#eheartangel’s souji time travel au

[sabinasanfanfic]

Meeting the Fam

This takes place about 6 months after the events of this prompt. Pure sappy fluffiness. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satomi sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. Her jaw was clenched tight, and her hands were resting in her lap with her fingers entwined. Her right leg was lightly bouncing; her stomach a knot. She heard Hijikata softly snort.

“You can relax, you know.”

Satomi exhaled. “I’m fine.”

“Your leg says otherwise.”

Satomi scowled at Hijikata. “It’s hard not to be nervous when your boyfriend tells you this is the first time he’s bringing a girlfriend to meet his parents.”

“You should take it as a good thing,” Hijikata soothed with a smirk.

Satomi sighed and returned to looking out the window once more. She was always nervous to meet new people, but the fact that she was the first woman to be introduced to Hijikata’s parents just compounded her nerves. She knew Hijikata held a deep affection for his parents. He always spoke well of them.

A part of her wondered how much influence they had on his life. If they didn’t like her, would they tell Hijikata to end the relationship? Would they meddle until he did what they wished? One previous boyfriend had a mother who inserted herself into their relationship. Needless to say, it didn’t last.

Too soon, Hijikata pulled into the driveway of a home with a small, neatly tended yard. Satomi took a fortifying breath before unbuckling and stepping out of the car. Hijikata met her as she shut the door, and they both walked up to the front door. He pushed it open and stepped through the doorway. Satomi followed.

“Hello,” Hijikata called as he slid his shoes off.

Satomi heard quick footsteps echo down the hall as her own shoes came off, and she saw an older woman with brown hair appear. The woman’s smile was bright as she caught sight of Hijikata, and when she was close enough, she gave him a hug.

“Toshi-chan! How are you?”

“Fine, Mom,” he replied softly with a chuckle. Satomi saw the affectionate smile on his face as his mother pulled away from him. “This is Satomi.”

Satomi stiffened slightly as his mother turned her attention to her. Satomi hoped her own smile was genuine and conveyed a sense of ease that she wasn’t feeling just yet. The woman kept her smile and pulled Satomi into a hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Satomi-chan. Toshi has told us so much about you. He said you were hurt at work a while back, you poor thing.”

Satomi chuckled nervously. “Oh, I’m doing much better now. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

The woman stepped back, appraising her. “You may call me Hanako.”

“Okay.”

Hanako began to walk back down the hall, motioning for the pair to follow her. Satomi glanced at Hijikata, who shot her an encouraging smile. Satomi walked in front of Hijikata, taking in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that there were family photos everywhere—a stark contrast to her own family’s home. She stopped in front of one that featured all three boys with their parents. What made her pause was the contentment on each of their faces.

“What is it?” Hijikata murmured.

“You all look…so happy,” Satomi said wistfully.

Hijikata hummed, and she could hear the fondness in his tone. “We were.”

She stared at the photo a little longer, taking in young Hijikata’s features. While he had matured significantly, she could see that many of his looks had remained the same. She peered up at him with a little smirk.

“You were cute even as a teen.”

She saw Hijikata blush before she began walking again.

“Oi! Don’t say stuff like that and leave me!” he scolded without heat as he chased after her at a leisurely pace.

They went to the living room where his father sat in an easy chair. Upon seeing them enter, Isamu stood and approached them, a jovial smile lighting up his face.

“Ah! This must be the young lady that has my son head-over-heels!” he exclaimed as he pulled Satomi into a bear hug.

Satomi’s cheeks flushed a deep red as she processed the warmth that just radiated from this man. She now knew where Isami got his kindness from. After a few seconds, he let her go.

“Daaad!” Hijikata groaned out of embarrassment.

“What? Don’t tell me she doesn’t know you think that way about her!”

“Of course she knows. You don’t have to be so…”

“It’s fine, Toshi. Really. It’s nice to meet you, Kondō-san.”

“Samu is fine, my dear. No formalities here. We’re all family. Come on, now make yourself comfortable. Hanako is cooking up one of Toshi’s favorites.”

Hanako came from the kitchen with a teapot, teacups, spoons, and various sweeteners. She set it on the coffee table and motioned for everyone to help themselves. Toshi did so immediately, turning to Satomi questioningly. She nodded an affirmation as she settled herself on the couch.

Conversation. Satomi wasn’t even sure where to begin. She desperately wanted their approval, and while it seemed she had it, for now, she didn’t want to lose it or make a bad impression.

Hijikata handed Satomi a cup of tea as Isamu asked, “How’s the residency, Toshi?”

Hijikata sat next to her on the couch. She immediately realized that Hijikata sat close enough that they were touching, which was highly unusual when they were around others. She blew on her tea before taking a sip, noting the sparkle in Isamu’s eyes. So he noticed too…

“Busy. Never a dull moment.”

“I heard they let first years shadow you?” Hanako asked with pride.

“Sure, but…that’s nothing special.”

“That’s not what Sami-chan said. The other surgeons are quite impressed with your skill. He said it’s not often a second year is shadowed.” Hijikata shrugged as he stirred his tea. He was clearly uncomfortable with the praise. Hanako turned to Satomi. “And how is your job? Have you gone back to that unit you got hurt on?”

Satomi nodded, her body stiffening slightly at the mention of her injury. “I have.”

“You’re certainly brave.”

Satomi’s answering smile was self-deprecating. “Or incredibly foolish.”

Hijikata snorted in agreement. Satomi playfully glared at him over the rim of her cup as she drank. The conversation continued, and Satomi began to relax. Hijikata’s close presence was very comforting, and it was hard to maintain a sense of wariness around his parents when he was so uninhibited.

Dinner was amazing. Satomi had never tasted anything so delicious, and she couldn’t help the grin on her face as she ate to her heart’s content. There was good-natured ribbing of Hijikata’s own cooking skills, and Satomi was proud to announce that she had been teaching Hijikata the basics.

“He’s getting pretty good at it too,” Satomi said with an affectionate smile directed at Hijikata.

“You must be quite patient with him,” Isamu said with a wink. “Toshi is easily frustrated by things that don’t come easily to him.”

“Oi,” Hijikata grumbled.

Satomi giggled, knowing that Hijikata wasn’t as upset as he sounded.

When the meal was finished, they helped clear the table, and while Hijikata left the kitchen with Isamu, Satomi stayed with Hanako to assist with the dishes. The ceramic plates and bowls clinked gently against each other as Satomi washed them and Hanako dried and put them away. Satomi started to feel her body tensing again. She knew she should probably talk, but like before, she wasn’t sure where to begin.

“Toshi-chan tells me you’ve had a difficult upbringing.”

Fuck, Satomi thought as a chill went down her spine and her mind raced to conclude the absolute worst outcome of this conversation. She scrambled to minimize her experience. “It wasn’t…horrible.”

“But having a father who is an alcoholic paired with a mother who didn’t stand up for you? That’s tough.”

Satomi shrugged defensively. “I made it through all right.”

Hanako smiled. “I’m not judging you, my dear. I just realize that we must be so strange to you.”

Satomi paused and glanced at Hanako out of the corner of her eye. She then sighed and turned so that her whole body was facing Hanako. “Not strange. I know this is what a family is supposed to be like. I think…somehow I always knew my own family wasn’t the norm. So…I focused on getting myself through.”

Hanako carefully set the plate she had been drying onto the counter and wiped her hands on the towel. “Toshi-chan worries about you. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you.”

Satomi shook her head. “Not at all. It’s…” she paused to huff in amusement. “It was one of the first indications that he liked me. He always told me to be careful before I went up to the unit.”

“He cares a great deal about you…more so than any other girlfriend. I can tell…”

Satomi took a deep breath, and before she could over analyze it, she let words tumble out of her mouth. “I know he can be abrasive, overprotective, stubborn, and guarded, but I also know…how much he cares. I see it in his work as well as the way he interacts with you both. He’s passionate and loyal. I…” she stopped as her eyes widened at how open and vulnerable she was being with a woman she had just met. Heat suffused her cheeks as her eyes fell to the floor.

Satomi started when she felt Hanako hug her once again. She stood still, not sure how to respond to this embrace. It felt different than the one she received earlier—it was reassuring.

“You don’t need to tell me. I know. Thank you for making him so happy.”

“I…of course…” Satomi whispered as she stood there, unsure if she should return the gesture.

After another moment, Hanako released her. “Now, let’s go join them.”

The rest of the evening passed with pleasant conversation. When they said their goodbyes and had climbed into Hijikata’s car, Satomi realized that she wasn’t as exhausted as she anticipated she would be. The whole evening was low-key, and as they pulled out of the driveway, she stared in wonder at the couple standing in the doorway to watch their son leave.

“So?”

Satomi peered up at Hijikata, taking note of his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. She snorted softly through her nose. Apparently, he had been more worried about her liking them rather than the other way around. 

“They’re lovely.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @hidetheremote, @hakuyamazakisensei, @eheartangel, @shell-senji, @kondo-hijikata, @resshiiram @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @jellyfish-wish, @enby-peep, @trashmonster06, @emmalanna. If anyone wishes to be added or removed from my tag list, please let me know!

[sabinasanfanfic]

A little continuation of this lovely drabble. Thanks for letting me add on, @eheartangel!

~~~~~~~~

Satomi peered down at the hand on her shoulder before meeting Sannan’s eyes. He smiled kindly at her, but she could read the melancholy in his gaze.

“He is truly soft,” he murmured—not as a criticism—as a statement of fact. Satomi nodded, unable to form any words just yet. “Take good care of him, ne?”

“I will,” she replied, her voice sounding rough with emotion.

Sannan’s hand slid off her shoulder, and her attention returned to the window set in the door. She watched as Hijikata buried his face in his hands. Her throat tightened, and she furiously blinked away tears. Satomi knew Hijikata would need her strength, and she would need to take this time to put a damper on her emotions.

Satomi had suspected that Hijikata was late that evening due to an emergency surgery, but she hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation until she had received that phone call from Kondō.

“Satomi-chan?”

“Kondō-san! Is...everything all right?” She could tell by his tone of voice that something wasn’t right. Her breath hitched in her throat.

“I need you to come to the hospital right away. Souji...he...” Kondō took an audible breath. “He was in an accident. Toshi tried to save him, but-“

Satomi felt a chill go through her and her stomach dropped. “I’ll be right there.”

Satomi moved quickly through the apartment, practically tripping over her own feet as she grabbed shoes, purse, and keys. Her mind screamed at her to hurry up while trying to process the enormity of what she had just been told.

Oh, Souji...no! Her chest ached at the thought that she would never again hear that distinctive laugh of his as he relentlessly teased Hijikata or see the mischievous sparkle of his green eyes. She hadn’t been as close to Souji as the others had been, but she had grown to care for him, and it hurt to know he was gone.

Most of all, she was worried about Hijikata. She suspected he was blaming himself for this, and she needed to be there for him. When she arrived at the hospital and was directed to the waiting room where the group was, she was hit with the full force of everyone’s grief.

Everyone had gathered around Chizuru, who was limp in Saitō’s arms. She immediately noticed that Hijikata and Sannan were missing. Satomi lingered towards the back, suddenly feeling like an intruder. Kondō looked up and approached her to tell her where Hijikata was.

And now here she was, forcing herself to take deep breaths to calm herself in order to be strong for him. When she saw Hijikata lift his head from his hands and look out, she pushed the door open and made her way over to him.

A brief moment passed, in which Satomi fretted over whether or not she should say something, before Hijikata’s head turned to acknowledge her. If she thought her heart was breaking before, it was now shattered.

There were tears in his eyes with one slowly rolling down his cheek. She had never seen him cry before, and she was crushed. She opened her arms as she stepped closer and pulled him to her. She embraced him tightly, burying her face in his shirt. He didn’t move.

Finally, she felt his strong arms envelop her, and his face rested on top of her head. She felt him shudder and instinctively knew he was crying. She felt tears sting her eyes and her throat tighten in response to Hijikata.

“Toshi...”

“They hate me,” he said with such surety that it surprised Satomi.

“Hate you...?” she asked quietly, her voice trailing off as she pulled away. “Toshi, no...”

“I was responsible. I was the one who needed to save him,” he said, his voice becoming harder and louder with each word.

“Stop it,” Satomi said fiercely as she held his cheeks in her hands to force him to look at her.

Their eyes met, and Satomi saw just how exhausted he was. There wasn’t even the usual fire in his eyes that he would get when they had battles of wills. Her own frustration fizzled out, and she loosened her hold on his face. There was no use in telling him he was wrong to think this way. Not now. What he needed was comfort and sleep.

“Come on...let’s go home.”

Hijikata nodded numbly. The ride to the apartment was quiet, and the silence continued as they got ready for bed. After crawling beneath the sheets and comforter, Hijikata drew Satomi to him, holding her tightly. She knew he liked to do this when he was upset. She ran her fingers through his hair, making soft shushing sounds until sleep claimed him.

When his breathing finally evened out, Satomi placed a tender kiss on his forehead, allowing herself to succumb to her own grief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @hidetheremote, @shell-senji, @hakuyamazakisensei, @resshiiram, @kondo-hijikata, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @trashmonster06, @enby-peep, @jellyfish-wish, @emmalanna If you want to be added or removed from my tag list, please message me!

Hijikata’s Aftermath

Toshizō slammed open the door to the rooftop, running a hand through his black locks. It felt like a dream. A nightmare.

He wished it was, but he was painfully aware of the situation he was in. That they were all in.

Keep reading

[hidetheremote]

"Who's texting you?"/"Um. Nobody." For OkiChi 😚😚😚

Chizuru pressed her ear against the door, the sound of a camera shutter clicking away. The door knob jangled, and she leapt back quickly like a scared kitty.

Souji came out of the bathroom, whistling. Chizuru rifled through her drawers, pretending to search for something but was really making a mess. “Hey, babe. What are you looking for?”

Chizuru’s eyes went wide, and her cheeks flushed red-hot. “Um,” she started, hands deep inside the drawer. “Oh, here it is.” She dangled a pair or purple thongs out, not exactly what she wanted out of her lie.

“Ooh, are you going to wear that tonight?” Souji flashed her a wicked smile. His phone chimed a few times, and they both averted their eyes toward the sound. He took out his phone from his back pocket and stared at the incoming messages.

Chizuru waited for him to say something, watching him text in front of her. “Who’s texting you, sweetie?” God, she wore her heart on her sleeve. She used a pet name and her voice quavered, a sure sign she was jealous.

“Um, nobody.”

Souji dropped the phone to his side, the front facing up. Chizuru stared at it, eyes as bright as the light emitting from his iPhone 10.

“Holy shit, are you sending dick pics?” Chizuru pointed, and Souji fumbled his phone, nearly dropping it.

“What the fuck? No!” He stuffed the phone back into his pocket and stomped his way past her. Chizuru grabbed him by the waist, hands trying to reach at his back.

“I know how your dick looks, and that was a picture of your…” Chizuru continued to fight him, but Souji was quick to turn each time.

“It’s not what you think, Chizuru-chan.”

“Oh, we’re using honorifics now? Who are you fucking texting?” She stifled back the tears, anger taking over as she circled around him like a dog chasing his tail. “Fuck it, I’m done.” She turned around, heading out of their bedroom.

Before she could leave, Souji tugged her back to him, flushing her back against his chest. “Stop. Okay. Here.” He handed her the phone, arms wrapped around her shoulders, his head buried in the crook of her neck. “Don’t laugh, okay.”

Chizuru scrolled through the messages. It was pictures of his dick… sent to… “Saito? You sent these to Saito?” Although his dick was prominent in the pictures, the true focus of the shots was a small brown mole next to it.

“I needed to know if it’s benign.” Souji huffed against her neck, a hint of embarrassment in his tone. “Saito is the only other doctor I trust with this.”

Her lips curled into a small smile, and she couldn’t stifle the giggle that formed in her throat.

“It’s not funny, babe! It could be cancer!”

“I’m not laughing at that. I’m laughing at Saito’s last message. He said, ‘It’s not that big.’”

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt -Days 9 & 10

Rose(s) for a (Soul)Mate

Two days.

It had been two days of radio silence from Satomi. The last he heard from her was Monday at 11:15 when she texted an apology. She had overslept. He let her know it was fine and looked forward to seeing her on Wednesday. Then...nothing. She didn’t show today for lunch, and she didn’t even bother to text. Hijikata was annoyed, and he didn’t have the time to chase her.

The feelings from the rejection on Saturday still lingered with him, and while he logically understood where she was coming from, there was a part of him hat was still stung by it all. That part of him wondered if she was attempting to end the relationship by going silent. If that was so, good riddance. He didn’t need a woman who avoided conflict like that.

He slammed his locker door shut a little harder than usual, a physical manifestation of the turmoil within. He heard a chuckle and closed his eyes with a sigh, knowing who was standing there.

“What do you want Harada?”

“I just wanted to check in. I know Satomi-“ Hijikata’s whole body tensed at the sound of her name, and he whirled on Harada. Harada looked momentarily surprised, but then it was replaced with an easy smile. “Oh boy...”

“What?” Hijikata snapped.

Harada leaned back against some lockers. “I figured you didn’t know...but I wasn’t expecting you to be that upset. You’ve got it bad.”

“Why don’t you stop being so vague and just tell me what I don’t know.”

“Satomi’s been sick. Really bad cold or something. She was sent home early on Monday. Haruka’s been in to check on her, and she says that Satomi is pretty much sleeping all day and hasn’t had the energy to do much of anything the past two days.”

At that news, Hijikata felt a weight lift from his chest that he only now had realized was there. “Oh.”

Harada’s brow furrowed. “Something happened to make you think she was ignoring you.”

Hijikata looked away with a ‘tch’ as he crossed his arms. He hated how easily Harada could read him. He also knew that Harada wouldn’t let him go without talking. “Yeah. We saw each other on Saturday.”

“Uh-huh...”

Hijikata turned his head, reluctant to continue. “Well...things kinda got...physical.” He paused and exhaled. “She turned me down.”

Harada stood up straighter. “She what?”

“You heard me! I’m not repeating myself.”

Harada laughed, which made Hijikata blush. “Oh man...I’m sorry...I shouldn’t laugh. No one’s rejected your advances before?”

Hijikata just shook his head, annoyed that Harada was finding the situation humorous. Harada’s laughter subsided, and he sighed. “Did she say why?”

“She wasn’t ready.”

“That’s it. And you didn’t talk about it?”

“I told her it was okay. What else was I supposed to say?”

Harada smacked himself on the forehead as he shook his head. “Holy shit...I didn’t realize how similar you two are.” He looked up at Hijikata. “I think you two should talk.”

“Why? Did she say anything?”

“No. And she won’t. It’s between you two, and she’ll keep it that way.”

Hijikata glanced to his side. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

