a/n: I decided to reuse snippets from an old story called "Irresistible". Real og readers will recognize it, but unfortunately that story is discontinued. This one, however, is COMPLETE! HUZZAH!
Evergreen Memories
-x-
"I want to go to the mountains," was his response when they had looked at the brochures for various honeymoon destinations.
Tsukuyo had been fairly surprised. She'd never taken her fiancé as the outdoorsy type, owing to his enjoyment of modern conveniences like strawberry milk, the zipping around by motorbike in the city, and of course, the habitual Shonen Jump Weekly that came out every Saturday like clockwork.
"Why?" she asked him, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, I've already seen you in a swimsuit, so that rules out the beach," he said decisively. "And while the hot springs are nice, they wouldn't let us fuck in there -"
"Gintoki!"
"What?" he protested. "Don't ruin this for me! You know how many pornos I've seen where it happens? I'll be disappointed if I go to a real one with my legally MARRIED wife and get arrested just for a smidgen of hanky panky - "
A short stab to the forehead mercifully shut him up. While he rested on the ground, Tsukuyo picked up a brochure that coincidentally featured a rustic ryokan, located high in the mountains north of Edo.
Riffling through it, she looked at the pictures. "Well, it does seem cheap," she mused, flipping over a few pages that showed a happy couple, sitting in front of a cozy fireplace. "Far cheaper than a holiday in Okinawa, in any case..."
"So you'll do it?" Gintoki asked, pulling the kunai from his head. She had been with him long enough to know that the casual tone hid some eagerness behind it.
"Sure," she said, because she wasn't fussed about things like honeymoons. The only reason why she bothered was because her girlfriends, subordinates, and Hinowa all told her that she was supposed to go on a honeymoon after a wedding - to get away from it all, they insisted. But she didn't see the need of it, really.
"But you're a city girl," he said, sitting up. "You'd probably hate the outdoors or something. Get eaten alive by the mosquitoes. There wouldn't be any bathrooms - or at least, you wouldn't want to go outdoors - "
Tsukuyo rolled her eyes. "Ya think we can't use repellent, or carry a pack o' wet wipes? Anyways, as long as we get to the cabin, I don't see any trouble."
"Well if you say so," her fiancé said, and then they placed the travel brochure on Hinowa's pillow later, a not-so-subtle hint for the former courtesan to finance the trip. When the shinkansen tickets mysteriously appeared in Tsukuyo's mail a few days later, they put the slips into an envelope, tucking it into a rarely used dresser, and thought nothing more of it. After all, there were more important things to care about - like Shonen Weekly Jump, what positions they hadn't already tried in bed, and such objectives like the eradication of crime.
-x-
Eventually the pomp and circumstances of their wedding passed, and both of them were exhausted from the night before, too weary to actually make love the night after it was all done. Tsukuyo had drank, copiously, and Gintoki wouldn't stop complaining about how ragged he felt that morning where they had hastily packed their bags and left the Edo station the morning after. If they had their way, they would have overslept, but Hinowa wouldn't let them. She had kicked the newlyweds out of her house a few hours ago, smiling daggers at them while extracting a promise for them to buy half of Yoshiwara souvenirs when they returned home.
Tsukuyo shut her husband now by purchasing him a Danish and a strong black coffee, all while nursing a strong espresso herself. The years were catching up to her lately; she couldn't get enough coffee to manage her evening shifts. She yawned as they sat on the train seats, both of them ignoring the scenery that mixed like a blur in the windows.
Gintoki had unfortunately finished his pastry and was running his mouth by now. " - absolutely terrible," he said. "You destroyed half of the facilities. If I hadn't won that poker bet with Kondo-san, it would have taken me ten years to pay off the damages - "
" - as I recalled," his wife replied tartly, "I asked for water durin' the reception. If ya could kindly find who tha hell snuck me booze, blame 'em, not me!"
Her husband looked at her incredibly. "Who? Obviously, they must've had it out for me if that was true! Maybe it was that Zenzou bastard, he hasn't forgiven me ever since I spoiled him the ending of One Park!"
"If that was true, even I would support him!" Tsukuyo snapped back. "Why did ya even do that in the first place? One Park has over a thousand chapters - what kind o' indecent person even are you?"
"It wasn't my fault," he protested. "I mean, it was, but we were arguing over who deserved the last copy of Shonen Jump and he was being really annoying about it! It's not like he couldn't have gone to another convenience store, the bastard."
"And you yourself couldn't do the same?"
