flower and its caretaker. Sougo was feeling vengeful; after all, he wasn't an M and all that into being in pain. But as he turned around and looked up at Gintoki's panting form, he faltered.
Something was different.
Since Gintoki was the designated main character, he had slightly above average looks that improved proportionally with the animation budget and the scene seriousness.
But as Sougo stared at him now, it felt like he was seeing him properly for the first time. Or second, the first being when he saw Gintoki perform on the stage for the alliance celebration. Or maybe the third, after Gintoki showed up to the Imperial ball.
The air around Gintoki shimmered like he was looking at him through a blurred lens; the rays of the rising sun surrounded his head like an aureole. While there was nothing holy about Gintoki, Sougo felt a foreign sense of serenity wash over him, as if he stood in a tucked away corner of a church in front of a statue of an angel –
Hah.
There was nothing angelic about the samurai in front of him, except for his skill with the sword. Ever since Sougo saw him practice for the dance on the castle rooftop, he had to curb his desire to challenge him and fight to the brink of death.
"Oi, you didn't call me out at the crack of dawn for this crap?"
Gintoki picked his nose as his maroon eyes anchored on Sougo's hand gripping the sheath of his sword. Sougo didn't even notice when his fingers stiffened around the sword.
"If so, I'm going back to bed", Gintoki yawned as he started walking back. "I'm not giving out free lessons to hilt-happy brats."
"It's my sister's death anniversary."
Although Sougo couldn't see Gintoki behind him, he heard his footsteps come to an abrupt stop, followed by an exasperated sigh.
"I doubt there's anything open now other than that flower shop. And I'm not going back there." Gintoki once again entered his field of vision, scratching his head as he looked around. "I'm not shameless enough to go without an offering."
"But you're shameless enough to eat them."
"In an emergency!"
Sougo reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and fished out a bottle of red-hot sauce. "I'm sure my sister will forgive you if you eat this one, though."
He relished the moment Gintoki's blood drained from his face as his eyes quivered, glued to the bottle in Sougo's hand.
"You sadistic pair of siblings…!"
Standing in front of his sister's grave felt surreal to Sougo.
He knew she was gone, of course. But a part of him felt like he could return home and see her again; complain to her about the guys at the Shinsengumi or pretend to not notice the way Hijikata and her glanced at each other.
Maybe, once she visited him, they would go for some ice cream and he would assure her that he had plenty of friends, even a best one.
But it was all gone.
He would never see her again.
"One-san."
Sougo flinched at Gintoki's sincere voice. For some reason, it made it hard to look away from his sister's tombstone.
"Your little brother is still vying for the vice-commander position. He's struggling with his bazooka addiction. Sometimes he gets this weird look in his eyes like he's thinking with his sword instead of his brain. Not that his brain is any better. But…"
He felt Gintoki's hand land on top of his head, warm and heavy and here.
"He's doing just fine."
Sougo's throat constricted uncomfortably, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears as he turned to glance at Gintoki. The samurai looked carefree as ever, his silver hair gleaming in the morning sun and a smile languidly plastered on his face.
Ah.
Sougo realized why he looked different. He wasn't deathly pale with a painful frown distorting his brow. He wasn't stuck in that hospital bed looking like he would never move a muscle again.
He was here.
"Soichiro-kun? You there?"
Sougo reached for Gintoki's wrist and carefully lowered his hand from his head. "That's not my name", he said quietly, still not letting go of Gintoki as he adamantly stared at a flower poking out of the crack in a tile. "It's Sougo."
"Isn't it too late for you to be going through puberty? Seriously… first Kagura, now you…" Gintoki mumbled, annoyed but giving in. "Fine, Sou-kun it is."
Ane-ue…
The Imperial Prince, Yorozuya's client Aya, stupid Hijikata, the Empire… There were a lot of annoying flies buzzing around Gintoki. Sougo wasn't an idiot; he had eyes and he could see how they all had some hidden agenda with Gintoki. Though in Hijikata's case, one could hardly call it hidden.
And unlike Gintoki, he wasn't biased.
Shinsengumi and the First Celestial Order still struggled with tracing the explosion that went off four days ago on the Imperial spaceship to the culprit, which meant that the envoy would spend at the very least three weeks on Earth until the repairs were finished.
Which in turn meant more potential trouble for Gintoki.
I'm doing just fine.
Sougo wasn't sure where all these thoughts were coming from, but he didn't care. Gintoki made his sister happy in the past, and for now that was more than enough.
A half-empty bottle of tabasco sauce decorated Mitsuba's monument as Sougo and Gintoki turned towards Kabukicho.