~~~~~~~

Satomi slowly opened her eyes, her body feeling stiff and heavy from sleep. As she became more aware, she made note of the pain in her throat and her head. Her nose was still stuffed, though she felt that she could breathe a little easier. At least the headache is a little better...

She slowly sat up, and sighed. She still felt tired even though she had napped for a few hours. Her stomach grumbled, and she bemoaned the thought that she would have to put effort into making food. After a moment of hesitation, she rose and shuffled to the kitchen. She spotted her phone on the counter, and frowned. I don’t remember leaving that here…

She picked it up and hit the home button to see a text message from Hijikata. If she was feeling better, she was sure she would have a reaction, but right now, she was too tired to put any effort into emotions.

How are you feeling?

Exhausted

Up for some company?

I’m not gonna be very entertaining…

That’s fine

Want me to bring anything? Soup?

As much as Satomi wanted to tell him no, the opportunity to not expend her limited energy was too tempting to pass up.

Soup would be lovely

Be there in about twenty

Satomi shuffled back into the living room, and for a moment, she freaked out about Hijikata seeing her in yoga pants and a t-shirt. Again, her exhaustion won out, and she figured she would throw on a bra and brush her teeth. She completed those tasks and then settled herself back on the couch and under the comforter she had dragged off her bed. Soon, a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in,” she called, not wanting to get up again. Her head was starting to pound.

Hijikata came in with his messenger bag as usual and a take out bag in his hand. Satomi smiled in greeting.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

He took off his shoes and went into the kitchen. Satomi wondered if he would remember where things were kept. He soon came out with a bowl and handed it to her before sitting next to her.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

Nothing else was said as Satomi began to eat the soup. The warmth of the broth soothed her aching throat. After a few more bites, she set the bowl aside and pulled her comforter up to her chin. Hijikata shifted a little closer to her.

“I’m going to check for fever,” he said before reaching out and pressing the backs of his fingers to her cheek and then forehead.

Her eyes closed, reveling in the coolness of his touch. When he pulled away, her eyes opened, and she saw a slight frown on his lips.

“A little feverish.”

Satomi nodded. The room became quiet, and Satomi felt as if Hijikata wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to begin. For her, the big elephant in the room was Saturday. While Hijikata had assured her that evening that he was okay with her refusal, there was a tiny part of her that questioned if that was really true. A quick perusal of her phone showed her that he hadn’t texted her until this afternoon. While Satomi figured it was because he was so busy, there was a tiny part of her that used it as evidence to prove that he was angry with her.

She looked down, her fingers twisting together. “Um...about Sat-“

“I told you it was fine.”

Satomi peered up at him. “Is it really? I mean, I’m going to assume you’ve...had sex with the other women you’ve dated.” Hijikata nodded. Satomi took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled. “Did you...feel anything for them?”

“Yes. I cared about them.”

“But did you love any of them?”

Hijikata’s eyes narrowed, and Satomi feared that she was now becoming too personal with her questions. A part of her wanted to take it back—change the topic to something else—but she needed to know, and she wasn’t sure why. Hijikata sat back and looked away.

“No.”

Okay...I figured as much. Satomi took another deep breath, trying to figure out how she felt knowing that, but her mind was too sluggish to concentrate. She finally decided that it didn’t matter what happened in his past, but now it was on her to make her thoughts known.

“I want...I want to be in love,” she murmured as heat exploded across her face. “I know it sounds silly and idealistic...”

Hijikata shook his head. “It’s not silly at all. It’s...how you feel.” He shifted and returned his gaze to her. “I was just...surprised. No one has ever...done that.”

“Oh. So...you were mad.”

Hijikata’s eyes widened. “What? No!” A pause. “I mean...I thought that when you didn’t text, you were ending things. I didn’t know you were sick. I was...upset about that, but Tanaka-“

“Satomi.”

“What?”

Satomi felt her cheeks heat further. “Please call me Satomi. I feel it’s appropriate now after...”

“Okay...Satomi,” he said her name carefully as if he was tasting each syllable of her name as it came out, “you’re allowed to set boundaries. You’re allowed to tell me what I can and can’t do. And...I’m not gonna go away just because you told me to wait.”

Satomi nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had so many more questions for Hijikata, more to satiate her curiosity, but her headache was returning full force, and the light in the room made it worse. She closed her eyes and slid down the couch until her head lay on the arm rest. Her feet slid underneath Hijikata’s thigh. She thought she felt him tense for a moment before he relaxed.

“Thank you for bringing me soup,” she murmured after yawning.

“I should let you sleep.”

Satomi opened one eye. “Stay? Until I fall asleep at least.”

Hijikata chuckled. “Sure.”

Satisfied, Satomi closed her eye and curled up on her side. The last thing she thought before slipping into slumber was how comforting his presence was.

When she awoke later that evening, Satomi noticed that Hijikata was gone. But lying on the coffee table across from her was a single pink rose on the edge of full bloom.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @hakuyamazakisensei, @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @emmalanna, @fic-writer-appreciation

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt - Day 6

Lovesick?

Hijikata finally opened the door to his apartment around 8 PM. His day had been busy with lecture, consults, and minor surgeries. After turning on the lights and feeding Toshizō, Hijikata flopped on his couch with a loud sigh. He was exhausted, and his body was grateful to finally be at rest.

In the quiet of his home, Hijikata’s mind began to wander to other subjects besides work. His mind replayed what had happened with Arisawa earlier in the day, and he felt his stomach drop slightly at the reminder that he had been careless enough to agitate a man who was clearly paranoid.

Hijikata fished out his phone and opened a text.

Hey…how was the rest of your shift?

He waited for the ellipses to pop up on his screen. When he didn’t see it appear right away, he sighed and set the phone aside. He concentrated on taking deep breaths, realizing that he was now beginning to worry. Did something happen to her? If it had, why didn’t she tell him?

Why should she? It’s not like we’re together…

And the next thought was then, Do I want that? He wasn’t sure. So far, Satomi was proving to be the type of woman Hijikata could see sticking around awhile. Not only had she been understanding when he canceled dinner, but she had brought him dinner. No other woman he had dated had ever considered doing that.

But that was also one time. I’ll have to see how she reacts when I have to keep choosing work over her, he mused with a wry smile.

A ding. He looked down and saw Satomi had replied.

Fine. Why?

Hijikata scoffed and picked up his phone to respond.

Because he was pretty upset

Only because you were there He was fine once you left

Why is she dismissing me? Hijikata’s nose crinkled and his eyes narrowed.

Well, I just wanted to be sure

Aww…I didn't know you cared 🙂

Hijikata immediately felt his body tense.

Shut up

A pause and then:

You know, I noticed you only get rude with me when I’ve struck a nerve

Hijikata didn’t know how to respond to that. He set his phone down for a moment to try to gather his thoughts. He was used to his friends pointing out when he was attempting to hide his true feelings and they would laugh, but that hadn’t been the case with any of the women he had dated in the past. They either became upset themselves and a fight would ensue, or they would completely misunderstand him and try harder to please him, which never worked.

It was clear Satomi wasn’t going to be like these other women.

He looked down to see another text waited for him.

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything But yes…I’m fine. Thank you for asking

Hijikata wondered why she was being apologetic all of a sudden. He shrugged and  typed a reply.

What are you doing right now?

Writing a paper You?

Relaxing on the couch

Ugh…I want to do that But this paper is due tomorrow

What’s it on?

It’s just a reflection on my internship so far Nothing earth-shattering

Hijikata's smile was crooked as he snorted and texted back.

Sounds riveting

Extremely 😜

Hijikata realized that his body felt warm, and his cheeks were beginning to smart with the amount of smiling he had done over the past few minutes. He let his face relax for a moment to give his muscles a break, and he suddenly felt a jolt of realization course through him.

This was too comfortable.

And he suddenly felt a chill run through him. How long was this going to last? How long would she tolerate him repeatedly canceling plans they had made because he was called into the hospital? Would she truly understand that? Experience told him no, and as much as she was showing him that she was different, he realized that he had only known her for a few months. He only really started to get to know her over the past few weeks. This was all brand new, and she could very well only be accepting of it in the short term.

It’s so tempting…I shouldn’t…

Hey! Did you fall asleep on me or what?

Hijikata was drawn out of his thoughts by the text, and he shook his head to clear his mind.

Nearly. I’ll leave you to your riveting paper

Haha! All right then Good night

Hijikata’s heart hammered against his ribs.

Good night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @hakuyamazakisensei, @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @shell-senji, @enby-peep, @lescahiersdesable, @jellyfish-wish, @emmalanna, @flower-dragon, @fic-writer-appreciation If anyone wishes to be added or removed to my tagging list, please message me!

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt - Day 7

Time Together

Hey...what days are your internship?

Satomi looked up from her textbook to see the text from Hijikata. She smiled as she picked up her phone to respond.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday I’m usually there for 4 hours starting around noon Sometimes longer if I don’t have to work afterwards

Damn...you work too?

Yeah. Gotta pay my bills somehow

Satomi snorted at Hijikata’s surprise. It had been a few weeks since they had seen each other, but they had continued to text. Satomi found it endearing that Hijikata wanted to keep in contact with her, and she looked forward to receiving his texts.

Well...I get out of lecture at 11 Maybe...we can meet for lunch at the hospital before you go up to the unit?

Satomi felt her heart stutter at his words. A thrill went through her body, and her fingertips tingled as they hovered over her phone. She suddenly felt light-headed, and a wide grin broke out on her lips.