"It's the principle, Tsukuyo. I was hungover and he wasn't, so he deserved what he got," Gintoki said emphatically, convincing nobody in the compartment.
An old woman entered their aisle which until now had remained mostly empty. Blissfully consumed in their argument, it was only until she had settled into her seat, amused at their antics before she cleared her throat, catching their attention, and asked rather cheerfully, "How many years have you two been married?"
"Ten years," Gintoki said. Tsukuyo glared at him. "Actually, we're going on our honeymoon," she corrected him. "Please excuse him. Don't take anything he says seriously."
"Oh, my," the old woman said thoughtfully. "Well, the mountains are an interesting choice of a trip. Anything could happen, really - bears, wolves, boars..."
The couple looked at each other and smiled. "It can't be worse than what we've already been through," Tsukuyo said, and her husband laced his fingers through hers, remembering. Remembering and forgiving each other in that moment.
-x-
Tsukuyo couldn't really pinpoint the exact moment when she knew she had met "The One". There was an inkling, of it, perhaps when he had rescued her from the clutches of her master, who had wished for his death at her hands. Gintoki had done most of it; and she'd given Jiraia the final blow. There had been a thought that told her that finally - finally, there was someone who could save her when she couldn't do it herself.
She couldn't even really admit it even when they began their slow courtship - the evening meals, the casual walks around Yoshiwara months after he came back to Edo, the steady monopolization of her smoke breaks taken over by him. They wouldn't put a name on it, their dynamic seemingly undefinable - but an air of something intangibly tangible had started.
One day he had taken her out on the surface. The maple leaves had begun to fall from the trees, the bright orange splashed against the dull sky. The yakimono man was selling sweet roast potatoes, and she'd bitten into it, the flesh of it soft and sweet when he looked at her with a strange gaze, unusually serious.
"Tsukuyo."
"Hm? What is it?" She was self-conscious and rubbed the side of her mouth, concerned he would tease her for her inexperience in ordinary things like eating a roast potato improperly.
"Marry me," he said.
Her eyes had widened. "What?"
"I want you to be mine," he said. "Or is it you don't wish to be with me?"
The kick of adrenaline had led to her heart beating a million times a minute, and for a second, she found it hard to breathe. "No. I mean, yes. Yes, I'll be... yours."
"Good," he said, his face pink and obviously relieved. They looked in the opposite direction for a while, too embarrassed to continue the perfectly ordinary conversation that had transpired from before.
It wasn't as if they were completely surprised; over the years, they had spent a fair bit of time together to where anyone would've been hard-pressed to find one without another. Still, Tsukuyo had assumed that he was the type to end up alone, and she had a lingering fear that he would one day decide it was better to be by himself rather than to be with her. Even before anything romantic between them had happened, she had quietly resigned herself to a life of solitude, understanding that men like Gintoki were hard to find - a silver thread in a pile of hay, perhaps. The proposal had shifted her universe in a way she couldn't fathom, but there was a small kernel of happiness in her heart that rejoiced in it.
"I have to go now," Gintoki said abruptly, still embarrassed. "Um. I have to get you a proper ring now, since you've said yes. Well, you know my number. So - so if there's something coming up, just leave a message. Or - or I'll call you. So."
"Y-yeah," she said. It was one of the few times where he wasn't talking shit or constantly talking her head off. Something she would grow to miss, she'd find.
When he left her vicinity, one of her nosy subordinates nearly ran her over with excitement, overjoyed with the news. The next morning, she'd woken up to looks of smugness from literally everyone that knew her - from the shopkeepers who sold her groceries, to Hinowa who insisted on celebrating the "miracle of love" with a yakiniku dinner, to Seita proclaiming to all who could hear that his new brother-in-law would teach him how to "kick ass" in the future.
The Gintama cast was no less as intrusive. After several tearful occasions where Sarutobi either threatened to kill Tsukuyo or herself, depending on her mood, the courtesan had to talk the melodramatics out of her friend. She had to convince that the kunoichi that she wasn't, as Sarutobi had declared, a "mortal enemy". It was the five stages of grief; Tae had explained it to her patiently. At the moment, the purple-haired ninja was going through both stages of denial and anger simultaneously, from what Tsukuyo could observe.
Shinpachi and Kagura had visited Yoshiwara several times to make sure that Gintoki had not drugged or forced her against her will in any capacity. Those interrogations, whether innocent or good-intentioned, still were embarrassing as she had to confirm that yes, she was acting of her own accord.