On the way back, Sougo noticed Gintoki being jittery, fiddling with his phone. The streets were starting to fill with people, the quiet passages slowly crowding with the bustle and chatter.
Right, the phone that pervert kept staring at with a dumb look on his face.
"You're looking better, danna. It must be the honeymoon phase."
Gintoki raised an eyebrow. "Ha?"
"You're dating Hijikata-bastard, right? You've been staring at that phone like it'll explode. Don't tell me…" Sougo poorly covered his smirk. "Is there trouble in paradise already?"
"What dating?" Gintoki puffed with a mischievous smirk of his own. "You might want to worry about yourself. Though I feel sorry for anyone you'll set your sights on."
"You're hurting my feelings, danna."
"I doubt you can feel hurt, you demon."
To think Sougo imagined himself in a church before an angel mere hours ago. He looked down to hide a smile stretching his lips against his will. "If I'm a demon, you're the devil."
"Yes, yes, I'm the responsible adult here, I'll give in."
Sougo glanced at the irresponsible adult beside him. Gintoki looked better, but it wasn't just his physical health. There was not a trace of the racking pain that cut into his features when they'd met in the bar under the Yorozuya office, talking about Gintoki's stalker and possible spy. And if Hijikata had anything to do with it, Sougo could cut him some slack. Like not trying to kill him every night.
A man bumped into Sougo's shoulder. He was ready to give him his death stare, but the man was preoccupied with dazedly gazing at Gintoki. This was the reaction Sougo was used to seeing by now. It was the same at the celebration performance, the night of the festival, in the ballroom, and even on the Kabukicho streets.
Humans and Amanto alike always stopped to stare like they were collectively put in a trance. And for some god-forsaken reason, it made him want to practice his sword skills on a sleeping Hijikata.
"Ah."
Gintoki stopped, looking ahead with a smile as he waved. "Yo, idiot big brother."
Sougo followed his gaze. As soon as his eyes landed on the other man's red hair, he was filled with an urge to pull out his sword and strike.
Kamui, the Yato gorilla's brother. Even if years had passed, Sougo hadn't forgotten their unfinished duel. And with the way the Yato was staring at Gintoki, he might just get the chance to continue the fight.
Tch.
Gintoki rolled his eyes as he most likely sensed the coiling bloodlust in the air. "Must be nice, having so much energy for useless things. I'm off to a pachinko parlor."
While holding Sougo's glare, Kamui's hand shot out like a whip and he gripped Gintoki's bicep. "Wait."
As soon as Kamui did that, the air around them electrified as the bloodlust spiked in intensity. Sougo's blade sang as he tore it from its sheath, the steel gleaming in the daylight. It was pointed to Kamui's carotid artery in less than a blink of an eye.
But Kamui seemed to not even notice. His breathing was labored as his fingers dug deeper into Gintoki's skin, staring up at him with almost possessed eyes.
The passers-by jerked in shock and gasped in horror, making a large circle around them to avoid becoming a part of the impeding fight.
Much to Sougo's chagrin, Gintoki was unphased. "Is it number two? Is it that bad?"
"Danna, read the room a little."
Sougo shifted the grip on the hilt of his sword and used the dull side of the blade to push Kamui away from Gintoki. He shuffled between them with his katana still pointed forward.
"What… are you…?" Kamui squeezed out, ignoring Sougo as he looked over his shoulder at Gintoki.
Ha... Should I just become a yandere character?
Sakata Gintoki.
Kagura's Earth idiot brother.
The first time Kamui had seen him, he was just a nameless hindrance in the twilight of the Yoshiwara play. He was human, so Kamui's expectations of the man weren't low; they were non-existent.
However, as the human continued to put up a fight against Houzen, the former Yato ruler, Kamui felt a familiar stir in his gut telling him that the silver-haired man, if he survived, would end up as his prey.
And he did.
Even if it was annoying, Kamui put Yoshiwara under his pseudo-rule for the sake of keeping his prey safe, until the day he could crush that formidable gaze himself.
But he'd never counted on the fact that the samurai's strength didn't come from the body itself.
No, it came from somewhere else.
Immense strength that allowed those burning eyes to bore into his once more, haunting him with that innate power.
And he was utterly defeated. Not because he was weaker, but because he didn't want to be at the mercy of his instincts any longer. He had to admit that Kagura was right all along; he was just being an idiot.
So his bloodlust calmed; his instincts quieted. He visited Earth and Kagura often, with his idiotic father in tow, trying to untangle the messy knots of their relationship. Kamui would never confess it aloud, but he felt… happy.
And meeting Kagura meant that he had to meet Sakata Gintoki.