You mean...every Monday, Wednesday, Friday?

I thought I made that clear

Satomi scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was getting used to his rudeness and recognized it as a defense mechanism. Still, she hoped that one day he wouldn’t feel the need to hide from her. She decided the her best bet was to just ignore his brusqueness and give him an answer.

Well, then yes I would like that very much

See you tomorrow at 11 then

I look forward to it 🙂

~~~~~~~~ They met in the cafeteria, and sitting across from each other at Hijikata’s usual table by the windows, they ate and chatted. Well, in this case, Satomi listened as Hijikata went on about a complex surgery he has been chosen to scrub in for. Satomi attempted to pay attention to the details, but when he started using medical terms she was unfamiliar with, she quickly lost track.

Instead, Satomi found herself drawn to his passion. His eyes were alight, and she could see excitement in his movements and tone of voice. It was pure delight to see him speak so well on the subject, and she was soon hyper-focused on the curve of his lips and the light in his eyes. A man with passion...that was something she found highly attractive.

“Oi. Are you listening?”

The change in tone snapped Satomi out of her thoughts, and her eyes widened as she realized that his eyes were narrowed and focused on her. She had been caught not absorbing anything he was saying.

“What?” she asked as a light blush dusted her cheeks.

“You look like you’re lost and...something else.”

Oh my God...when did he get so good at reading me?! Satomi sat up, her mind scrambling at this latest development. She hadn’t expected Hijikata to be able to start understanding her little mannerisms that gave hints of her thoughts to people who knew her well. She prided herself on being good at hiding her feelings, which is why she had instantly recognized when Hijikata was doing the same thing. Now? She was going to have to be more careful.

“I told you I’d get lost when you start using medical jargon,” she said petulantly with a tiny hint of a smile.

“Oh...I guess I got carried away there,” Hijikata murmured, his gaze trailing down to the table.

“It’s okay,” Satomi assured him. “I can tell you’re really passionate about your work. It’s...nice.”

A sort of awkward silence descended between them, neither knowing where to go from there. Satomi mentally smacked herself for being complimentary in such a clumsy way. She took a bite of her salad and used the time to think about how to break the silence between them.

“Are...you doing anything this weekend?”

Satomi finished chewing and swallowed. “Just studying for an exam on Monday.”

“Oh, well...everyone is getting together for drinks at the bar on Saturday. I thought...maybe you’d like to come.”

Satomi could feel her heart beat quicken. “Sure. I can’t stay too long, but I’m sure I’ll need a study break.”

Hijikata nodded. Satomi looked to the clock behind Hijikata and sighed. Eleven forty-five. How does the time fly when I’m with him? “I should head up to the floor.”

Satomi stood and gathered up her trash. She turned to leave and had taken a few steps before she heard his voice.

“Be careful, Tanaka.”

Satomi smiled briefly before turning her head to look over her shoulder. “Right back at you.” ~~~~~~~~~ Walking into the same bar she had first met Hijikata at, Satomi felt more comfortable than she had the first time she had been there. She was a little more familiar with everyone, and admittedly, she was looking forward to seeing Hijikata outside of the hospital.

When she approached the group that had gathered by the bar much like that time, Satomi wasn’t shocked to see that Hijikata wasn’t there yet. He had told her earlier that he had gone into the hospital to finish some notes. She removed her pea coat and scarf, hanging them off the back of a chair that Sano was occupying.

“Hey, Satomi,” Sano greeted.

“Hey! It’s good to see everyone again,” she said before she ordered a cider from the bartender.

“Hi, Satomi-chan!” Chizuru greeted as she came up to Satomi’s left.

“Hi, Chizuru-chan. How’s school?”

“Busy. I knew medical school was going to be hard, but…I wasn’t quite expecting so much work!” she bemoaned.

Satomi heard the casual chuckle of Souji, and she immediately felt her whole body tense. She peered past Chizuru to acknowledge the man, who had come to stand next to his girlfriend.

“Hey, Satomi-chan,” Souji said with his typical smirk.

“Okita-kun,” Satomi addressed stiffly.

She caught sight of her cider being set on the bar out of the corner of her eye, and she grabbed it. She was certain Souji had noted her cold acknowledgement, but she wasn’t about to change it. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Souji per se, but she had learned quickly that Souji had a knack for being blunt in a sort of pointed way. She also felt like he didn’t care much for her either, and thus, he was more willing to find the perfect moment to tease her.

If anyone else in the group were to tease her, Satomi could handle it because it was done good-naturedly. Souji on the other hand? He always had an air of superiority about him that just irked her, and it seemed that he used his barbs as a way to prove that he was better than anyone else.

“You ready for that test on Monday?” Sano asked, drawing her attention away from her thoughts.

“Maybe? I think I have a pretty good handle on all the theories of personality.”

“If you want, I can quiz you later,” Sano offered.

“Whoa…don’t you think you better run that by Hijikata-san first?” Souji asked smugly.

Satomi whirled on him. “No. Why?”

Souji shrugged nonchalantly, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Oh…you know…I thought you two were dating and all.”

Satomi’s eyes widened and her stomach twisted. “What makes you think we’re dating?”

Souji turned to lean his back on the bar, and a corner of his mouth was quirked up. “Well, I heard you brought him dinner the one night. And you two have been having lunch together three times a week. Sounds like dating to me.”

Satomi’s head whipped to look at Sano, who just smiled with a shrug. “I don’t know who gave you that idea.”

“Well, I’m just shocked, that’s all. Didn’t peg you for the type to go for a man who’s gonna choose his job over you,” Souji said with a loud sigh.

She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, and her eyes narrowed as she returned her gaze to Souji. Satomi opened her mouth to retort when her phone dinged. She looked down and saw a text from Hijikata.

Sorry. emergency Not gonna make it

It’s okay. Really I’ll see you on Monday

She then returned her gaze to Souji, who had a knowing smile on his face. “That was him, wasn’t it? He’s not coming tonight, is he?”

“Why do you keep asking questions you already know answers to?” Satomi retorted.

Souji shrugged. “Just making conversation.”

“Really?” Satomi asked lightly, feeling feisty despite a voice in the back of her head telling her to back off. “It sounds to me like you care an awful lot about Hijikata.”

Souji stood up, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t-“

“Anyway, I guess it’s a good thing that being with a man isn’t my priority. Hijikata and I may be having lunch together, but my focus is on school and my career right now. But if you don’t care about him, I’m not sure why it’s any of your business who he spends his free time with.” Satomi’s tone was light and airy, but she hoped Souji was getting her message—fuck off.

Souji scowled, but before he could say anything else, Sano broke in. “Ma, come on, you two. Just let it go.”

Souji shrugged and pushed off the bar, disappearing into the group. Satomi watched him go before her gaze landed on Chizuru.

“I’m sorry about Souji.”

“You shouldn’t be the one to apologize for him,” Satomi said a little stiffly, though with more kindness than she had been addressing Souji with.

“It’s just his way of relating to people. He…he didn’t have such a good childhood. I know it shouldn’t excuse his behavior, but I thought you would understand.”

Satomi sighed before taking a drink. “That’s unfortunate.”

After finishing her drink, Satomi decided she needed to get back to her studying. After saying her good-byes, even to Souji—who seemed surprised by that—Satomi returned home. She settled herself on her couch and opened her textbook and notebook to continue studying.

Hey…are you still there?

Satomi looked down at her phone, first taking note of the time. It’s already 9:30.

No. I’m home now

I’m sorry about this evening

Really…it’s fine Though you missed the fireworks between Okita-kun and I

What did the twerp say now?

Satomi snorted softly as she replied.

Everyone seems to think we’re dating

There was a pause before his next text came through.

Is that so?

Yeah I just said we were having lunch together

When there wasn’t an immediate response, Satomi set her phone aside and returned her attention to her notes. A few minutes passed before another text came through.

I’d still like to see you

Satomi’s stomach dropped, and her eyes widened. She felt her heart rate increase as she picked up the phone. He’d still like to see me? A grin broke out as she attempted to tamp down her excitement at this confession. She took a moment to compose herself and to calm her wildly beating heart before she responded.

Well…I’m gonna be studying

That’s fine. I have reports and things to go over myself

Oh, okay then

What’s your address?

Satomi gave it to him, and then set her phone aside. She looked around her apartment, wondering if she needed to do anything to prepare for an unexpected guest. Deciding that there wasn’t anything else she could do as the place was already clean, she settled back into the couch and attempted to pay attention to her notes as her thoughts attempted to come to terms with the fact that Hijikata was coming over.

I need to focus. I mean…I’m excited he’s coming over, but I need to study. He’s just trying to make up for the fact that he canceled on me earlier.

With a few deep breaths, Satomi was able to return to her notebook. About fifteen minutes passed when she heard a knock on her door. Mika took off for the bedroom with her tail slightly poofed, which made Satomi chuckle. She opened the door, and was greeted by Hijikata in a pea coat with a messenger bag slung off his right shoulder. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she allowed him entry. He was rather dashing in his coat.

“Thanks,” he said as he removed his shoes and placed them on the mat next to the door.

“I can take your coat,” Satomi offered as he unbuttoned it to reveal a casual button-down shirt. “Aww…you didn’t have to get dressed up for me,” she teased lightly as she went to hang his coat off the back of a chair at her dining room table.

When she turned to face him, she saw a light blush on his cheeks. No rude comment was forthcoming. This slightly surprised Satomi, and she decided to reward it by not drawing further attention to his embarrassment.

“Want something to drink?”

“Water would be great.”

She went into the kitchen, and he followed a few steps behind. Satomi was acutely aware of his closeness, and she could hear her heart pounding and her blood rushing in her ears. It was so loud to her that she thought it might be loud enough for him to hear. She handed him the glass, and their fingers gently brushed, making her heart leap up in her throat and her fingers tingle where they had made contact.

“Thanks.” A pause as they made their way back to the living room. “What are you studying?”

“Personality theory,” Satomi said as she resumed her previous place on the couch.

“Uh…sounds…interesting?”

Satomi smiled as she watched him settle on the floor between the couch and her coffee table with his back resting against the couch. She understood his desire to maintain some distance between them, but a small part of her wished he had chosen to sit closer.

“It is to me,” she said with a smile. “But I won’t bore you with trying to explain it all.”

Hijikata snorted, and it seemed he caught on to her good-natured barb about his earlier gushing over the surgery he was going to be a part of. He grabbed his messenger bag and pulled out several stacks of papers.

A comfortable silence filled the room. Soon, Satomi’s gaze was able to return to her notes and textbook. Even though she was aware that he was near her, his presence did little to distract her. In fact, it was soothing, and she wasn’t sure why. Nor did she have the time to dwell on it.

Soon, two hours passed, and Satomi could feel her eyes burning and drooping. She was tired, and she was fighting to stay awake. Her eyes closed briefly, and Satomi figured she could just rest them for a few minutes before picking back up with her studying.

Hijikata lifted his arms over his head and stretched, feeling his back crack. He let out a sigh and then turned to look back at Satomi. Her legs were curled up underneath her with her head tilted to the side. Her notebook was sitting in her lap, held in place by her arm. She was asleep. He snorted softly and knew this was his cue to leave.

As quietly as he could, Hijikata gathered up his papers and shoved them back into his messenger bag. He then stood, looking around the room for a blanket. He located one on a chair across the living room, and after retrieving it, he unfolded it as he approached the couch once more.

Before draping the blanket over her, Hijikata slowly slid the notebook out from under her arm and placed it on the cushion beside her. He then covered her with the blanket. He stood there for a moment, taking in her completely relaxed features, and his heart fluttered. A part of him wanted to reach out and brush her bangs out of her face, but he wasn’t sure he should do something so intimate.

After a few more moments of watching her sleep, he shook his head and made the decision to go before he made the bad decision to stay when he wasn’t sure he would be welcome. He picked up his messenger bag, retrieved his coat and put it on before placing the bag on his shoulder. He went to the door and slid his shoes back on his feet as he looked back at her.

“Good night,” he murmured before taking his leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @eheartangel, @hakuyamazakisensei, @resshiiram, @hidetheremote, @shell-senji, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @jellyfish-wish, @emmalanna, @fic-writer-appreciation. If you wish to be added or removed from my tagging list, please message me! 

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt - Days 3 & 4

Here is the next prompt for the February challenge hosted by @fic-writer-appreciation! I hope you all enjoy!

Lacy First Date

With the class dismissed from lecture, Hijikata closed his notebook and slid his pen into the pocket of his lab coat. He rose from the desk, leaning back and lifting his arms over his head for a deep stretch. Looking at the clock on the wall, he determined he had some time to grab lunch before he had to scrub in for a surgery.

Hijikata made his way to the locker room with his notebook in hand. He figured he could look over the assessments and reports related to the afternoon surgery after eating. He turned the corner to the locker room, and stopped short when he saw Harada standing there with an easy smile on his face.

“Hey, Hijikata.”

“Harada,” he greeted as he walked past him into the locker room.

He opened his locker door, his eyes landing on the obnoxiously bright post-it note stuck there. Every time he looked at it since it had appeared on his door two weeks ago, he would scoff. He couldn’t believe she had the guts to leave him her phone number, especially when he thought he made it clear that he wasn’t looking for a romantic relationship. Even so, he couldn’t force himself to take it down or throw it away.

“Ah, I see you still have it,” Harada’s teasing voice came from behind him.

Hijikata shoved his notebook into the locker and slammed the door shut, whirling around to pin Harada with a glare. “It’s none of your business.”

“So...have you called her? Texted her?”

Hijikata crossed his arms. “Why do you care?”

Harada’s eyebrow rose elegantly toward the ceiling. “Really? That hurts, Hijikata.”

The two stared each other down, neither one willing to budge. After a moment or two of silence, Hijikata sighed and shifted until he was leaning casually against the lockers. He ignored the discomfort from the locker handle digging into his mid-back.

“How many times have I been through this?”

Harada shrugged dismissively. “A few since I’ve known you.”

“Exactly. Each girl I dated had the same issue. I work too much. I was too focused on my career. And yeah, it’s important to me, so why wouldn’t I be?”

“You needed someone who understood the demands of your job.”

“I just don’t have the time for anyone clingy. My job is my life.”

Harada sighed. “For now, yes. But what happens when you become a full-fledged doctor? There’s more to life than your job, Hijikata. I know you realize that and want someone to share your life with.”

Hijikata looked away. This wasn’t the first time he had discussed this with Harada. Every time, it started out with the assertion that Hijikata needed more than his career. While Hijikata agreed with that, he hadn’t had any luck finding someone he could enjoy his free time with but who was also understanding when he had to be called away. After several failed, casual relationships, he had stopped looking.

Hijikata sighed, his whole body heaving. He pulled out his phone and opened his messaging app. He eyed Harada as he typed his message and sent it.

Hi

Hijikata was surprised when the ellipses showed up on his screen in a few seconds. Who is this?

Hijikata Harada told me to text you

A few seconds passed, and the ellipses popped up on the screen. It stayed on the screen for much longer than Hijikata had anticipated, and he suddenly felt wary of what she was writing.

I want you to text me because you want to, not because you feel obligated Text me whenever you’re ready

Hijikata felt his stomach twist. She had definitely told him in no uncertain terms that he had made a mistake. Well…I wasn’t expecting that…he thought with wry amusement. He heard a ding and peered up at Harada, who had pulled out his phone and was looking at a text he had just received. Harada smirked, snorted, and then turned the phone to Hijikata so he could read the text.

Sano. Stop Stop trying to force us together

“I guess you two are more alike than I thought,” Harada said with a quiet chuckle. “I guess this is my cue to step back.”

With that, Harada took his leave. Hijikata looked down at the last text from Satomi. He snorted softly as he saved her number in his phone.

“Text me when you’re ready.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week had passed since Satomi had blown off Hijikata’s half-assed attempt at reaching out to her. While there was a tiny part of her that fretted over her bluntness and the resulting silence, she had been so consumed by school, work, and her internship that she barely had time to think of anything else.

So it was a surprise when she left class one afternoon and found a text waiting for her from Hijikata. She felt her heart leap up in her throat as she opened the text.

Hey…are you free Thursday evening?

Satomi couldn’t help the grin that broke out, and bit down on her lip as she replied. Yeah. What’s up?

I thought we could hang out…grab some dinner?

Satomi nearly squealed with delight. Sounds good! What time?

6?

Great. Where should I meet you?

How about that fusion place around the corner from the hospital? It’s good

Perfect

Satomi could barely contain her excitement as she stuffed her phone into her purse and took off for her car. She drove home and after dumping her stuff on her couch and giving Mika a quick pat on the head, she went to her closet. She flung the door open, hoping to find the perfect outfit.

The fusion place was a step above causal, and while Satomi was hopeful that this was a date, she didn’t want to be too dressy or under dressed. She poured through her tops, dresses, skirts, and pants, wondering what she should wear. She finally pulled out a sapphire blue, form-fitting top with long, lacy sleeves.

She then went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of dark flare jeans. She decided this was perfect—casual yet dressy. She set the items aside and then flopped onto her bed, her heart soaring.

I can’t wait until Thursday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday came rather quickly for Hijikata. Through the day, he found himself thinking a little more about Satomi. He wondered if she was in the hospital now for her internship or if she was doing something else. He wondered what it would be like to sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with her, since prior to tonight, they had always met with the rest of the gang around. Most of all, Hijikata was curious about her.

Hijikata received the call for an emergency surgery at four. He had been on his way out of the hospital to go home for a bit before dinner with Satomi. He sighed, knowing that this was going to end up being the first test for Satomi. Would she understand or would she be upset?

Hey, Tanaka

Hey! What’s up?

Sorry to have to do this, but I have to cancel I just got called in for an emergency surgery I won’t make it time for dinner tonight

He watched the ellipses on the screen, and he was filled with trepidation.

Okay. I understand Another time, right?

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, and he smiled.

Yeah Thanks for understanding

Of course!

With that, he threw his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the OR to begin the scrubbing in process.