And there were times where other women wondered openly if she would truly be happy. Shimura Tae and Otose - both in their straightforward way - had warned her, bluntly, that she would suffer financially for the rest of her life.
"Even if you divorced him, he wouldn't be able to pay child support," Tae said, as they sat at a Bargain Dash café. "Are you really sure you're ready to settle down with this man, Tsukuyo?"
"That is my cross ta bear," was really all Tsukuyo could say, but at least Tae seemed to approve of her answer. "Well, better you than me," Tae commented, elegantly nibbling at the corner of her strawberry flavored ice cream. "And well, probably Sacchan, too, whenever she accepts the truth. Don't count on that happening, by the way."
Otose was probably a shade more supportive. "I'm glad he's moving out," the old woman said, and the two of them had shared a smoke one evening, when Gintoki had passed out cold from his stag party at the Snack Bar. Next to him, Hasegawa lolled his head next to the samurai, already snoring with his sunglasses perched on nose. "But I don't know if someone beautiful like you ought to be settling for the dregs of a sake barrel, to be honest."
Tsukuyo had been a little hurt by that. "Well, I thought I was goin' ta be alone forever. But then... "
"You don't have to explain to me," Otose said, who was sincerely fond of her future daughter-in-law. "I used to be beautiful too, just like you." She pointed the tip of her cigarette at a photo of her late husband, hanging over the doorway. "So I get it. I coulda picked someone who lived longer. Or been a bit smarter, or richer. But I didn't."
"I bet you still could get someone if ya wanted to," Tsukuyo said, a very small smile forming on her lips. "I knew a courtesan who found love in her eighties."
"How dare you," Otose retorted, amused and cross at the same time. "I've been told that I don't look a day over sixty. As a matter of fact, my dear, I have found someone new. But don't tell my good-for-nothing son. He'd throw a conniption if he knew I was consorting with another silver-haired fellow."
"Isn't everyone silver-haired at your age?"
"Another word, and I will write you out of my will." Tsukuyo couldn't help but to laugh.
The next afternoon, regardless of forebodings and ill wishes, everyone was a little teary-eyed when the vows were exchanged. Even Tsukuyo was moved by the solemnity of the occasion, knowing that she had never expected to be the kind of woman who could achieve such an ordinary happiness like marriage. When Gintoki looked into her eyes, reciting his promises to her, she thought that her soul had never known peace like before.
-x-
They hadn't been, in fact, the first one to get married. In a twist of fate that absolutely nobody had expected, the Superintendent Chief of the Shinsengumi, Kondo Isao, had somehow accepted that Shimura Tae was never going to say yes to him, and through a logistical nightmare of sorts, had gotten into a year-long criminal chase that involved several leads in Yoshiwara. After Matsudaira retired (ostensibly to spend the rest of his life in cabaret clubs), the gorilla incarnate had been introduced to Hinowa, who'd been interested in finding a father figure for her adopted son. Although there had been a slight phase on his end where he started stalking the former courtesan, finding her kindness to be just as attractive as Otae, Hinowa had been flattered, rather than incensed. From there, a business-like arrangement had started - but over time, a genuine affection had bloomed between them.
"How did this even happen?" Tsukuyo asked Hijikata, as the two of them were on a smoke break during the wedding reception. Both of them found a profound comradery in commiserating how insane the Gintama cast was, having long since realized that common sense was on the rarer side of things.
"Don't ask me. I think he started panicking when he turned thirty-five," Hijikata replied, sighing. "I think this is a better mid-life crisis than buying a red convertible, though. All of us were prepared for Shimura-san to take over the police force; so, this is a better outcome for everyone, I think..."
Though Tsukuyo had some grave doubts about her sister's choice of husband, Hinowa had been rather cheerful about the whole ordeal.
"I told him the truth, you know," she said, over dinner - a year before they married. Seita was away at summer camp. "What Hosen did to me, my history of being a courtesan, Seita, and how my legs aren't exactly normal."
"And... ?" Tsukuyo queried, leaning forward.
"He's fine with all of that," her sister replied. "He's very kind."
"He's very... intense," Tsukuyo offered weakly. Tae had complained for years about his adulation.
"I don't mind that," Hinowa said. "But I suppose if you went years without any reciprocation, you'd be intense as well. It's nice to be adored, actually."
"Has he... " Tsukuyo swallows. "Made, um. Advances?"
"You mean, have we had sex?"
She chokes on her tea. Hinowa smiles at her serenely, before whacking her sister on the back.