Kamui was far from shy, but every time he crossed paths with the samurai, he almost felt… embarrassed. Relying on a stranger to knock some sense into him nicked the pride he didn't even know he had.
However, Sakata Gintoki didn't even seem to remember the incident. On the contrary, he insisted that Kamui should call him just Gintoki. In a weird way, it felt like he had also gained an Earth older brother.
And just when his life seemed almost perfect, as perfect as Yato's life could get, his darker and violent side reared its ugly head again.
It was sudden.
All it should've been was watching Gintoki prepare for the performance. It was supposed to be fun, a prank to perhaps calm Gintoki's nerves before the big event.
But as the samurai moved on the open terrace in a beautiful flurry of sword strikes, so did the dormant beast inside Kamui stir.
He experienced different emotions towards the man since their first meeting. Intrigue, interest, obsession, rage, fear… even reluctant fondness. But it was never hatred.
Not until that moment.
Kamui had to suppress his shudders as the overwhelming desire to step forward and crush the man arose within him. He didn't want a restrained duel; he sought bloodshed. And he would've written off this sudden bloodlust as his Yato nature that he still struggled with emerging, were it not for Kagura.
In that moment, as he glanced away to calm his desire, Kagura looked the same as him.
Wanting to crush someone he hated.
Kamui was spooked. Kagura was supposed to be the more restrained one, the one that won the battle against their Yato instincts. Yet there she was, her hatred boiling against someone both of them considered family.
The music stopped and Kagura's demeanor shifted in a heartbeat.
"Gin-chan, there's only a day left… Are you gonna be okay?"
It must've been an illusion.
He tried turning to Umibouzu. It didn't help that their father had the same expression on his face, oozing the same unsettling rage. Kamui was stumped. What the hell is happening?
So there he was, aimlessly wandering the streets of Kabukicho, where the source of his distress presided. Kamui didn't have a goal in mind; maybe he hoped that the answer to his troubles would fall out of the sky.
Instead, its cause wandered down the street.
As soon as Gintoki's silver hair caught his eye, he felt the familiar rush of adrenaline course through his body. He wanted, no, he needed to fight.
He needed to put his hands around Gintoki's neck and squeeze as he watched the light leave those aloof eyes. He would squeeze and squeeze until there was nothing left –
But as Kamui locked eyes with Gintoki, his fingers that he unconsciously tensed into claws relaxed and he felt like he was finally able to breathe after drowning in a blood-red maelstrom. Where he would once indulge in the Yato rage taking over, now he dreaded losing control over it.
Why did Gintoki make him feel this way? Or maybe it was something else?
Kamui had to find out.
He barely noticed Sougo moving between them.
"What… are you...?" Doing to us?
Gintoki's expression crumpled as he sidestepped Sougo and reached for Kamui's shoulder. "Oi, is the sun getting to you? Where is your umbrella?"
Ha. I wish it's the sun.
Kamui closed his eyes as he slightly sagged forward and steadied his breathing, trying to ignore Gintoki's closeness.
But it's the moon.
"Have you noticed anything off about Kagura lately?" Kamui asked instead.
Gintoki stayed silent and Kamui slowly pried his eyes open to glance at him. Gintoki was frowning, his fingers nervously ruffling his silver hair. He then sighed, as if coming to peace with something.
"I'm… I haven't been seeing much of her lately…" he grumpily admitted.
I knew it.
"Ha… It's all because of your annoying father. Now she sees all fathers like a bother. Really… She's at that stage where she doesn't want to be seen with… Ha…"
Kamui wanted to laugh, but the violent heat once again rose inside him and he hurriedly pushed Gintoki away. This was a mistake.
This time, he felt Sougo's blade imbed itself into the skin of his neck. His focus shifted on the Shinsengumi officer. Kamui's face split in a blood-chilling smile. While he didn't feel the same strange hatred towards the man, he was more than happy to test out his strength against Sougo.
And judging by Sougo's eyes darkening and his body lowering in a sword stance, he thought the same thing.
"That's perfect. I've been meaning to settle the score with you. And after that, I'll – "
Wait.
Both Sougo and Kamui broke out of their heated stupor and exchanged confused looks.
Gintoki was gone.
So long, idiots.
The day was approaching noon and the streets of Kabukicho were bustling with people on their way to god knows where. Why is everyone so free at noon? Don't they have better things to do?
However, Gintoki was grateful for their assistance in escaping the insane duo, stealthily slipping through the masses. It also help that they all moved out of the way like he was Moses parting the seas. Since Kamui looked well enough to fight, and he knew Sougo was a killing machine, they should both survive the encounter.
Though he couldn't say the same for the people around them.
Should I report them? And to think one of the involved parties was a police officer.