~~~~~~~~

Satomi sighed as she set her phone aside. She was disappointed that their dinner was canceled. She had been looking forward to the chance to spend time with Hijikata without anyone else around. She lay on her bed and watched as Mika leapt up to join her. She reached out, and Mika rubbed against her hand.

“This stinks.” Another sigh.

Suddenly, a thought came to her. What if I bring him dinner? Satomi sat up and grabbing her phone, texted Harada.

What does Hijikata like to eat from that fusion place around the corner from the hospital?

Whatever. He’s not picky Why?

We were supposed to meet there for dinner but he got called into surgery I figured I’d bring him dinner instead

😏

OMG…don’t give me that

😏😏😏

Seriously though! What does he like to eat?

After a little more teasing, Harada gave Satomi Hijikata’s usual order. Now that she had a plan in place, she decided to get ready. She decided to wear the outfit she had originally planned on. A quick shower, some make-up, and fully dressed, Satomi grabbed her phone and placed an order for take out.

By the time she had driven to the restaurant, picked up the food, and then parked at the hospital, it was close to 6:30. She wondered how long the surgery was going to take as she trekked across the parking lot to the front doors of the hospital. She waved her student badge at the security officer sitting at the entrance, who allowed her in.

Satomi made her way to the locker room and was glad to discover that the room was empty. She set the bag of food on the desk and sat on the chair to wait. The minutes ticked by slowly, and Satomi had to pull out her phone to find a random game to play to pass the time.

She quickly became absorbed in an oldie but a goodie—2048—when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up in time to see Hijikata entering the room, dressed in hospital issue scrubs and his white lab coat. He stopped short at the sight of her as she stood up.

“Hey,” she said with a smile.

“I wasn’t expecting you here,” Hijikata said, clearly a little taken aback.

“I know. I just thought…well, if we couldn’t have dinner out, there wasn’t a reason we could still meet. I…thought I’d bring you something to eat.”

She saw Hijikata smile for the first time, and it made her heart stutter. The smile softened his eyes, and she could see genuine happiness in them. She always thought he was attractive, but that smile? He was even more handsome.

“Thanks. Where do you want to go to eat?”

“Oh…I didn’t think about that, honestly. I just…I only thought as far as now,” Satomi confessed with a blush.

Hijikata chuckled. “That’s fine. How about we go the cafeteria? We’ll be interrupted by people coming in and out of such a tight space.”

“Sure.”

Satomi picked up the bag and followed Hijikata out of the room and toward the cafeteria. He led her to the same table they had eaten at several weeks ago, and she placed the bag down before removing her pea coat. She hung it off the back of her chair and looked up at Hijikata.

His eyes were wide, and she was certain she saw a blush dusting his cheeks. She looked down, secretly pleased that he appeared to like what she was wearing. He looked away as he sat down, and she began to reach into the bag to pull out the food.

Hijikata opened his container, and once he realized what was in it, he looked Satomi’s way as she sat. “How’d you know what to get me?”

“I texted Sano.”

“So much for him backing off.”

Satomi laughed. “It’s my fault. I wanted to make sure I would bring something you’d like. But that’s it! That’s all he knows!”

“It’s enough.”

Satomi sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

They began to eat in comfortable silence. For the first time, Satomi felt like she wasn’t imposing on him, and it warmed her heart. This was what she wanted all along—just the time to talk to him and get to know him.

“How did the surgery go?” she asked after finishing a bite of her food.

Hijikata peered up at her with raised eyebrows. “Are you really interested or just trying to make conversation?”

“A bit of both? I mean, I won’t understand medical jargon if you throw any at me. But…I am curious.”

“Well, my residency is for general surgery, so I do a bit of everything. If there’s something complicated for a specific system of the body, then a specialist gets called in.” Hijikata paused to take another bite of food and to chew. “This person had some pretty significant trauma from a gunshot wound.”

Satomi gasped. “Did they make it?”

Hijikata nodded. “He’ll be in ICU for a few days at least.” A pause. “How are things on the unit?”

Satomi shrugged. “Okay so far. I saw my first restraint the other day.”

“Right. Because you’re not allowed to assist with those. So…what do you do?”

“Mmm…a lot of verbal de-escalation. Some individual counseling and some groups as they tolerate them. I’m working with the sickest, so it requires some flexibility and creativity.”

Hijikata snorted. “Why do you have to be a shrink?”

“Hey,” Satomi snapped, a frown on her lips. “I don’t like that term. It makes me sound like a quack, and I’m not.”

Hijikata’s eyes widened momentarily, but then they returned to a neutral gaze. “Well, do you blame me? You’re probably analyzing me right now.”

Satomi scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course I am, but that’s not because I’m a therapist-in-training. It’s just…it’s just part of being a human. We all read people to get a feel for how to approach them.”

“Yeah…but that night after I told you all about…my cat…” Hijikata’s tone was apprehensive.

“Yeah?”

“You said some things about Souji and I…”

Satomi lowered her chopsticks. “Oh my God…I didn’t mean…I shouldn’t have said anything…especially since I didn’t know you both well at all.”

Hijikata just stared at her, and Satomi wished she could tell what he was thinking. After a moment passed, he merely humphed and returned to his food. “Yeah. You shouldn’t have said anything.”

Well, that was weird. It seemed like he was going to tell me something else. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Hijikata waved away her apology. “It’s…it’s fine. It’s done. Anyway, the last thing I want to do right now is think about Souji. It’ll ruin the fun.”

Satomi felt a thrill go through her body, and her breath caught in her throat. He’s…having fun? She smiled and chuckled. “Okay.”

They talked about various topics until their containers were empty. Hijikata was more at ease and even smiled more than she had ever seen, which warmed her heart. Before she knew it, it was nine, and she realized she would have to be up early for a shift at the clothing store before class. They both stood, put their trash in the now empty bag, and made their way out to the parking lot.

Right outside the entrance to the hospital, they paused, and Satomi turned to face Hijikata.

“Thanks, Tanaka.”

“No problem.”

Hijikata peered to the side, almost as if he was embarrassed to be so open with her. He then looked her way once more.

“Do…you want me to walk you to your car?”

“Oh…no thanks. I think I can handle it.”

Hijikata gave her a swift nod. “Okay. Good night then.”

“Good night.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuyamazakisensei, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @jellyfishwish, @emmalanna

[sabinasanfanfic]

Last Line Meme

Rules: Post the last line you wrote


Tagged By: A few people! @kondo-hijikata and @shell-senji. If I missed anyone, I apologize!


Tagging: @hakuyamazakisensei, @resshiiram, @eliz1369, @impracticaldemon

“I told you I’d get lost when you start using medical jargon,” she said petulantly with a tiny hint of a smile.

[sabinasanfanfic]

The Tale of Toshizō the Cat - A Modern AU

I was inspired by @eheartangel’s Time Travel AU, and she has graciously allowed me to write this piece as a little background to her own story. If you haven’t read it, you need to check it out here! It’s a super fun read! I hope you all enjoy, and please give the Time Travel AU a read!

Satomi came to the front door of the house, feeling a little nervous. It was her first time coming to a gathering of the group on her own. The last time she hung out with everyone, she had accompanied Sano, and while they had been welcoming the first time she met them all, she didn’t feel like a full member of the tight-knit group. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door. 

The door was opened by a gentleman she hadn’t met last time she hung out with the group, and she felt a slight jolt of fear go through her at the thought of having come to the wrong house. He smiled kindly at her.

“Ah, you must be Tanaka-san. Harada told me you’d be coming. I’m Kondō Isami,” he greeted as he gestured her inside.

Satomi stepped up into the house with a smile of relief. “Yes, thank you.”

“Everyone’s in the living room. Make yourself at home!” 

Satomi’s smile widened as she kicked off her shoes and hung her coat in the closet by the front door. She followed Kondō down the hall toward the living room. Once there, she saw the usual suspects scattered around the room - Heisuke, Saitō, Yamazaki, Shinpachi, Sano, Souji, Chizuru, and of course, Hijikata. As her eyes settled on him, she felt her heart beat a little faster.

“Hey Satomi!” Sano called. “Come in and get comfy! We’re about to get started with the games!”

She stepped into the room and noticed a stack of board games set on a coffee table in the middle. Off to the side was another table stacked with snacks and drinks. Satomi waved at everyone and made her way to the refreshment table to grab some water as everyone began chatting.

As she came to the table, another woman she hadn’t seen before met her at the table. Satomi shot her a nervous smile as she reached for a glass.

“Hi! Shin told me Sano brought a girl to the last outing, so you must be her. I’m Etsu!”

“Satomi. Nice to meet you.”

“So...are you two together?”

Satomi finished pouring the water and turned to face the rest of the group. “Oh no! We’re just friends. He thought I’d get along really well with everyone.”

Etsu’s eyes sparkled as if she thought Satomi was hiding the truth of the nature of the relationship between her and Sano. Satomi knew it would only be a matter of time before the both of them were no longer teased about dating. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. Come sit with Chizuru and I!”

Satomi’s eyes slid covertly over to Hijikata, who was drinking from a sake dish, before turning her attention completely to Etsu. “Sure.”

Etsu led her to the couch where Chizuru sat with Souji not far from her. Etsu and Satomi settled themselves on the floor. At first, Satomi felt uneasy as the conversation flowed easily between Etsu and Chizuru, but soon, she was joining in. She found both ladies very kind and open, and she forgot her discomfort. 

“Hey Souji! I found a game for you that you might like!” Sano exclaimed as he pulled a small red box from a bag and tossed it on the table in front of Souji. 

Souji picked up the box, his lips pursed as he read the title. “Exploding Kittens? Why would you get me something like that?”

“Because it’s a game about cats. I figured you’d like it,” Sano said with a little smirk.

“I don’t want to play a game that involves hurting cats,” Souji replied dismissively with a hint of steel in his tone.

“Oh come on, Souji!” Heisuke wheedled. “You’re not really exploding kittens! The object of the game is to stop cats from exploding!”

Souji held the box in his had for a moment, weighing it, before he set it back on the table. “Yeah, okay. I’ll bite. Who else wants to play?”

Satomi set aside her glass. “I will.”