"No, Tsukki, he's actually suggested we save ourselves for marriage. Which I thought was a nice idea, even though I'm fairly sure he's got a pretty big - "
"TMI!"
"Hey, you asked. The point is, he's rather traditional. I found it charming, myself."
Tsukuyo found herself recalling that conversation a year later as she returned to the party, Hijikata mysteriously nowhere to be found as the Shinsengumi drank their way through several barrels of fine-grained sake. A few of them were weeping, crying out, "He finally got married!" or similar variations of such sentiments over and over again.
Weddings really aren't my thing, she thought to herself, but trudged on anyways.
A cheer trilled through the crowd a moment later; Hinowa triumphantly holding a bouquet of flowers high over her head. With a single, pointed look, she turned around and threw the arrangement -
Straight at Tsukuyo. With reflexes that came instinctively to her, she caught it before realizing the implications of it.
"Yay, Kashira!" some member of the Hyakka yelled out. Before Tsukuyo could burn the flowers where they belonged, Hinowa swooped next to her, embracing her sister tightly.
"Go for it, Tsukki," she whispered in her ears. "Life is short. Pursue happiness."
It was not the first time Hinowa had "encouraged" Tsukuyo in this particular department. But now, every guest from Yoshiwara was staring at Tsukuyo, with pointed smiles - and she wanted nothing more for the earth to swallow her up.
She didn't have much of a choice as they pushed her towards the open bar, of which Gintoki was nursing probably his fifth cocktail of the evening. He seemed somewhat unaware of the noise and people around him, but his eyes seemed to light up in recognition when she took a seat next to his.
"Nice flowers," he snickered, causing her to roll her eyes. "So, when's the proposal coming up? I haven't heard anything from the streets about your boyfriend, tayuu... "
"No. I'm not with anyone, don't worry." The bartender came over and Tsukuyo had decided to order a virgin cocktail as to preserve the general peace. "There's just someone I'm interested in, and Hinowa was actually - believe it or not - tellin' me to go do somethin' about it."
"Lucky guy," Gintoki said, downing down another cup of sake. "Is he here tonight?"
"Mm, yeah."
"Why don'tcha practice on me, then?" he said, smiling devilishly. "Pretend I'm him so you won't be as nervous when you tell the real guy your feelings."
"I - I don't think that would help," Tsukuyo said, fighting the urge to laugh at the irony of the situation.
"Try me."
Well, he was on his way to being drunk, she figured, so there wasn't any point in pushing it off. Both of them would forget about it and continue living life the way they had always lived. She had nothing to lose, in any case.
"You have to promise to not make fun of me, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed. "Go on, hit me with your best shot."
"I've always liked you for a long time," Tsukuyo said, her fingers clenching around her cocktail glass nervously. "I just figured you weren't interested... It wasn't my place to stake a claim on you. You were the kinda guy who saw me for more than what I thought I was. I thought I was supposed to be alone, and then, you just... came into the picture."
"Hm."
"At first, I was really scared. Like me? Protector of Yoshiwara? I wasn't supposed to feel like this. And I wanted it to go away so badly, but I keep seein' you over and over again, and then I realized... this isn't a love incense, or anythin' silly like that. This is for real. Whether you've stolen my heart unintentionally or not, I'm yours."
He was about to take another sip of his sake before he had heard the word "love incense". And in that moment, he understood; and he knew she had understood too.
"You're not talking about some other guy," he said finally. He looked at her, beautiful, blushing. But it was without a doubt, sincere.
"How long?"
"Seven years," she admitted.
"You went this long without telling me."
"I didn't think you were the type to settle down with a woman," she said softly. "I mean - you had kids, right? And... I had a responsibility to Yoshiwara regardless of my feelings..."
His eyes looked pained. "I suppose you thought what I said to you back then, all these years, was a joke."
Keep your mitts off of my woman. The Shinigami daiyuu is designated for me and only me for all eternity. And I ain't letting anyone lay a finger on her.
If it's what you wish… I'll become yours and yours alone.
I guess I'm really no good. I can't look at the woman I really want to be with… The same way I always have.
"I couldn't help it," she said, smiling sheepishly. "After all, you were a walking pervert back then - "
"Right," he said, his voice slightly slurred. "Well, fine. You can count this one for real."
While the band played a tune, he leaned over, his lips slipping neatly over hers. The taste of alcohol lingered on her tongue, sickly sweet and cloying to her senses. But she couldn't get enough of him. This wasn't a dream, and neither was it an illusion of smoke in her eyes.