The officer in question truly surprised Gintoki. He didn't expect Sougo to invite him of all people for such a personal matter, but he couldn't say he minded.
Though Sougo didn't have to bring out the hot sauce.
Hah. He was getting too soft. Ever since the day before the Imperial ball, his mental fatigue from nightmares and the like dissipated like cotton candy in water. So maybe it was easier to ruffle Sougo's hair as he would Kagura's, to console him even for a little bit.
Speaking of Kagura…
Not only was he getting too soft, but clingy as well? Gintoki actually started missing seeing her laze around the house, buy stupid crap from TV commercials that he had to return the same day or make egg over rice for the sixth time that week.
Well, at least he wasn't alone in that regard. Kamui and Umibouzu may perhaps be even worse than him.
Kamui, that kid. To think that the first time he met him could be so different from the last. It was almost funny seeing Kamui try to be considerate of him; honestly, he tried too much. He was going to get worn out at this rate.
And that meant Gintoki had one more person to keep out of his nightmares.
Nightmares.
His mind wandered back to the night of the Imperial ball.
Panic washed over his body as his eyes frantically searched for Kagura, Shinpachi and Aya's silhouettes in the endless hallways. The shockwaves of the explosions were fading away and he only heard the dull thuds of his feet hitting the floor and his heavy breathing as he ran.
Strangely, this feeling wasn't all too alien to him.
Desperately searching for someone in the dark, and then…
As he made his way to the ballroom, the shrieks of fear and the sounds of running grew louder. Gintoki burst into the grand chamber, his eyes flitting over the numerous blurred faces, looking for Kagura, Shinpachi and Aya as his heart thundered in his throat.
"Gintoki."
The hand on his shoulder rattled him out of his daze. Before Gintoki could say anything, Ren lightly squeezed his arm with a determined look in his eyes.
"I'll help you look for them."
Gintoki nodded and immediately dove into the rushing crowd, fighting against the pull like he was swimming through a raging river.
He pushed away the image of Ren on his knee, staring up at him like he was a man drowning and Gintoki his lifeline. He didn't want to think about what could've happened had they stayed in front of that forsaken statue any longer.
Gintoki had more important things to worry about.
Kagura and Shinpachi were strong. Gintoki knew that. But knowing and feeling weren't the same.
And what about Aya? They said they were strong, but so far all Gintoki had seen them do was break a leg and faint multiple times.
However, no dark thoughts and hopelessness enveloped his mind like they did for the past few months. Gintoki would have been pleasantly surprised were it not for the ensuing panic around him.
He gasped in relief as he pushed out of the crowd, coming to a secluded buffet table still packed with heaps of delicious food.
I should have known.
Kagura was in the middle of stuffing food in her mouth when she noticed him and waved him over. "Gin-chan, where were you?"
Shinpachi anxiously checked his silver watch. "Aya-san still isn't here…"
"And what the hell are you two doing here?" He rushed forward and put them both in a headlock. "Is food more important than your lives, huh!?"
"Well, everyone moved out of the way. We had to use this chance!"
"Kagura-chan, we're waiting for Aya-san…"
The two struggled in vain in Gintoki's arms. Even Kagura had troubled setting herself free.
The commotion in the ballroom was subdued by the Knights controlling the chaos and shouting out instructions to the panicking masses. In the corner of his eye, Gintoki spotted a familiar head of brown unruly hair.
"Tatsuma!"
He pulled Shinpachi and Kagura along as he made his way towards Tatsuma. Tatsuma looked out of breath as he met them halfway, his eyes perhaps searching for injuries on Gintoki.
"Take these two off the ship", Gintoki curtly said and pushed Shinpachi and Kagura forward, to which they both protested.
"No way, I'm not a kid – "
"We promised Aya-san – "
Gintoki sighed in annoyance. "Yeah, you looked real concerned back there with all that food." He already turned to walk away, but Tatsuma grabbed his arm, his fingers circling his bicep like a python.
"And where are you going?"
Tatsuma sounded almost mad staring down at him. He looked more threatening without his sunglasses obscuring his blue eyes.
"I'll go look for Aya. There's no guarantee that this place won't blow up." Gintoki gripped Tatsuma's hand and pushed it down as he turned towards Kagura and Shinpachi. "I promise I'll bring Aya back, alright?"
But he didn't wait for their answer as he rushed up the grandiose staircase.
He headed for the place where they first split up and moved onwards through the spacious hallway, blaringly silent in contrast to the chaos that reigned in the ballroom. It was empty save for a few open doors leading into darkened rooms, most likely for storage. He only stopped at each one to search for movement for a few seconds before moving on, repeating the tedious process over and over.