“Are you about saving the cats or exploding them?”

“What do you think, Okita-kun?” Satomi challenged with a playful smile of her own. A pause. “I love cats. I have one at home named Mika.”

Souji nodded as if he approved. “Nice. Okay, who else is playing? I think Hijikata-san should.”

“Why?” the aforementioned man asked as he set his sake dish down.

“Well, you’re a cat lover too,” Souji teased.

Hijikata’s eyes closed, and he heaved a deep sigh. Satomi heard him mutter something, but she couldn’t make out what he said. 

“What was that, Hijikata-san?” Souji coaxed.

“I’m not sure why my having a cat means I want to play a game like that,” he groused.

“Aww, you have a cat?” Satomi asked, genuinely curious.

“No thanks to Souji,” Hijikata replied, his eyes sharp and focused on the man as snickers came from Heisuke, Sano, and Shinpachi.

Souji just smiled. “Ne, Hijikata-san...you should tell her what you named your cat.”

Satomi thought she saw a light blush form high on Hijikata’s cheeks, and it appeared that he was attempting to keep a lid on his temper. She really wanted to know about this cat that Hijikata had in his home. It was obvious that the name of the cat was quite significant. Satomi snuck a look around the room and saw the amusement on everyone’s faces. Oh...this ought to be a good story, she thought.

“Why do I need to tell her?”

“She’s the only one in this room who doesn’t know,” Shinpachi piped up.

“I don’t know either,” Etsu addressed to Shinpachi.

Everyone’s eyes were now on Hijikata. Satomi leaned forward slightly, a captive audience to Hijikata’s tale. He let out a long-suffering sigh and crossed his arms.

“This was a couple years ago...when Sannan, Kondō, and I still lived together...”

Hijikata came to the house he shared with Kondō and Sannan, feeling exhausted. It had been a busy first week of medical school, and while he was excited to finally be on the path to be a surgeon, he admitted that it wasn’t going to be easy. He already had a slew of assignments to get started on when all he wanted to do was crash in his bed for the rest of the day.

“I’ll have some tea to relax and then get down to work,” Hijikata murmured to himself as he climbed the stairs to the stoop. 

He pulled his keys out of his messenger bag and stopped short when he saw a box sitting at his feet. It was a white box with large holes cut out of it. He stared at the box, wondering what it was. He heard some scrambling around inside and jumped back slightly in surprise. He let out a breath and chuckled. It must be for Sannan and his weird experiments. Satisfied with that explanation, he picked up the box, unlocked the door, and went into the house. 

Hijikata deposited the box by Sannan’s bedroom door, ignoring the note taped to the top of it and made his way to the kitchen. In the time it took for him to make tea and get himself settled at the dining room table to enjoy it, Sannan had come home and joined him.

“Hijikata-kun, what’s with the box in front of my door?”

Hijikata looked up from his cup of tea. “I thought it was something for your...whatever you’re doing in the basement.”

Sannan’s eyes flashed mysteriously behind his glasses, and he pushed them up the bridge of his nose while he considered Hijikata’s words. “I don’t remember ordering anything...”

Hijikata shrugged as Sannan left the room to investigate the package. Hijikata inhaled deeply to enjoy the fragrance of his tea. He was about to take a sip when Sannan entered the room again with the box and placed it in front of him. Hijikata peered over the rim of his cup in annoyance.

“It’s for you,” Sannan explained.

Hijikata set the cup down. “What? I didn’t-”

“Did you read the note?”

Hijikata stood to get a better look at the note taped to the top of the box. 

Hijikata-san, a gift for you. Enjoy! ~ Souji

“What is it?”

And that was when there was a little mew that emitted from the box followed by scratching. Both men stared at each other in shock before Hijikata quickly opened the box. Inside was a black kitten. Hijikata took a step back, immediately whipping out his phone and dialing the young man.

“I was wondering when you’d call,” Souji’s voice sang over the phone.

“What the hell, Souji?!” Hijikata shouted.

“Do you like your gift?”

“You need to take it back! I don’t have time for a cat!” 

“Hijikata-san, I can’t do that.”

“Why the hell not?”

A sigh. “Because I’m not allowed to have pets at my dorm.”

“Then...take it to a shelter!” Hijikata spluttered.

“Come on...the shelter was full! I kept it as long as I could, but my RA is beginning to become suspicious. And room inspections are coming up. If they find this cat in my room, they’ll definitely take it away. Probably to a kill shelter. Come on, Hijikata-san...it wouldn’t be fair for them to kill a kitten. Especially since it was abandoned by its mother.”

Shit. Hijikata looked down at the box where the kitten had stuck its head out out of the top and was looking around the room. Grudgingly, he admitted that the cat was rather cute, and if he was ever going to have a pet, he supposed a cat would be the better choice. They weren’t as high maintenance as dogs.

“I don’t have any food or supplies to take care of it,” Hijikata finally argued weakly. It was clear to the both of them that Souji’s argument of saving an innocent kitten was working. 

“I do! I’ll drop it off in a few minutes.” 

With that, Souji hung up. Hijikata sighed as he tossed his phone on the table. Sannan was grinning knowingly.

“Looks like I’m inheriting a cat,” Hijikata announced.

“Are you sure, Hijikata-kun?”

A sigh. “Yeah. Can’t let it go to a kill shelter so young. It hasn’t even had a chance at life yet.”

Sannan chuckled. “Such a soft-hearted young man.”

“Shut up,” Hijikata moaned with exasperation.

Sure enough, Souji showed up a few minutes later with an empty litter box, a bag of food, some toys, a litter scoop, bowls, and a box of litter. Hijikata didn’t say a word to Souji as he found the perfect spot for the litter box and placed the rest of the items in his bedroom. When he came back out to the dining room, Souji was cuddling the cat.

“Is it litter trained?” 

“Oh yeah,” Souji replied as the cat rubbed against his cheek. “He’s a great cat. Very smart. A little mischievous, but what cat isn’t?”

Hijikata sighed and shook his head as the cat jumped from Souji’s arms and approached him. The cat sniffed at one of his feet before bunching up and rubbing its side against Hijikata’s leg. Souji looked absolutely pleased.

“See, Hijikata-san? He likes you.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, I better get going. Chizuru and I are gonna hang out,” Souji said as he turned to leave. He got to the hallway before turning around. “Oh, I forgot to tell you...he already has a name.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah...he’s named Toshizō.”

There was a beat of silence as Hijikata processed what had been said. When he realized what Souji had done, he leapt toward the young man who laughed as he tore down the hall.

“Souji!”

Hijikata never caught up to Souji. He stormed back to the dining room where Sannan was found laughing. Hijikata looked down at the kitten. “There is no way in hell I’m keeping that name!”

The room erupted with laughter at the story, and Satomi couldn’t help her own giggles. She watched Hijikata become defensive at the laughter, and the blush deepened on his cheeks.

“You’re such a twerp,” he growled at Souji.

“So...how did the name change go?” Souji inquired in a sing-song voice.

“It didn’t! By the time you gave him to me, he wouldn’t answer to any other name but Toshizō!”

“Ah, no way!” Etsu said between fits of giggles.

Satomi did feel slightly bad for Hijikata, but she thought the story was rather entertaining. “Aw, I think it’s cute he’s named after you. Besides, it’s not like you named him, so nobody should think it’s weird you and the cat share a name.”

“Exactly. I didn’t get the chance to name him,” Hijikata fired back.

Satomi’s heart jumped with shock at the veracity of Hijikata’s ire, but she shook her head to brush the feeling away. She was determined to re-frame this for him. “Just think...Souji must really admire you to have named a cat after you. The fact that he thought of you as the first person to take the cat when it was in trouble means he trusted that you would care about his well-being.”

The room became absolutely still. Satomi became very aware of the silence and looked around, feeling immediate discomfort. She could feel heat suffuse her cheeks at the thought that she spoke about something she knew very little about. She hardly knew all of the inner workings of the group, and she wondered if she had said something that wasn’t true. She glanced at Souji, whose gaze was rather sharp. His body was rigid as he stared her down. Her eyes roved to Hijikata, who had adopted a very similar stance to Souji. She looked back down at her lap, now extremely uncomfortable. 

“I didn’t give him the cat because I trust him,” Souji began.

“He did it to piss me off,” Hijikata finished.

“Hey, hey! Let’s get the game started! I’ll play!” Heisuke cut in.

The tension in the air seemed to dissipate as Souji removed the lid from the box and pulled out the cards to begin the game. Satomi lost quickly and stepped back, still feeling very much like an outsider. She berated herself for commenting on what appeared to be a very complex relationship between Souji and Hijikata. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Chizuru standing behind her with a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry. They’re both in denial, but they really do care about each other. They just...have a strange way of expressing it.”

“I thought I might’ve offended them.”

Chizuru shook her head. “No. They just don’t want others to know just how much they care. It’ll take some time...but they’ll both get comfortable with you being around.”

Satomi smiled with relief. “Thanks, Chizuru-chan.”

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt - Day 13

Warning: Physical assault

Confession

Congrats on completing your internship!

Satomi smiled at the receipt of Hijikata’s text. Thanks!

Any plans?

None

Want to come to my place? I’ll cook for you…

You feel confident enough in your skills since I took you under my wing? 😜

I wont’t say no if you want to be my sous chef

Satomi giggled. What time?

6?

See you then

~~~~~

The first thing Satomi noticed walking into Hijikata’s apartment was that it was extremely neat and organized. She had some expectation of it being a little messy, but it almost looked like he didn’t live there. There were very few personal touches. Otherwise, it was a modern looking apartment with a small kitchen and a decent-sized living room that was sparsely furnished.

“Cozy,” Satomi stated with a nod of approval.

“It meets my needs. I’m not here often enough to really do much else with it.”

Satomi nodded absently because she was distracted by the arrival of a large, sleek black cat slinking towards her. Satomi let out a quiet gasp of delight and crouched down low, her hand outstretched toward the feline. Her thumb rubbed against her first and middle fingers to beckon the cat over.

The cat paused momentarily before beginning to approach her again at a slower pace. His tail was up and slightly crooked, and it was clear in his green eyes that he was curious. He stretched out his neck to sniff at her fingers. She stilled them, allowing him to get to know her. After a few moments of sniffing, the cat rubbed his cheek against her fingers. Satomi giggled and pet his head as he continued to rub up against her.

“Oh, you must be Toshizō!”

“Yeah...that’s him.”

Satomi barely heard Hijikata’s confirmation over her coos. “Aren’t you just the cutest! Adorable little Toshi!”

She felt the wave of tension wash off of Hijikata. “Oi. Don’t call him Toshi.” His tone was petulant.

Satomi peered up at Hijikata, a playful smirk meeting his narrowed eyes and obvious annoyance. “Why? Is that what you want to be called?”

Hijikata’s eyes widened briefly, and he cleared his throat while averting his gaze. Satomi stood, curious. “We’re not on a first name basis. I thought...you still wanted me to address you as Hijikata.”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and his arms folded defensively. “You let me call you Satomi.”

She nodded uncertainly. “Yes.”

“So...I should extend you the same courtesy.”

Satomi startled. “Only if you really want that. If you still want me to call you Hijikata, then I will.”

He sighed, and his arms dropped to his sides. “No, no. Toshi is fine.”

Satomi felt her cheeks warm. “Okay. Toshi it is then.”

He nodded in a very business-like manner. “Good.”

Satomi suddenly felt light-headed. She had noticed that among his friends, there was only one person allowed to call him Toshi, and now, she was being afforded the same privilege as Kondō. She felt her heart race at the thought of being given permission to do something that only one other person was allowed to do.

“Want to help me with dinner?”

“What are you making?”

“Just a quick stir fry. Is that all right? I mean, I know the occasion calls for something fancy, but…”

“Of course. What would you like me to do?”

“Prep the veggies?” he asked as he pointed in the direction of the refrigerator. “There’s some carrot, bok choy, broccoli, and mushrooms in there.”

Satomi got to work gathering the supplies and set up a work space at the counter not far from Hijikata. As she began chopping up the vegetables, she began to bounce along to the beat of a song that was playing in her mind. Hijikata was busy slicing chicken but noticed her movement out of the corner of his eye. He stopped momentarily and turned to watch her, a smile of amusement on his face. He chuckled with a shake of his head.

“What are you dancing to?”

She paused, her knife poised over the mushrooms she was chopping. “Hm?” She grinned playfully. “Guess.”

“Well obviously something by the GazettE.”

“You know me so well.”

She turned back to her task, humming the tune she had been dancing to. Hijikata couldn’t remember the name of the song, but he recognized it. Satomi peeked over her shoulder to see him still staring at her. She winked at him and returned her attention to the vegetables.

When she finished, she brought the vegetables over to the wok where Hijikata was stir frying the meat. Satomi watched his fluid movements and waited for his okay before she added the vegetables. She loved how comfortable this felt — cooking together. She then stepped back and began preparing the rice.

Soon, the meal was finished. They served themselves and then settled at the table. Hijikata set his bowl close on the table before sliding his chair close to Satomi’s so that he could sit beside her. They ate in companionable silence.

“So, they hired you? Full-time?”

Satomi nodded as she finished chewing. “Uh-huh! My supervisor really felt like I was a good fit for the team, so she extended me an offer last week. I got all the paperwork completed this week, so I can start as a full-time employee this weekend.”

“You’re working this weekend?”

“They were short-staffed, so I offered to pick up a shift on Saturday and Sunday.”

“Oh,” Hijikata sounded a little crestfallen.

Satomi smiled knowingly. “It’s not like I’ll be gone all day. If you’re free…”

“I’m on call, so…it’s hard to say.”

Satomi took a bite of her food, feeling warmth spread throughout her body. It seemed like ever since Hijikata had given her permission to call him by his first name, it had deepened their relationship, and she couldn’t be happier.

“Well, you know me…I’m flexible.” Hijikata snorted with laughter, which made Satomi giggle. “Don’t worry…if you want to spend time with me, I’ll be sure to make time.”

Hijikata just looked at her, his eyes sparkling fondly.