They remained like that, standstill, for a while. She couldn't remember whom had separated first; regardless, her head had been spinning a million miles a minute. In the distance, she could hear cheers, but nothing had mattered then except for the man in front of her.
-x-
The train stopped at a small station in Sapporo, the weather noticeably cooler than Edo. Tsukuyo stepped out with her baggage, shivering slightly from the wind.
"Are you cold?" Gintoki asked, moving a little closer to her.
She shook her head. "No. It's just a little different than what I'm used ta, that's all."
The shinkansen had shortened the trip by half a day, and she was starting to feel more energetic as the slow excitement of the trip came across her. She had never travelled before - had never cared to, to be honest, as her work demanded full concentration and focus on all times. The guilt building up to her wedding, and consequently, her honeymoon, had finally disappeared after her subordinates insisted that she take this time to enjoy herself.
"For someone who's never been outside of Edo, you seem pretty relaxed," Gintoki commented, and slipped his hand into hers. "Anyways, we're supposed to take the bus from this terminal, which will drive us to the base of the mountains."
"I'll have you know that I was born in a poor fishin' village far away from Edo," Tsukuyo replied, pretending to be stern. "Well, until I came ta Yoshiwara. I don't think it's even on a map anymore, ta be honest."
"So you're really a courtesan of fishing? We oughtta test those skills out, tayuu. We could spend a whole afternoon by the river. And maybe you'll gut the fish for our dinner with your kunai, eh?"
She chuckled. "You mean I'll be responsible for catchin' the fish while you scare 'em away? You're funny, Gintoki."
He gasped in fake horror. "I'll have you know I am usually the best goldfish scooper at every festival. You think I couldn't hook them in, is that right?"
"That's right."
Gintoki sighed. "My disbelieving, betraying Judas of a wife! Here we are, on our honeymoon. Our first trip as a married couple! And she dares to emasculate me at every given opportunity."
They looked at the map in the train terminal and made their way onto a bus with few inhabitants aboard.
"Hey, this kind of reminds me of that bus that went to the kamaboko factory," Gintoki remarked. "Do you remember those times? Well, we were trying to hunt down that drug dealer, who turned out to be - "
"Yeah," Tsukuyo said. "And you said that we were a married thug couple."
"Well, I turned out to be more or less right," Gintoki said. "I mean, you are a thug. And you are my wife."
"Gintoki," she warned him.
"A very beautiful thug that I want to make love to every night," he corrected himself, in which she rewarded him with a sharp jab to the ribs. "Ow!"
-x-
The first time they had slept together had been unplanned. Though they had shared meals together, and gone out on excursions - some involving jobs, and some not - both of them had been reticent to spend time alone where things could get out of hand. It was a shyness that came with inexperience; on her part, it was the fact that she was a virgin, and was anxious about initiating. She was hesitant to even bring the subject up. On his end, Gintoki had developed a healthy fear of being German suplexed, and had learned to keep his hands wisely to himself. In such unique circumstances, they had remained chaste - for nine months.
She had finally confided about the situation to Diamond Perfume who all had various reactions.
"I think it's beautiful that you're saving yourself for marriage," Shimura Tae said. "I think there's nothing wrong with that."
Kyuubei nodded, always one to agree with Tae. "Tsukuyo-dono, I wouldn't worry too much about it. In fact, I'm rather surprised Gintoki has been so gentlemanly about it."
"But I don't want him to be gentlemanly!" Tsukuyo said, horrified at their misinterpretation. "And who gives a damn about chastity. I work in Yoshiwara, for God's sake! You'd think he would be interested in doin' it, but he ain't."
Sacchan, who by now was a card-carrying member of every BDSM club in Edo and trophy girlfriend to a certain head of a ninja clan, snorted. "Lemme guess, Tsukki. He probably tried groping you once and you punched him to the ground."
"That happened way before we started datin'!"
"Yeah, but now he probably knows that you're repressed. Have you tried seducing him?"
"N-no."
"Have you even told him that you were open to the idea of getting fucked and sucked?"
"Sacchan!"
"You can't blame him for not trying if he doesn't know," the kunoichi pointed out. "I mean, how was I supposed to know I could have an extremely gratifying and satisfying bondage experience outside of Gintoki if I didn't ask to try it out with Z- "
"That's enough, Sarutobi," Tae cut in elegantly. "But she's right. You should communicate with him that you're open to such... things."