The hallway finally expanded into a smaller version of the golden ballroom, eerily lit up by the Earth coming into view from the windows, stretching the shadows even further.
"I found it."
He heard Aya's voice coming from the center of the room. It was distorted as it bounced around the walls, echoing as Gintoki drew closer to them.
"That's great, then let's get the hell out of here."
He didn't realize it before, but his body shook slightly and his breath hitched, as if the run had exhausted him more than he thought it would.
"…"
Aya stayed silent, their back turned towards Gintoki.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"It is not enough. The scroll is split into two. This is only the first part." Aya's voice was strangely flat. They still didn't turn around to look at him.
"What? All this work for… Ha, okay, we'll just have to find the other one." Gintoki scratched his head in irritation and groaned. "Seriously, this immortal-killing process is overly complicated."
"No."
"No what?"
"I will proceed further alone. You've done more than enough."
Gintoki was stunned. Having spent so much time together, he thought the time to part would never come, yet… This was it? Was this how it was all going to end?
"I'm not letting you do this alone, Aya. I promised Shinpachi and Kagura that I'd bring you back." He stepped forward and grabbed their shoulder, ushering them to get off this damned ship already.
But Aya jerkily shook his hand off. "I do not want… I want you to be safe."
Safe? It's a bit too late for that. "Aya, what are you not telling me?"
Again, only silence greeted Gintoki in the cold, vast room.
"Did you do this?" He waved his hand around as yet another shudder travelled through the ship's hull.
"No!" Aya had finally turned around, their eyes wide and pleading with Gintoki. "I would never - "
"You shouldn't have involved us if you were just going to go all Rambo by yourself in the end. I don't care about being in danger or whatever. I care about you not being alone in it. That's how we all feel. We're not Yorozuya for nothing."
Gintoki grasped Aya's wrist tight and started dragging them towards the docking platforms. They could always continue talking somewhere where the floor under their feet wasn't about to disappear.
"No…" Aya struggled in his grip, violently shaking their arm to pull away.
"Aya – "
"LEAVE!"
Before he could realize what was happening, Gintoki was already on the floor, the heaviness behind Aya's hand forcing him to the ground as his arm stung from the fall. He looked up at them, searching their face for an explanation.
But all that greeted him were eyes wild with contempt.
It was that look again.
Ah. He finally remembered it. The night of the festival, before he passed out, Aya's face was the last thing he saw. And it was exactly the same.
Their eyes were as sharp as broken glass as Aya loomed over him, like they were a beast finally caught up with their prey, golden pupils glinting in the dark. They stalked forward and all Gintoki's instincts screamed at him to pull away. He was frozen, however, his hands uselessly supporting his body on the chilling tiles. Not because he was afraid. Not even because of the shock piercing through his veins at Aya's sudden outburst.
But because he once again found himself in this position.
And it wasn't the repeat of the festival nor the night before the performance. It wasn't even the repeat of the terror he felt when he first confronted his Yatagarasu-masked sensei. No. It was something older, a relic of a bygone era that was buried under the wondrous veils of his current life.
But what was it?
Before the memory could swim up to the surface of his mind, loud footsteps echoed on the stairs behind him, cutting through the tension enveloping Gintoki and Aya.
"Gintoki!"
It was Hijikata. Gintoki's heart involuntarily fluttered at the sight of his panting body and reddened face, his dark hair sticking to his forehead, and he almost forgot the position he was in. But Hijikata noticed it right away, his face contorting in a grimace as he leapt forward to pull Gintoki to his feet and put him behind himself.
"What the hell are you doing?" he spat out at Aya.
As if some sort of spell was broken, Aya's face fell and guilt filled their golden eyes. They faltered back and put their shaky hands up when Gintoki passed by Hijikata and once again reached for them.
"Please leave me, Gintoki." Aya choked back a sob, avoiding Gintoki's gaze altogether as they backed away.
Why…?
He knew Aya didn't want to leave. He knew. He'd seen the cracks form in that stony face as they smiled at Kagura and Shinpachi's antics, or when their monotone voice softened to a dry whisper as they comforted them. For someone that was alone all the time, away from their own family, they had finally found… a home.
And Gintoki wanted nothing more than for them to stay. Because, at one point in his life, he was the same as Aya. And he had the insane luck of the people around him pulling him into their embrace.
Why do your tears whisper the words 'don't leave me'?
But before he could ask Aya why he was such a hateful presence to them, why they had to leave, the floor underneath them violently shook. It burst open with a deafening crack, a fissure splitting the darkened room and if it weren't for Hijikata quickly pulling him back, Gintoki would have fallen right into its glowing bowels.