~~~~~~~

It was only two hours into the shift she picked up, and Satomi knew it was going to be an interesting one. The psych unit she worked on only had 5 patients right now, but they had a particular patient who actively psychotic and requiring the most attention. During breakfast, the patient had attempted to pour an entire carafe of hot coffee on one of the laptops a staff member was using. Satomi had stepped in just the nick of time to knock the carafe away from the laptop and staff member.

Sighing, Satomi wiped at the coffee on her scrub pants with a paper towel. If she finished the shift with only coffee-stained clothing, she’d call it a win. Two nights ago, the same patient had snuck up behind a female staff member and pulled her out of her chair by her hair. Now that staff member was out with a neck injury. Satomi was aware that this patient could be unpredictable, so she was on guard. She had made sure to braid her hair that morning to lessen the impact of an injury if she decided to pull hair, and she was making sure that there was always a wall at her back so no one could sneak up behind her.

After breakfast, the milieu was empty except for two of the patients walking the hallway with the other staff member who was completing safety checks. The charge nurse went into the nurse’s station to complete some paperwork. Satomi decided to sit down in the common room to keep an eye on things. Again, she was careful to choose a chair against the wall to prevent anyone from coming up behind her. She watched as the two patients walking together entered the common room.

It all happened so quickly. The female patient walked just past Satomi before suddenly turning and changing direction. She charged at Satomi from across the room faster than Satomi had ever seen her move. Satomi realized that she was in trouble but with a table to her left and the patient coming directly for her, there was no time to get away without making herself more vulnerable. She quickly raised her legs up so her feet rested on the seat and her hands went over her face to protect it.

The first blow to the top of her head was jarring. The patient said nothing as she continued to strike Satomi on the head with her fists, every once in awhile opening them to attempt to grab her hair. Satomi could feel the woman’s nails digging and dragging across her scalp, and she wished it would end. She lost count of how many times the patient hit her before the charge nurse yelled “Stop!” and pulled the patient away.

Satomi was dazed as she uncurled herself. She watched the charge nurse block two blows from the patient with his forearm before the woman took off for the hallway. Satomi was numb as she grabbed the panic alarm around her neck and pulled. The shrill screech of the alarm echoed throughout the room as she stood and joined her charge nurse in the hallway.

The patient and staff were at an impasse. Satomi saw the patient glare at her, and despite wanting to be there to assist her co-workers, she knew she wasn’t safe from further retaliation. She went to the nurse’s station as several safety assistants dressed in black came on to the unit in response to the panic alarm. Once the door was shut behind her, Satomi took a deep breath and collapsed into a chair.

What...

A safety assistant came into the nurse’s station. “Is everyone okay?”

She shook her head. “I was attacked.”

Satomi said it as a matter of fact, still attempting to come to grips with what just happened. She had never been the victim of something so violent, and she was having a hard time processing it all. Soon, more safety assistants, the charge nurse, and the attending psychiatrist were in the nurse’s station and surrounding her. The room seemed to close in around her with the number of people in the room with their attention on her.

“Satomi, are you okay? I’m so sorry...”

At her charge nurse’s words, the tears came unbidden. She could feel fat tears roll down her cheeks, and she quickly swiped at them with her fingers.

“What happened?” the psychiatrist asked.

“She hit me on top of my head...over and over,” Satomi said through the tears.

“Does anything hurt?” The psychiatrist asked as she examined Satomi’s neck with her fingers.

“My neck. It feels like...something is pushing...into the back of my throat...”

“Take her down to the ED,” the psychiatrist instructed to one of the safety assistants. “Can you walk, Satomi?”

“Yeah.”

The walk down to the ED was silent. All Satomi could think about was getting to the emergency department. Once there, she was ushered into a room soon followed by a hospital police officer, a resident, and the nursing supervisor. All three were asking questions and having her fill out paperwork. She answered as best as she could and mechanically filled out the paperwork. She was fitted into a neck brace as a precautionary measure and told to wait for x-rays. They filed out as quickly as they arrived, leaving her alone.

Alone.

Satomi wanted to cry now, but tears wouldn’t come. Her mind was blank, still reeling from everything that had just happened. Her hands were locked together on her lap as she leaned back on the bed. All she could do was wait. Her scalp stung from the various scratches left by the patient. She swallowed, still feeling that lump pressing into the back of her throat. She fleetingly wished someone was there with her, but her cell phone was in her purse, which was still on the unit. I think someone said they would get it for me.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching her doorway. Standing there was Harada, his golden eyes filled with concern.

“I heard what happened. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

Satomi smiled, relieved to finally see a familiar face. “Sano. I’m okay. I didn’t lose consciousness, but my neck hurts, and I definitely have some tingling and numbness in my right pinky and wrist.”

He shook his head as he took a seat. “Fuck. I talked to our supervisor. She said she’s absolutely sick over it.” Satomi didn’t know how to respond. Harada scrubbed the back of his head with his hand. “I...I told the others too. I know we’re all supposed to go out to dinner tonight, but I understand if you don’t feel up to going. We could bring dinner to your place.”

“Yeah. That would be nice,” Satomi responded with a smile that quickly fell.

“I told Hijikata. He was pretty upset he couldn’t come see you right away. He was just scrubbing in for a surgery.”

Satomi would’ve shook her head if she could have. “No. It’s okay. I understand. It’s not like I’m dying or anything.”

Nothing more was said as a nurse came in with a wheelchair to escort her to x-ray. The x-ray came back inconclusive, but because she was still feeling neurological symptoms, the resident ordered an MRI. After more waiting, another imaging test, and even more waiting, Satomi was diagnosed with herniated discs in her lower cervical spine. She was given instructions to follow up with her primary and a spine specialist before being discharged home. Harada drove her to her apartment, chatting about anything he could along the way. Satomi barely paid attention.

Once home, Satomi sat gingerly on her couch, afraid to move her neck and aggravate the injury more. She wasn’t allowed to drive for a week and knew she would be confined to her apartment. She watched Harada texting on his phone. When he was done, he looked up at her and smiled.

“The rest of the gang is on their way. Hijikata said he just got into his car. Do you want anything?”

“I can get it...” Satomi said as she moved to get off the couch.

“Oh no...you rest. You’ve been through enough today. What do you want?”

Satomi sighed, sitting back and allowing Harada to take care of her for the moment. “Water please.”

Harada rifled through her tiny kitchen until he located a glass in a cabinet above the sink and the pitcher of filtered water in her fridge. He handed her the water and sat beside her. It was quiet as she slowly drank the water, feeling the coolness of it travel down her throat to her stomach. She was hungry, but knew the others were bringing dinner. She could wait a few minutes longer. She sighed, looking down into the glass now resting in her lap.

“Is there anything else I can do?”

Just then, there was a knock on her door. Sano shot her a quick look before getting up to answer it. In strode the only person Satomi wanted to see—Hijikata. His eyes were stormy as he approached her and looked her over for any visible injury. Satomi found herself blushing and looking away from his intense gaze. He sat beside her on the couch, maintaining a slight distance between them so that they didn’t touch.

“Are you okay?” Satomi nodded carefully. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you in the ED.”

“It’s okay. Sano was with me.”

“But it should’ve been me,” Hijikata murmured.

“What? Just so you could yell at the staff for not moving fast enough for your girl?”

Satomi teased.

She caught the light blush on Hijikata’s cheeks, and she took a sip of her water. She wondered why he was suddenly bashful when two nights ago, he had been so at ease with her. She saw Hijikata open his mouth like he was going to say something else, but he was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of their friends.

Originally, Satomi had wanted company to keep her distracted, but she soon found herself reassuring everyone that she was fine. She kept saying it over and over like a mantra, and she even began justifying her perpetrator’s actions. She was taking it upon herself to comfort everyone when she was the one that could’ve used it the most. At the same time, she didn’t want to be coddled and seen as weak.

“Want me to go there and beat her up?” Okita asked, his eyes glinting.

Satomi’s eyebrow rose. She could sense that he was offering more out of obligation than a true desire to be protective of her, which annoyed her slightly. “No, it’s fine. She’s very ill...psychotic.”

“Shut up, Souji,” Hijikata groused. “No one’s doing anything like that.”

The rest of the evening was spent eating delicious food and loudly sharing funny stories. Satomi watched everyone having a good time from her spot on the couch. She contributed very little, feeling like an outsider. She couldn’t summon the energy to be perky and social. She peered over at Hijikata, who had remained at her side, and she knew that he was aware of her reticence. He gave her a quick nod of recognition before returning his attention to the group. As time passed, everyone filtered out of the apartment until only Sano and Hijikata remained. Satomi yawned, but was slightly fearful of what await her once the apartment was completely empty. Sano saw her obvious sign of fatigue, and he stood to leave.

“I’ll let you get some rest. Take care, Satomi. If you need anything, please text.”

“Okay. Thanks for everything, Sano.”

Harada shot Hijikata a meaningful glance, which Satomi noticed. She wondered what was going on, but didn’t want to dwell on it. In fact, she didn’t want to think at all. There was too much that happened. She just wanted to sink into the oblivion of sleep…if she could get there. She heaved a sigh and got up from the couch and shuffled to her bedroom. Once there, she shed her work clothes and donned yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt. She grabbed her pillows from the side of the queen-sized bed she normally slept on and came out into the living room. The first thing she noticed was Hijikata’s intense gaze from the couch.

“You’re going to sleep out here?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’m…I’m going to need to be distracted,” Satomi explained quietly. “I think I’ll need Netflix on to fall asleep tonight.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

Of course it was what she wanted, and on any other day, Satomi would’ve jumped on the opportunity. Now, she felt like she needed to continue to reassure everyone around her that she was doing just fine, and the only way to do that was to tell them that she could take care of herself.

“You don’t have to.”

Hijikata’s eyebrow quirked toward the ceiling. “It’s okay to need something. You just got…”

“I know. I don’t need the reminder,” Satomi snapped as she flung her pillows on the couch. She took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. “I’m sorry. I…”

Hijikata stood and faced her. “It’s fine. I asked to be taken off call tonight. I do have to go in tomorrow for a surgery in the morning, but I don’t mind keeping you company.”

Satomi sighed, her shoulders dropping. “Yeah.”

There was an awkward pause before Hijikata reached for her hand. He grabbed her pillows with the other hand and led her to the bedroom. Her heart raced with nerves, having no idea what to expect. Hijikata led her to her bed and placed the pillows where they belonged. He then walked around to the other side and sat on the mattress.

“Is this okay? I don’t want to assume-“

“Um…yeah,” she barely whispered.

Satomi sat on her own side of the bed. She stared at the pillows, wondering how she was going to sleep. She was so afraid that if she didn’t have the pillows just right, she would wake up in a weird position and potentially make her injury worse. Taking a deep breath, she finally settled herself down into a lying position as Hijikata reached for the blanket at the foot of her bed. He draped it over her before settling himself beside her. Their bodies didn’t touch, and Satomi fixed that by scooting backwards until she was Hijikata’s little spoon.

A brief moment passed before he wrapped his arm around her waist. Every nerve was alight from their contact, and at any other moment, Satomi would’ve been screaming for joy at such intimacy with the man she had admired. Instead, she felt empty and bleak inside, like she would never be happy again. She wanted to cry, but again, her eyes were dry. She wanted to feel, to respond in some way, but it was as if she had lost the ability to feel any sort of emotion.

“I should’ve been there for you this morning,” Hijikata repeated, his warm breath washing over her ear.

“I understand why you weren’t. Please don’t beat yourself up over it. I…I knew going into this job what kind of risk I’d be facing.”

“Still…that doesn’t forgive what she did to you.”

Satomi turned carefully so that she was facing Hijikata. She looked into his eyes, noting the concern there. Her heart beat fast, and she thought she was beginning to feel something. She wasn’t able to identify it yet.

“She’s ill.”

“She still violated your trust and your body. No one has the right to do that, no matter how sick they are.”

There they were. The tears. Satomi inhaled sharply as they began to slide down her face. Flashes of the attack came back to her—the feel of the woman’s nails digging into her skin, the sound of fists pummeling her head, and the shrill cry of the panic alarm. She didn’t want to remember at that moment. She wanted to forget the pain and the shock. She wanted to enjoy the fact that she was sharing her bed with Hijikata for the first time, but she couldn’t because the shadow of her assault was hanging too close over her like a dense fog. She sobbed.

Warm arms wrapped around her upper back, and she felt him kiss her forehead, which made her cry harder. She grabbed hold of Hijikata’s shirt and clenched it in her fist, holding on to something tangible while she was consumed by a myriad of emotions she couldn’t begin to tease apart. They threatened to sweep her away into a dark abyss of endless misery. Anguish made itself known above all the other emotions—the physical pain of her injury and the emotional pain of being attacked.

She could make out murmurs, but she had no idea what Hijikata was saying. All she could do was continue to hold on to him like her life depended on it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered through her sobs.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Hijikata said firmly.