"But I don't know how ta bring it up..."
"Oh, I dunno - why don't you go to him and say, 'Gintoki-sama, can you pop my cherry?'" Sacchan suggested in a sexy falsetto. "Something like that. I'm sure that will get him going."
"I'm not young enough ta be pullin' that off, damn you!"
"You could auction off your virginity," Tae suggested. "I've seen some of the girls at the cabaret club do that with their long-time clients, even though it's totally against company policy and would get them fired if I reported them to upper management."
"That's - I don't - he doesn't have that kinda money! Are you sure you're pure as you say you are, Otae-san?"
Kyuubei had been the most sensible of them, oddly enough. "Just be honest with him, Tsukuyo-dono. He's an honorable man. I'm sure he'd respect your wishes if you told him the truth."
Tsukuyo had returned to Yoshiwara no less wiser nor prepared for her predicament that day. She was reticent to confide in Hinowa, who was sure to prepare an extravagant occasion in which she knew would result in complete disaster.
Gintoki had noticed her dark mood that evening. "Oi, oi, Tsukki~ " he drawled, seeing the slight furrow in her brows. "I can't enjoy my sukiyaki with you looking like the grim reaper, ya know."
She tried rearranging her facial expressions into something more pleasant. They were at a hotpot restaurant (her treat, after not seeing each other for two weeks), and thankfully secluded in a private booth.
"That's not much better, honey," he commented. "You look like you want to stab something."
"It's not that," she said, sighing. She swirled one of the beef slices in the broth, picking up the meat and depositing it into her bowl. "I just... Gintoki, am I ugly?"
"... Uhm. Well, if you're fishing for a compliment, then - "
"Well, why don't you want ta sleep with me?"
There. It was out in the open. As soon as the question came out of her mouth, she instantly turned red, wishing she had never asked it.
Gintoki stared at her. And closed his mouth. And then put down his chopsticks.
"... I didn't think you were interested in that kind of thing," he said, cautiously, and Tsukuyo wished she could jump off a cliff. "I mean, I figured you'd think I'd be like all the other scumbags you arrested if I tried it too early... "
"Oh." Well, that seemed to make sense.
"But hey, I'm not gonna turn down the Courtesan of Death," he said, and picked up his pair of chopsticks again. "If you're ready, I'm ready. For the record, you still remain the most beautiful woman in Yoshiwara, and I stand by it."
And just like that, something that she had constantly worried about had turned into a non-issue. She had marvelled at his ability to take things as they were reasonably, without much fanfare.
They finished their meal, and later that night, she would remember the gentle feel of his hands on her body, of how he taught her to be a woman as he stroked her in places no one else had ever touched before. She would learn how it felt, to be overwhelmed with joy and desire, to connect with someone so deeply that it felt like they were fused as one. As he made love to her, she would discover how her name on his tongue could sound so sexy and intimate in the dead of night; making her wonder why she'd ever been scared of being with him, lying beneath his arms.
-x-
"We'll have to hike to one of the hills," Gintoki said to Tsukuyo when the bus dropped them off. "That's where the place is located."
"Okay."
She'd never been hiking before, but her stamina was higher than most people. As her husband insisted on her wearing normal shoes - not her pointy boots - she carried her baggage up the hill with relative ease, and before either of them knew it, they had arrived at the small ryokan. On arrival, the owner greeted them enthusiastically.
"Yer the only guests here!" the hostess exclaimed, bowing to the couple. "Didn't even know ya would make it. Sometimes a few people can't find us on tha' map, an' my son isn't around ta use that GPS thingy - "
"Neither can we," Gintoki said, shrugging. "But the signs were pretty helpful."
"Tha's good," the host said. "Well, lemme show ya to yer rooms... "
Though the ryokan was old, it was well-maintained and there were enough amenities to make them feel like they were at home. When the owner left them to their own devices, Gintoki turned to her.
"Well honey, what do you think?"
She slid open one of the shoji and looked out the balcony. The mountain air was pure here, and she could feel the crisp autumn breeze on her skin. Many of the deciduous trees near the mountains were beginning to turn autumnal - although a fair few of them remained evergreen. The sight was marvelous to behold, and there was a quiet to the scenery that she had never felt before.
"It's beautiful, darling," she said.
"I figured that you deserved see the best maple trees before you die. You wear them on your kimono every day, but the ones in Edo aren't all that pretty compared to ones up north."
"Oh, Gintoki..." A swell of emotion came across her chest. "I didn't know you were planning any of this."