They hit the floor hard, but they didn't have the time to stay down any longer as the cracks kept creeping their way towards them. Gintoki whipped his head around as he looked for Aya, stopping only when his eyes caught the glint of their armor on the other side of the fissure.
"Aya!"
He struggled against Hijikata's grip on his waist, violently pulling at his arms as Aya's figure slowly disappeared in the billows of smoke and bursts of flame, fading away as if they were never there.
"AYA!"
Tch.
The memory of the night constricted around Gintoki's heart like a wreath of thorns. The fallen looks on Kagura and Shinpachi's faces when he told them Aya had left were crushing. Their disappointment was tangible and the shards of their broken promise cut deeply into Gintoki's soul.
They had said it wasn't his fault, of course. But Gintoki couldn't disagree more.
He sighed and glanced at the silent phone in his hand that served as a great distraction to his turbulent thoughts. It was different from his last one, a sleek tile with buttons only on the sides. Shinpachi had finally taught him how to unlock the phone, but what use was it when all Gintoki did was stare at the black, empty screen?
Stupid Hijikata.
Was he doomed to be surrounded by idiots?
Gintoki had finally said he liked him. He had enough of this ambiguous relationship where they tiptoed around each other. He was bad at these things, sure, but it was better than not doing something about it.
After much unnecessary pondering, he ducked into a deserted alley and painfully found his way to the contact list. There was only one phone number in there, since Kagura and Shinpachi couldn't for the life of them decide on the phone model they'd buy.
Mayo Freak.
…What am I supposed to type?
To Hijikata: Hi, handsome, wanna date? -Gintoki
To Hijikata: I want to date you. -Gintoki
To Hijikata: Do you want to be in a relationship together with me? – Gin|
The blinking line seemed to mock him as he deleted one embarrassing text after another. Gintoki's forehead started to perspire as his heart beat in agonizing thumps, the dark background of the text window threatening to swallow him whole.
"Gin-chan."
A soft sob made him whirl around, dropping the already forgotten phone to the ground.
The scene before him was impossible. Between the dusty walls of the alleyway, a man was holding a knife to Kagura's throat as her face soaked with tears overflowing from her frightened eyes. She shivered in the man's grip, weakly holding onto the perpetrator's arm.
It didn't make any sense.
But the scene overlapped with the ones from his nightmares. They were different in all the ways, yet it was still Kagura, and he was on the verge of losing her. Fear clawed up his back and muddled his mind as he ripped Lake Toya from his hip.
"Drop your weapon!" The man behind Kagura yelled and pushed the blade further into her throat. She yelped in pain.
"Gin-chan, please…"
Blood.
He felt blood spill from the nightmares into the waking world, lapping at his feet into a pool of red frigidness. It paralyzed his senses and body and against his better judgment, experience and skill, Gintoki loosened the grip on his wooden sword. It clattered to the ground, the hollow sound resounding through the air.
"Thank you."
Gintoki only heard a sickly crunch before the world tilted into black.
Gintoki awoke to a pounding headache. He tried to remember when he drank so much to get such a killer hangover, but the memories rushing into his mind sobered him up immediately.
That, and the cold weight of iron on his wrists and ankles.
He blinked the haze out of his eyes and scoured his surroundings as he massaged the painful bump on his head the best he could with his arms and legs stretched outwards. The room was surprisingly fancy and light, filled with moonlight pouring from the windows, unlike a dungeon-like appearance he had imagined when he heard the clink of the chain links. The airy curtains billowed in the breeze and he tried to look past them to figure out just where in hell he was.
He didn't see anything of note; in fact, there was nothing to see but the swaying maple trees. He pulled at the iron chains, but all he managed to do was scratch his wrists and ankles.
Gintoki was no Yato.
He was oddly calm. Now that Kagura wasn't in front of him, his mind was clear and he knew; that wasn't Kagura. What an idiot he was, even thinking for a second that she was in danger.
…I'm glad.
As soon as the thought formed in his head, the double doors on the other side of the moonlit room burst open. Gintoki lazily lifted his head to look at the perpetrators. One of them sported a pineapple style, jogging Gintoki's memory of a night almost completely buried in his mind. The Shikamaru copycat. He looked agitated, swinging his arms around and holding something in his hand as it reflected light. My phone.
The other smaller man calmly approached Gintoki, his posture straight and elegant.
As he stepped into the light, Gintoki barked out a biting laugh. "It's you, huh?"
The man before him was as inconspicuous as they come, a person that would fit the Kabukicho atmosphere like a glove. But Gintoki recognized him immediately. After all, it was hard forgetting his stalker's face.
"Hello, Gintoki."