The tears began to slow, and Satomi sniffled. She buried her face into Hijikata’s shirt and inhaled the scent of dark sandalwood. It brought her a small measure of comfort. He continued to hold her without saying anything. Finally, her tears had dried, and Satomi felt brave enough to look up into his face. Hijikata was smiling softly, and he brushed her bangs out of her face to place another gentle kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll be here all night. Get some sleep.”

~~~~~~~~

When Satomi awoke the next morning, she found that she was alone in her bed. It took a moment for her sleep addled brain to register that there had been someone else in the bed with her last night, and the reason why was because she had been attacked yesterday.

No…I’m not going to think about that.

Satomi got up and slowly went through her morning routine knowing she wasn’t going anywhere today. She kept her yoga pants and t-shirt on, just throwing on some deodorant and a bra. She found the silence too stifling and as soon as she went into her living room, she set Netflix to something light-hearted to keep herself from thinking about what happened.

The energy it took to eat breakfast, brush her teeth, and walk to the couch was too much. She settled on the couch, disconcerted with how tired she already was. She leaned back so that her neck was supported by the cushions on the back of the couch. She began browsing through Netflix to find something to watch. As she did so, Mika leapt up and settled herself onto Satomi’s chest. Satomi smiled and rubbed the cat’s ear, eliciting a quiet purr from the feline. It was as if Mika knew she needed comfort.

Her phone dinged. Satomi reached for it and saw that Hijikata had messaged her.

Good morning. I’ll stop by after I finish my surgery. It should only take 3 hours or so.

Satomi smiled and typed a reply. Okay. Don’t rush. I’m not going anywhere.

She set aside her phone. She found a random baking show on Netflix and settled back, stroking the cat on her chest. An hour passed in that manner, and soon, Satomi was finding it difficult to keep her thoughts from wandering to yesterday. She needed something else to distract her mind. With that, she gently pushed Mika off and went to her cabinet that held her yarn stash. She pulled out a project she had put aside and sat back down to work on it.

She spent the next few hours working diligently on the shawl, her mind focusing on the complexity of the pattern. Before she knew it, a knock was sounding on her door. She set aside the shawl and got up to answer it. As expected, Hijikata was there with a bag of what smelled like Chinese food. Satomi smiled and let him in.

She watched as he settled himself on the floor at the coffee table, and she followed him. He began pulling out the containers and chopsticks, and Satomi immediately noticed how at ease Hijikata seemed. It was as if last night had irrevocably changed their relationship, made it deeper. It was the first time they had spent the night together and had any form of long lasting physical contact.

“How’d the surgery go?” she asked as they began to eat.

“Good. Nothing too major. I had a first year shadowing me today.” He paused. “How are you?”

Satomi wasn’t sure how to answer that. She shrugged and took another bite of chicken and broccoli, using the time it took to chew to formulate an answer. “Okay, I guess.”

Hijikata set his chopsticks down. “What is it?”

Satomi closed her eyes, gathering her courage. “I just…don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to forget it happened, though I know that’s not gonna happen. I…”

She heard him move to be beside her, and she could feel the warmth of his leg touching hers as he settled himself next to her. She felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her close to his chest. She sighed, burying her face into his shirt to smell the dark sandalwood there. The scent always calmed her and made her shiver with desire.

“It’s okay to tell me you’re not doing well. Everyone would expect that.”

“I don’t…I’m not weak! I-“

“Satomi…no one thinks you’re weak. You’re one of the most resilient people I know.”

Satomi tore her face away from his shirt to peer up into his eyes. All she could see was genuine concern and care for her in his eyes, and it was making her melt.

“You’re trying to be strong…I see it, but you…you have to let me take care of you.”

“You don’t have time for that. You’re a resident in a demanding field,” she argued weakly.

“I’ll make time,” Hijikata asserted, “because you mean that much to me.”

Satomi was still as she processed the meaning behind what he said, and then she let out a loud laugh, which startled Hijikata. After a few moments of laughter, Satomi finally spoke. “I should’ve gotten hurt sooner if I was going to get a confession out of it!”

Hijikata rolled his eyes, but placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I should’ve said something sooner, but I thought you knew.”

“Of course I knew, you idiot,” Satomi huffed,” but it’s still nice to hear it. I wanted to be sure I was reading the signs right."

He squeezed her tighter, and Satomi felt her heart swell. “Of course you were. I…was…I kept telling myself that you wouldn’t stick around. That my life was too entwined with my work.”

“And you should’ve known I’m not especially clingy. I can handle long hours by myself.” Her smile fell. “Most of the time,” she muttered as she looked down.

Hijikata placed his pointer finger underneath her chin to lift her gaze upward. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and Satomi felt her breath hitch. He closed the distance between them and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Satomi let out a little moan that was more like a low-pitched squeak as she pressed a little harder to broaden the contact. She heard a little whine at the back of his throat, and a little jolt of desire shot to her groin.

They broke apart, and Satomi felt her eyes mist with tears. She wanted to feel happier than she did, but everything was colored by the trauma of yesterday. She smiled weakly, hoping to convey the joy she should’ve been feeling.

“I love you, Toshi,” she said softly.

Hijikata’s smile reached his eyes and made them sparkle. He gave her one final squeeze before separating and returning to his lunch. They ate in companionable silence. When they had finished, Hijikata cleaned up while Satomi returned to the couch. Her neck was starting to hurt again. She leaned back, closing her eyes. The couch cushion shifted beneath her legs, and she knew Hijikata had sat beside her.

“You’re tired. I should leave you to get some rest.”

“No. I doubt I’ll sleep…my neck’s hurting.”

“Want some pain killers?”

“Yeah. That’d be great.”

Hijikata got up and returned shortly with a glass of water and two pills. Satomi took them with a long drink of water. She handed the glass back to Hijikata with a thanks and settled back with her eyes closed. He returned to her side, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair.

“I have another surgery this afternoon. Will you be all right for a few hours?”

“I’m not dying,” Satomi replied with a hint of sarcasm. She opened one eye. “But you better come back,” she added with a crooked smile.

Hijikata just humphed but continued to run his fingers through her hair. Satomi sighed, her scalp tingling pleasantly at his touch. She began to relax and and with the murmur of some historical documentary in the background, Satomi drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The next thing she knew, she was seeing dark eyes devoid of all emotion charging at her. She then heard a loud bang come from somewhere near by, startling her awake. She let out a gasp and sat up, her eyes wildly searching for the source of the noise. When she couldn’t immediately determine what happened, she decided she would have to get up and investigate. Except she didn’t want to. She knew no one else was in her apartment and this was an irrational fear being fueled by her dream, but she still couldn’t make herself move from the couch.

She heard the front door open, and she felt her heart jump into her throat as she turned her whole body in time to see Hijikata coming through her door with a duffle bag hanging from his right shoulder. Satomi exhaled and closed her eyes.

“You scared the shit out of me,” she said breathlessly.

Hijikata’s reply was a furrowed brow as he placed his duffel bag on the floor so that he could kick off his shoes. He bent over to pick up the bag once again, but Satomi gestured for him to leave it. He shrugged and approached her. She noticed that his hair looked slightly damp. She realized that he had showered before coming over. When he came to sit at her side, she could smell his cologne, and it immediately began to soothe her panic.

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to overreact. I heard a loud bang that woke me up.”

Without any further comment, Hijikata got up and surveyed the apartment. Satomi watched him, feeling heat radiate from her cheeks. She knew the noise wasn’t a big deal, and while it was sort of sweet that he would go investigate for her peace of mind, she felt it was unnecessary. Once he got to the kitchen, he chuckled and picked up an empty plastic container.

“Looks like Mika was bored.”

Satomi rolled her eyes as the aforementioned feline sauntered her way into the living room. She sat at Satomi’s feet and blinked expectantly. Hijikata joined her once again on the couch. Satomi leaned forward to rub Mika’s ear and pat her on top of her head.

The cat immediately arched her back and rubbed against the couch, purring loudly.

“Anything exciting happen during surgery?”

He shook his head and reached down to pet Mika when she began rubbing against his legs. “Not really. I’m glad to have a day off tomorrow.”

Satomi felt lighter at his words. “You do? Any plans?”

“Sleep in...maybe spend the day with you. If you’re up to it. And I can take you anywhere you need to go.”

“That’ll be good. I want to get groceries.”

With their plans finalized, Hijikata made dinner. When they had finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, they relaxed on the couch. Hijikata made sure that Satomi was comfortable enough for her to rest her head on his lap, and they watched tv while he ran his fingers through her hair.

As the hour grew later, Satomi became a little more restless. Despite her best efforts to focus on Hijikata’s touch or what was going on in the show they were watching, she found her thoughts circling around her assault—poking at it from different angles to see what could be processed without too much emotion. More importantly, she was becoming concerned about her ability to get to sleep.

“What’s wrong? You’re very fidgety.”

Satomi was pulled from her thoughts, and she regarded Hijikata, confused. She realized that he was doing a really good job of reading her, and it made her a little self-conscious. She was usually an expert at hiding her feelings. She was going to have to get used to having someone who could read her subtle indications that everything wasn’t okay.

“I’m worried about getting to sleep,” she eventually admitted.

“Mmm, I thought you might be. I brought some diphenhydramine to help.”

She weighed the pros and cons to using the antihistamine to help her, and the need for good quality sleep won out. She sat up and allowed Hijikata to retrieve the medicine from his duffel bag. After taking it, she wandered to her bedroom to complete her evening routine. When she was finished, she went out into the living room to see Hijikata already dressed for bed. With a smile, she beckoned him over. They were soon settled and spooning in her bed, and Satomi felt the heaviness of drug-induced slumber overtake her.

~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @hakuyamazakisensei, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @emmalanna

[sabinasanfanfic]

If you haven’t read this, check it out! It’s a great modern AU!

Time Travel CH 21

AHHHHHHH, IT’S FINALLY IN WORDS! I struggled to how I wanted to go about this chapter (that and being sick etc), but thanks to a lot people that gave me inspirations/suggestions and wishes to help me out, it’s here~! I hope you like it!  Hopefully, I’ll have less writer’s block since I have ideas on what I want to do! 

Part 20

Masterlist

—–+++—–

“Chizuru!”

  “Kaoru-san, I’ve already told you, I’m happy here. I’m not leaving Shinsengumi Hospital.”

  Souji leaned against the doorway, stopping by Chizuru’s shared office. They’d had plans to eat lunch, but when she didn’t come by his office at the usual time, he decided to check on her. His eyes narrowed when they landed on the man with light brown eyes and short, black hair. There was a rather fierce expression on his soft features that were so similar to the woman he loved. “Chizuru-chan,” He called, striding into the room, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  Keep reading

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Prompt - Day 5

Cupid(’s) Unconventional Arrow

“Hijikata,” the attending called.

Hijikata looked up from the computer he had been stationed at to finish up a note. “Yes?”

“There’s a consult on the fourth floor that needs to be done. Could you take care of it?”

Hijikata nodded. “I’ll finish this note and then get it done.”

With that, Hijikata returned his focus to his note. He saw the referral pop up in a separate window in his electronic medical record, and he minimized it so he could focus on his current task. Once it was finished, he closed the window and opened the referral. He perused it, his lips pursing. He clicked through to the different tests linked to the referral.

“Hmm…yep, looks like he’ll need a rod put in his thumb.”

With a nod, he approached the attending and went over his findings and decisions. The attending signed off on it, and Hijikata made his way to the elevators. He boarded one that had a few people already inside, and he was soon off and looking for room 417.

Hijikata had never been to the psych floors, so he wasn’t too familiar with the protocol. He knew that the doors to the unit were locked, and he would have to badge in. He came to the first door and swiped his ID badge. The door unlocked, and he went through to the sally port. In front of him was a set of double doors. He went to those and swiped his badge once again for entry. He pressed down on the crash bar and entered the unit.

He made his way down the hallway until he came across the nurse’s station. He badged in there and was greeted by the charge nurse. He looked to his left and saw a familiar face standing there.

Tanaka. Oh. She’s here today. He saw her look towards him, and her smile made his heart flutter. She was wearing a purple long-sleeved t-shirt and grey scrub pants. Her black hair had been tied back into a ponytail with her bangs swept across her forehead.

“Hijikata-san,” Satomi greeted, acting as if they hadn’t had dinner together a week ago. “Who are you here to see?”

“Uh…Arisawa,” Hijikata responded, trying to hide his confusion over Satomi’s formal tone.

“I can show you to his room.”

“Go ahead, Tanaka,” the charge nurse said. “I’ll have Tachibana out in the hall so you’re not out there alone.”

“Thanks,” Satomi said with a bright smile as she led Hijikata out of the nurse’s station and down the hall.

“Arisawa is still experiencing some psychosis. He’s improved quite a bit since his admission, but he is still a little paranoid. He got an Ativan about an hour ago after expressing some agitation, and he’s been a little more calm. I’m hoping a familiar face will help him .”

Hijikata trailed behind Satomi, watching her move with confidence down the hallway. Behind him was Tachibana, who he assumed was one of the regular floor staff. Despite the constant risk of working with people who weren’t quite in touch with reality, she didn’t seem afraid at all. They came to room 417, and Satomi knocked on the door.

“Arisawa?”

“Who is it?” a gruff voice sounded from behind the door.

“Tanaka. I have a doctor with me, okay?”

A pause. “Come in.”

Satomi opened the door to reveal a mostly empty room. The lights were on, and a young man was lying on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His hands were resting on his stomach, and Hijikata noted the cast on the right hand. Arisawa turned his head and watched the pair come towards him.

Hijikata noted the dead stare from half-lidded eyes. He could tell that Arisawa was on edge from the quick movements of his toes. The man made Hijikata nervous, but he tried to hide it. He knew the more relaxed he seemed, the better it would be for everyone involved. Still, he wasn’t about to lower his guard.

“Who’s that?”

“Arisawa, this is Hijikata-san. He’s here to talk about your hand.”

“I heard you broke your hand?” Hijikata asked.

Satomi stepped to the side to allow him to step closer as Arisawa sat up. The man’s body was completely tense, and despite the dead stare, Hijikata could sense the man was suspicious.

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

Arisawa shrugged. “Don’t remember, to be honest.”

“Well, I got a look at the x-rays, and your thumb needs a rod put in to help it heal properly. Whatever you hit did a lot of damage.”

“Wait…you’re telling me I need surgery?”

Hijikata nodded. “Yeah. It shouldn’t take too long. We’ll give you some anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel a thing.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Satomi adjust her stance, and her arms dropped to her side. Whatever she was seeing from Arisawa made Hijikata more alert. He returned his gaze to the young man, who was now frowning deeply.

“You’re gonna put me out?” Arisawa questioned, his voice barely a whisper. “How do I know you won’t do anything more than operate on my hand?”

“Hijikata-san…” Satomi began, her voice a murmur.

He ignored the warning in her tone. “I give you my word. I’m bound by ethics to-“

“Fuck ethics,” Arisawa barked. “How do I know you’re not gonna cut some other part of me open to plant a chip in me? How do I know you’re not gonna put a tracker in me?!”

“Hijikata, step-,” Satomi said a little louder.

“I’m not gonna-“

“ANSWER ME!” Arisawa bellowed as he quickly stood. He wavered on the spot, his movement somewhat uncoordinated from the Ativan he had taken earlier.

Hijikata felt a pair of hands shove him to the side, and he stepped back in shock as Satomi stood between him and Arisawa. Once he processed that tiny Satomi had a big, angry man towering over her, he stepped forward with a hand outstretched. He intended to pull her behind him. There was no way in hell he was going to allow Satomi to get hurt by a man that he had unwittingly provoked. Footsteps sounded behind him.

“Arisawa,” Satomi commanded. The tone was calmer but less threatening than Arisawa’s had been.

“He’s gonna-“

“Hijikata, I need you to leave,” Satomi said in no uncertain terms.

But-“ Hijikata protested.

“Go!”

Tachibana brushed past Hijikata and . He grabbed Arisawa by the biceps as Satomi talked in hushed tones to the agitated young man. Hijikata’s thoughts were a jumble, and all he could do was nod and do as Satomi had ordered. Once out in the hall, he took a deep breath in an attempt to make sense of what had just happened. He definitely hadn’t expected the man to react that way about surgery. He looked back into the room to be sure Satomi was okay.

Tachibana and Satomi had gotten the man to sit back down on his bed, and Satomi was now talking calmly to Arisawa. Hijikata stood close by to be sure nothing else happened, even though he knew he could do little. He hadn’t been trained in the protocols of the unit.

Soon, Tachibana and Satomi made their way out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Tachibana made his way down the hall, and Satomi stood before Hijikata, her eyes full of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“What the hell kind of stupid question is that?” Her eyes widened briefly, and Hijikata realized that he had been rude. He shook his head and sighed. “I’m not the one that was in danger.”

Satomi’s eyebrow arched, and she crossed her arms as her weight shifted to one leg. “Oh?”

Hijikata couldn’t hold her gaze. He looked to the floor, unwilling to accept the fact that she had been the one to push him out of the way. That if Arisawa had decided to strike, she would’ve been the target. How could he have allowed that to happen? And she had tried to warn him…

He looked to her again, and he saw a flash of uncertainty in her eyes. “Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“Stand between him and me?”

Her weight shifted, and her arms dropped. She let out a breathy chuckle. “I…honestly wasn’t thinking. I mean…I did try to warn you, but you were dead set on having that conversation.”

“What do you mean you weren’t thinking?”

“Technically…I shouldn’t have stood between the two of you.” Satomi said with a dismissive laugh. “Not the safest option. But…”

“So, why did you do it?” Hijikata pressed.

Satomi shrugged, but Hijikata noticed her cheeks had turned pink. “I just…reacted.”

Hijikata’s heart skipped a beat, but he wasn’t about to dwell on what the underlying meanings were to her statement now. “You don’t have to put yourself in danger on my account.”

“I did,” Satomi asserted.

“Why?”

“Because…” she hesitated, as if she wanted to say something, but was afraid to. “This isn’t your home unit. You don’t know these patients like I do.”

Hijikata huffed with a roll of his eyes. She’s just not going to let me win this one, is she? “Fine. Just…”

“Tanaka! Are you done flirting?” Tachibana called down the hall, playfully taunting.

He saw Satomi’s face turn bright red as she whirled in the direction of the nurse. “I’m debriefing!” She turned back to Hijikata. “I guess I should go back.”

Hijikata nodded. “Sure.”

“Talk to you later?” Satomi asked, though he could sense hesitation in her.

He nodded. “Sure.”

He watched her walk down the hallway for a moment before he took his leave of the unit. Once he made it out to the lobby, Hijikata felt his whole body relax. The initial shock of the situation had worn off, and now he found himself analyzing everything that had happened.

She didn’t hesitate like I did. And because of that, I put her in harm’s way. Hijikata sighed, and as he entered the elevator to return to the surgery suite, he smirked. Though seeing her stare that man down without a trace of fear? It struck something deep within him, and he had to admit that he was definitely attracted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @eheartangel, @hakuyamazakisensei, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @enby-peep, @jellyfish-wish, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @emmalanna, @fic-writer-appreciation, If anyone wants to be added or removed from my tag list, please message me! 

[sabinasanfanfic]

February Day 1

So, I posted this a few days ago, and I accidentally deleted it. *URGH!* So, I’m reposting it for the February Prompt Challenge from @fic-writer-appreciation. I won’t be redoing my tag list because I know people already reblogged this. I just wanted to get it back up before I posted my next prompt!

This is written in conjunction with @eheartangel‘s Time Travel AU, which can be found here! Please give it a read...it’s amazing!