A maple leaf fluttered into the room, landing on her golden hair. Slowly Gintoki reached for it, twirling the stem in between his fingers. "Every time I see one of these, I think of you."
Tsukuyo slid the door shut, and then leaned forward to kiss him. Without further words, he lifted her, carrying her into the futon the next room over, no more words needed as they began to make up for their lost wedding night, their breaths mingling together while they became one again.
-x-
To their surprise, there was old fashioned bathtub that had to be heated using firewood. It was no problem for Gintoki, who had lived for two years as a nomad, wandering the countryside in search of Altana - but Tsukuyo wasn't used to how hot the water was at first. She was glad that the climate outside was getting colder, because she didn't think she'd be able to sit in the tub as long as she did if it wasn't as cold as it currently was.
"Hey, Gintoki."
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember how we first met?"
"How could I forget? The Courtesan of Death, leaping from the roofs of Yoshiwara. Kunai set to kill."
"It seems so long ago, doesn't it?"
He looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, you've changed. So maybe that's why it feels like it's been longer."
"What about you? D'ya think you've changed?"
Gintoki reached for a bar of soap from the tray of toiletries set next to the bathtub. "Yeah. I mean, I did a lot of drinking back in the day trying not to think about what I did in the past. But it was all an escape. It caught up with me and I had to come to terms with a lot of it."
They had talked about it a little, but not in detail. Gintoki was a person of paradoxes; approachable by all means, but there was a limit to how deep you could read into him. Tsukuyo had known it to be so the day they had stormed Sadasada's palace, finding out that their pasts were not as different as she'd thought.
"It must've been hard," she murmured.
"It would have been harder without you," he admitted. "I thought you would leave eventually. Everyone who gets to know the real me does. But... "
"The parts that you show others are just as real as the ones you keep ta yourself," Tsukuyo reminded him. "So don't be so hard on yourself, Gintoki."
He smiled at her affectionately. "Well, you can't really leave now. You're chained to me until you die, tayuu. We made an oath in front of Kami-sama, in front of everyone we know."
She took the soap from his hands and began to lather him up. The sight of her skin, glistening from the hot water, and the heat from the fire was starting to give him feelings that he thought he'd extinguished half an hour ago.
"Well, how about I perform my wifely duties right now? I did make you a promise, after all..." Tsukuyo suggested in a husky voice, her hands tracing his pectorals and then slipping them even lower.
Gintoki swallowed. "G-go on, honey..."
-x-
While the two of them frequently argued with each other about many things, they were rarely furious at the other. This came as a huge surprise to Tsukuyo as she thought she would have had a difficult time managing such a beastly man. But her preconceptions turned out to be false as he was keenly aware of when he was close to pushing her buttons, and emotionally observant of her.
Instead, what happened was small arguments. Her forcing him to go to the dentist (which he did, after making her wait next to him in the dentist chair). Him monopolizing all her smoke breaks to the point where she cut back on her tobacco usage so that he wouldn't distract her from working so hard. Her insisting that a healthy diet should compose more of parfaits and booze, while he pointed out she rarely ate consistently, so consumed was she with work.
In between these little arguments, plans and advice would slip out.
"Don't forget Seita's got that field trip coming up tomorrow, you should help him pack. Little boys get overexcited about these things, you know."
"Kagura's becomin' a young lady. You ought ta wash her underwear in the laundry separate from yours."
"Call me before your next shift."
"Meet me once I'm done with work."
"Hinowa made too much rice this evenin'. Bring yer brats around. I know you aren't feedin' 'em right."
And more than once, she'd woken up on a bench or a couch, with Gintoki sitting next to her. Maybe he would be picking his nose, reading the latest copy of Shonen Jump, but she would always be happy to see him next to her.
She asked him why he did this once. He looked astonished, and blushed.
"Why? Why does anyone do anything for someone they care about?"
"You care about me?"
"Of... of course I do!" Gintoki looked mortified. "Haven't... we done enough of this and that... ?"
"Oh!" Now Tsukuyo was blushing too, remembering their actions from last night. "Oh, I just didn't expect all of it lately... "
"You're my... " Now he was at a loss for words. "... person," he said lamely. "God, that sounded worse than girlfriend, didn't it?"
"A bit."
Gintoki sighed. "Well, now that you know, don't ask me that kind of question ever again."
True to his word, she never did. It was the truest form of him confessing his love to her - a man of actions, rather than words - and anytime she doubted in his sincerity, she would remember that conversation, in all of its awkward glory.