Gintoki ignored the man's sickly sweet voice and his wandering eyes flashing silver as he turned to the exasperated man beside him. "Haven't had enough, Pineapple?"
The man bristled up like a rooster and reddened in embarrassment. "You-you should worry about yourself!" he spluttered out. "I could anything to you if I wanted to!"
And for the first time, Gintoki realized he was sprawled on a humongous bed. "I'd rather tie someone up than be tied down", he said unimpressed after testing out his bindings as he stealthily glanced towards the door they entered through. If worse came to worst, he would jump out the window to escape.
"I apologize, Gintoki." The stalker slinked up to the foot of the spacious bed, his voice dripping with honey as he stared him down. "This is for your own protection. I promise I will not hurt you."
Gintoki scoffed. "Sure. Was this Ren's idea? And how the hell did you imitate Kagura?"
The man's face scrunched up in rage as Gintoki mentioned Ren. "Oh, no, this was not My Lord's order… He doesn't understand… what is right for the Empire… But the Emperor does. She understands me... And what needs to be done… The Emperor will bring about a new era…" he muttered to himself like a madman, his eyes flickering silver skittering around the room. He suddenly brightened up and clambered over the bed, scaring Gintoki to hell and back, looming over his bound body. "You want to know how I did it, don't you? I'll show you!"
His face was too close as his warm breath slithered over Gintoki's cheek. He stared at Gintoki like a locked-up man seeing the sun for the first time in years. It felt disgusting.
Gintoki raised his leg to kick him in the abdomen, but the chains tugged it harshly back down. The man either ignored the action or missed it completely as his body straightened and he spread his arms, dropping his head backwards. His skin, pale in the moonlight, started glowing a muddy red like it was lighting up from the inside. The features of his face twitched and moved in a grotesque tremor. His muscles followed suit, inflating and filling up unnaturally.
When the transformation was completed, the man above him sported a youthful, almost angelic appearance, accentuated by a blissful smile and softened gaze. It made Gintoki want to hurl.
It was the blonde knight from the night of the Imperial ball. He should've sucker punched him there and then.
"You're the Face-Weaver, right?" Aya's words came back to him. On the night of the performances, I have convened with who I thought was my associate. However, he was not who he claimed to be. It was the Face-Weaver, a clandestine agent of the First Celestial Order, directly under Ren Selene, who is capable of mimicking another person to a disturbing degree. "So what do you want? Money? You have the wrong person. Money escapes me faster than Shounen Jump selling out on Sunday."
The Face-Weaver laughed and the abrasive sound grated on Gintoki's ears. "Money? Why would I want such a useless things when I possess you?" His fingers trembled just above Gintoki's cheek as he traced them down in the air over his neck to his chest. "Beautiful", he whispered with his eyes blown wide, entranced in his own delusions. "Our one and true… I won't hurt you, Gintoki. I would never. You're my everything."
"And I'm supposed to believe a stalker and a kidnapper?" Gintoki responded sarcastically. He felt a prickling, like spiders crawling on his skin, as if it was a warning of sort to what's to come.
The man ignored Gintoki's biting remarks and smiled. "Aaaah", he shuddered in ecstasy, finally taking hold of Gintoki's face with trembling fingers, "I'll have your eyes and gaze upon you for eternity."
As he said those words, he turned towards the pineapple head behind him and gestured.
Gintoki's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Pineapple carry out the heavy metallic pipe in his arms, awfully similar to the makeup bazooka Aya had used before. He started chuckling. "You're giving me a make-over? Now? You're really into some weird stuff, Face-Wearer."
The man looming above him tilted his head in confusion before slowly nodding in agreement. "Hmm, I suppose you could call it that, Gintoki." His holier-than-thou attitude was pissing Gintoki off, as well as the sound of his name on the man's tongue. Then be done with it so I don't have to look at your ugly mug anymore.
The familiar whir of the bazooka powering up almost made Gintoki feel better. At least it made him feel like Aya was still there.
But they weren't. The man above him zealously gazed down at him as he pointed the tip of the applicator at Gintoki's chest. Something is diff –
The blast was loud at first.
But it was soon drowned out.
Gintoki's own voice overpowered it.
The scream tore through his whole body, igniting over his scalding skin. Crack, crack, crack, his bones wailed under the pressure of the surging pain searing his insides. The tears pooling in his eyes evaporated before even falling out and he shut them closed, trying to escape the heat beating behind them, deep-seated in his brain, drumming and threatening to split his head open.
His throat tore and yet he couldn't stop his cries. Each breath he took only brought scorching sand down his airways, choking him and yet he still couldn't stop –
Gintoki's body spasmed in the chains as he tore at them to set himself free, no matter the broken wrists and ankles. Only so that he may try to lessen the magma pouring into his hollow chest.