~~~~~~

Satomi entered the dimly lit bar room behind Harada. Her blue eyes darted around to gauge her surroundings. It was packed. The dull roar of the patrons filled her ears, and she felt warm from the sheer number of people there. She removed her gloves and ear muffs, stuffing them into the pockets of her pea coat. Every muscle was tense, and she was more alert because she was entering a social situation in which she knew only one person. The thought of having to put herself out there was overwhelming, but she had promised Harada she would join him for a few drinks with his friends. Satomi took a deep breath. I can do this, she told herself.

Harada glanced her way with a reassuring smile. “Ready to meet my crazy crew?”

Satomi smiled and nodded. “Yeah! It’ll be nice to put faces to names.”

Harada led her toward the back of the room near the bar. They approached a group of several men. A few were sitting at the bar while the rest crowded around them. Satomi stepped out from behind Harada to stand next to him. Several pairs of eyes turned toward their direction, increasing Satomi’s trepidation.

“Hey guys...this is Tanaka Satomi,” Harada introduced with a wave in her direction.

Satomi waved to them in response with a smile.

“Oi, Sano...is she your girlfriend?”

Harada and Satomi’s eyes met, and she could feel heat radiating from her cheeks. Harada looked toward the one who addressed them—a man wearing a green bandana—and he scowled.

“Very funny, Shinpachi,” Harada said with a roll of his eyes. “Can’t a guy have a friend who’s a girl without any romantic attachment?” He stepped forward, ushering Satomi along with him. “I’ll introduce everyone. I’ll understand if you don’t remember everyone’s names.”

“But I won’t,” a brown-haired, green-eyed man quipped with a smirk.

Satomi looked his way and noticed the penetrating gaze he had, and it was as if it was boring into her very soul. Her smile faltered slightly, and her gaze immediately turned to the young woman standing beside him. Her aura was much friendlier, easing some of the rigidity in Satomi’s body.

“That smart ass is Okita Souji. Don’t let him intimidate you. The pretty girl standing next to him is Yukimura Chizuru. They’re together.”

“Hello, Tanaka-san!” Chizuru greeted.

“Oh, no need to be so formal,” Satomi assured.

“Like I said, the guy with the green bandana is Nagakura Shinpachi. The brown-haired squirt next to him is Tōdō Heisuke-“

“Hey! I’m not a squirt!” Heisuke fumed. “And you can call me Heisuke, okay Satomi-chan?”

“Sure,” she replied with a smile.

“That’s Saitō Hajime at the bar with the indigo hair. The guy standing next to him is Yamazaki Susumu. And finally, sitting next to Saitō is Hijikata Toshizō.”

Upon hearing his name, Hijikata turned his gaze to Satomi, who felt her heart rate skyrocket. From first glance, Hijikata was extremely attractive with dark hair and piercing eyes. His eyes narrowed briefly before he gave a quick nod and returned his attention to Saitō. Satomi chuckled to herself and began to remove her pea coat and scarf. Of course she would be drawn to the one who was seemingly the most disinterested.

Harada took her coat and scarf and and approached Hijikata. They exchanged a few words, and Satomi was able to figure out that he was asking if he could hang her outer garments on the back of his chair when he began to do so.

Harada then beckoned her over, and she was ushered to stand between Harada and Hijikata. “What would you like to drink?”

“Oh, you don’t have to buy me a drink. I got it,” she said with a wink. “Besides, I’m pretty sure your friends would think we were dating if you bought me one.”

Hijikata snorted with laughter before taking a sip from his sake dish. “She’s not wrong.”

Harada sighed rather dramatically. “You got a point. Well, I guess I’ll leave the drink buying to you, Hijikata-san.”

Hijikata sat up in his chair, the smirk wiped from his face. “You know that’s not-“ He watched Harada walk away. “Oi!”

Satomi giggled and faced the bar. She leaned over to call the bartender and then ordered a drink. She bounced lightly up and down on her toes while she waited. She had no idea how to move forward now, especially since Harada left her alone with strangers. Hijikata’s aura was rather intimidating, and it seemed like he wasn’t interested in any sort of conversation. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He settled back down in his chair with a grumble and picked up the sake dish once more to drain it. Satomi finally received her cider and turned around so that she could lean casually against the bar and look out at Harada’s friends.

“You do realize what he’s trying to do,” Hijikata said after a few moments consumed by the chatter around them. “I’ve told him over and over again I’m not looking.”

Satomi took a swig of her cider, feeling the bite from the carbonation poke at her mouth as she swallowed. She needed the time to come up with a reply. “Well, then we have something in common. It doesn’t mean we can’t talk.”

Hijikata eyed her warily. “Don’t tell me you’re going to try your weird shrink shit on me. Harada tries all the time.”

A corner of her mouth quirked upward. “Does it work?”

Hijikata scoffed and took a drink. I’ll take that as a yes, Satomi thought. She leaned back and caught the curious gaze of Saitō. He inclined his head.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tanaka-san.”

“Please, you can call me Satomi. I get enough of the formal shit all day at school and work.”

She watched both men raise a brow at her use of profanity. She merely shook her head with a smile before taking another drink.

“Aa,” Saitō replied after an uneasy moment. “I’m glad we have the opportunity to meet some of Harada’s classmates.”

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Chizuru exclaimed as she approached with...what was his name again? Oh, Souji. Right. “How long have you known Harada?”

“Oh...two years now? He’s such a nice guy. And funny! He’s always telling me about all the crazy shit he does with his crew. He calls you all the modern day Shinsengumi.”

“We kinda are,” Okita replied pompously. “All of us are descendants of that group. Except for Chizuru-chan.” Okita shot Chizuru a mischievous grin and attempted to tickle her.

Chizuru deftly swatted his hands away. “Not true! I’m related to a page!”

“Well, that’s not as cool as being related to a captain,” Okita teased, his eyes sparkling.

“Ma, cut it out, Souji. Pages are just as important, if not more so than captains,”

Heisuke cut in.

Souji sighed and rolled his eyes. “Always ruining my fun.” He turned his attention to Satomi. “What about you? Any cool relatives?”

Satomi shook her head, feeling rather judged by the man. “None.”

“Too bad,” Okita said dismissively.

“That’s okay,” Satomi said after another sip of her cider. “Some achieve greatness without having to rely on superior family ties.”

A moment passed in which everyone processed what she had said. Okita’s trademark smirk fell, and his eyes sparkled with something not quite malicious while Hijikata burst out laughing. Satomi felt her heart clench at the beautiful baritone sound. God was he attractive!

Okita stalked away with an apologetic Chizuru following not far behind. Satomi cursed herself for being so impolite during her first meeting and resolved to apologize to Okita when she got the chance. Though...he was being a little bit of an asshole, she justified to herself.

Hijikata’s laughter died away, and he poured himself more sake, raising his dish toward her in a toast. “Anyone who can one-up Souji is okay with me.”

He downed the sake, and Satomi gulped down a sizable mouthful of her cider. A blush crossed her cheeks, and she hoped Hijikata wouldn’t notice that his praise had thoroughly electrified her senses.

“Umm...thanks?” she said uncertainly. “I didn’t mean to offend-“

“Oh, come on. Souji was being an asshole. He deserved it.”

Satomi shook her head. “Honestly, I wasn’t that upset by what he said. I just didn’t like his attitude, so I dished some of it back.”

Hijikata huffed as he poured more sake. “You were a lot nicer about it than I would’ve been. But, I also know Souji. He’s likely upset that you were able to one-up him, so to speak. He won’t hate you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She stared at Hijikata. How did he know? She shook her head and finished off her cider. Satomi shook her head once again, noting that she felt slightly dizzy. She could tell she had a buzz starting, and sighed over the fact that it was so easy for her to get drunk. Still, one more drink wouldn’t completely do her in, and she ordered another cider.

While she waited, Satomi gathered the courage to strike up more conversation. “Sano tells me you’re a surgeon.”

“Aa. I just finished medical school. I have a three year residency ahead of me.”

Satomi picked up her new cider and drank deeply. “Impressive.”

“What? Being a surgeon?”

“Not everyone can be one, I’m sure.”

Hijikata’s eyes narrowed once again, like he was trying to discern a hidden motive. “Flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

Satomi’s mouth dropped open for a moment before she slammed it shut once more. She struggled to find a witty response, but none was forthcoming. “I…I wasn’t trying to flatter.”

“I apologize for Hijikata-san’s brusque manner,” Saitō cut in, covertly sliding the bottle of sake out of the aforementioned man’s reach. “He gets this way when he’s had too much to drink.”

“Are you saying I’m drunk?” Hijikata demanded.

Saitō merely shot Hijikata a look that said, ‘Do you really want me to answer that?’ Saitō’s response made Satomi giggle, and Hijikata returned his attention to her.

“Do I seem drunk to you, shrink?”

Despite his obvious ire making Satomi incredibly on edge, she forced her discomfort away and decided it was best to be playful. “I don’t know enough to tell for sure. I’d have to rely on Saitō’s expert opinion on the matter.”

Saitō cracked a smile as the others within ear shot laughed. The laughter was infectious, and Satomi joined in briefly before taking a sip of her cider. She saw a light blush dust Hijikata’s cheeks, and she felt her heart pound hard against her ribs. Despite his irascibility, the little glimpses of vulnerability were endearing.

Satomi finished her drink, and after another hour or so, everyone said their farewells and parted ways. Satomi went with Harada since he had brought her along. They arrived at her building, and he escorted her to her front door.

“Well, did you have fun?”

Satomi nodded. “Yeah. Everyone is great!”

“And Hijikata?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

Satomi blushed a deep red. “He’s...”

“Uh-huh.”

“I caught glimpses of what’s underneath that tough exterior, and…I want to get to know him,” she confessed quietly.

Harada laughed. “I think that can be arranged.”