-x-
There was a lake near the mountains that they walked to the next morning, and Gintoki had suggested that it would be nice for the two of them to rent out a few bikes. There was a small problem, though.
"You've never ridden a bike."
"Never."
"God that's sad," Gintoki said.
"You're not teachin' me how to ride a bike."
"It's fun, okay. Look, this thing has training wheels. You can't screw up. Grandma used to tell me that you can't ever forget how to ride a bike. It's like riding a woman - "
"NO ONE ASKED FOR THAT COMPARISON, ASSHOLE - "
" - and so, I thought I'd take the time to teach the love of my life how to ride a bike." Gintoki grinned. "You never know, it could be useful, right?"
She glared at him. "So that's the reason why you told me to wear a shorter kimono."
"Well, there might have been some other motivation too," he said, shrugging it off. "Like for instance the fact that you have great legs and that I was getting sick of you wearing the one that covers your entire body, or, you know, the fact that you'd probably trip if you tried riding this little guy in a longer kimono."
"Okay," she said, deciding to ignore his comment about her legs. "You're supposed to pedal it and it moves, right?"
"Yeah," he said. "Go on."
She swung her legs over and pushed her foot on the right pedal before her heel got stuck in the pedal. "Fuck, what the hell - "
"Just pedal!" Gintoki said, pushing her.
"WAIT A MINUTE - " She was about to curse him out before she finally pushed on the damn thing, and things clicked together for a few seconds.
"Heh, knew you could do it," Gintoki remarked, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. Tsukuyo was circling around the pathway, weaving around the trees and the sidewalk before she made her way back to him -
"HEY! YOU NEVER TOLD ME HOW TA BRAKE THIS DAMN THING!"
"Oh shit," he muttered. "This is bad. Very bad." Outwardly he yelled, "Just press on those handlebar things!"
"You mean these?" she yelled back, lifting her hand to point at them, which was a crucial mistake.
"Yes!"
She pressed hard on them, and while it had the desired outcome of stopping the wheel, it unfortunately came too abruptly. The bicycle overturned after skidding on the curb of the road, flipping Tsukuyo over -
"OI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING - "
- and in a fit of hilarious chaos that could not have been planned, the bike smashed into a bench, breaking the poor structure into three pieces, rendering it useless.
"Tsukuyo!" Gintoki ran over, worried for a moment before he found her face down on the grass. "You okay?"
She coughed, wiping the dirt off her face. "...Yeah, more or less." A shadow flitted across both of them before her expression darkened.
"What - Oh shit. How are we gonna fix this bicycle?"
In the end, they returned the bicycle, where the owner had admitted more or less it had been old and in bad condition. Gintoki demanded a refund, and Tsukuyo, not one to protest, let him do most of the arguing, and then they walked to the lake together.
"I think walkin' is the safest," she said, and he agreed with that. Her hand in his was a far more comfortable position, in any case.
I could grow old like this, both of them thought together.
-x-
The days passed by blissfully. They ate together, slept together, and made love together. Before Tsukuyo knew it, it was already time to check out from the ryokan which she had grown immensely fond of. Life had seemed so simple in comparison to the way she lived in Yoshiwara. What little had she known before meeting Gintoki!
"I'm not ready ta go back to work..." she said wistfully their last night in the mountains. Their last dinner had been a splurge, a breathtaking view of the lake sprawled beneath them as they sat at a table high above sea level. The sun had already gone down, and the only source of light was the candle that flickered dimly in the dark.
"See? I told you that vacations are good for you. But you didn't believe me."
"I didn't think they would've been this good," she admitted. "I thought bein' with you, anywhere, would've been enough to make me happy."
His hand was placed above hers. "It's different, isn't it? We'll have to come back, whenever Yoshiwara drives you mad, and you need a break from it all."
"Yes."
A peaceful moment passed, and they allowed their thoughts to drift by, as carelessly as the wind. But one stuck in Tsukuyo's mind, and it was important enough for her to break the tranquil silence between them.
"Gintoki."
"Hm?"
"I'm really glad you decided ta marry me. Really glad."
His hand squeezed hers. "Me too. I'm glad you're with me."
There were other things that they could have said, but for now, they decided to sit next to each other. It was a conscious decision for the two of them, to treasure the precious memory of their honeymoon, and the remaining time spent together alone in such serenity. After all, there could never be anything more evergreen than their love for each other.
.
.
.
the end
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