His heart threw spears throughout his body with each beat and he wanted nothing more than to tear into his ribcage and rip it out, rip it out and crush it so that it may never beat again.
The pain was eternal.
And a deep part of his soul welcomed it.
Gintoki's screams echoed through the hallways as Ren raced through the barren mansion.
It was torture. The high walls coiled like a labyrinth, sometimes pulling him away from the wretched outcries, and at other times it felt as if Gintoki was just on the other side of the flimsy marble. Ren toppled each wall, but Gintoki was never on the other side.
His lungs burned but he wanted them to ignite, to bring more oxygen to his blood so that he could run even faster.
Gintoki.
And there he was.
Thrashing on the bed as his screams filled the room, not weakening for a second. The fetters on his wrists scraped his skin off, blood dripping on the pristine white sheets, yet Gintoki continued to struggle against them.
Ren felt his heart break in that moment.
In a moment of weakness, he looked away.
Ceras.
Ceras stood like a statue beside Gintoki.
You
Ren broke into a run. He pulled out his sword. The other man in the room turned around with bulging eyes. He cut him down. Blood gushed out of his split body.
YOU
Finally, Ceras noticed him. He raised his hands… raised his hands in defense… Defense against what? I'll destroy you. Get away from him. I'LL DESTROY YOU
He wildly swung his sword. It almost slipped out of his grip. An arm fell on the floor with a wet thud. And if there was a scream, it was undone by Gintoki's.
Ren collapsed on Gintoki's side, gathering all his strength to cut away at his chains. One, two, three, four. But the screams didn't stop. They only became muffled as Gintoki turned on his side, burying his face into the red mattress.
Ren didn't know what to do.
"She, she told me, My Lord! She told me everything will be fine after this, we only have to wait for a bit until the seal is broken! This is for his own good, you know this, My Lord!"
Stop.
"We need him! And he needs us! We'll protect him, keep him ours – safe – don't you understand!? Don't come closer… Stay away… Stay away from me!"
Shut your mouth.
Ren didn't have the strength to move his mouth. Only his arms. He raised his sword high, looming over the fallen man as he spluttered more nonsense.
And then he brought the blade down.
Again and again.
Red, red, red.
With each swing, white walls were coated crimson and his body soaked in the sickening warmth. But he could still see Ceras. So he raised his sword again to make this abomination disappear from the face of the world Gintoki lived in.
The sword slipped out of his hand, blood coating the hilt and it clattered loudly in the sanguine pool.
Loudly?
Gintoki's screams were no more.
Ren turned around. Everything was crimson and Gintoki's head of silver was nowhere to be found.
Run away, Gintoki.
Ren closed his eyes.
The silence was blissful.
The rain was soothing.
Gintoki gripped his phone tight, holding onto in for dear life. He smiled brokenly. After that… that… he remembered to grab his phone. He would never tell Hijikata how precious this thing was.
It was getting brighter outside. His eyes hurt. The rain helped as it peppered his locks.
Gintoki leaned against a tree and tapped at the cracked screen, the blood already washed away in the rain. Oh. It's broken.
He went to the contact list.
Mayo Freak.
The beeping sound flowed into his ear as he slid down the tree.
"Finally calling, huh? And here I was wondering how long it would take you to learn how to turn it on. Shinpachi taught you, right?"
I love your voice.
"So? Do you like it? And let me know which ones Kagura and Shinpachi choose…"
Gintoki's body slowly fell sideways.
"Gintoki?"
I love my name on your lips.
"Gintoki! Are you okay!? What's happening?"
Gintoki wondered if he could ever say Hijikata's name again. He moved the phone in front of his mouth. And he tried.
"Hijikata…"
Ah. Will he recognize it's me?
"Gintoki. It's okay. I'm coming to get you. Just stay on the line. It's all going to be okay."
Gintoki nodded. Or at least he thought he did.
"It was… the only… number I could call…"
Gintoki couldn't for the life of him remember the number of the emergency line.
"I know. That's why I put it there, Gintoki. For you to call me. Always. Can you talk? Talk to me, Gintoki. If you can't, just… Just stay awake. Don't fall asleep. Don't close your eyes, Gintoki, okay? You can't do that."
He struggled against it. He really did. But Hijikata's voice was like a lullaby after countless sleepless nights.
He only closed his eyes for a bit.
Just enough to rest for a moment.
Hijikata's voice drifted away.
Pitter-patter.
The rain droplets softly fell on the broken glass.
AN:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Thank you ViVi and Noname!
Also, thank you so much Noname for warning me that POVs were not properly separated.