#maybe gintoki really was alone all this time. or maybe he really did have people coming in and leaving all the time.

[epicdogymoment]

omg yes and YES and also let me point something out about the survival aspect of it all. when gintoki decides to stay with otose that's the second time he has to integrate into a new kind of living the first having been shoka sonjuku my guy has a whole routine. a whole inventory of tricks to appear real - not monstous and spectral - even on this plane of reality that can hold so little of him but he will make that little COUNT a part of it is surely just goodwill and curiosity. another part is orphan instict. we see practically nothing from what i call the postwar nightmare decade between his going home to otose and taking shinpachi home to yorozuya maybe just that one incerdibly tragicomic flashback episode where everything is played for laughs? lesson 195 when the kids are like come on dont you have any nice strories??? and gin gets quiet for a moment like you two are my nice stories... my two swords anyway what i mean is that he's done this routine as a child with children who had pasts and parents and communities who didn't just appear from thin air under a dead body on a battlefield one day something about gintoki is that he is observant like his life depends on it (because it always did.) so making up a fake urbanized past with pools and grandmothers and PE classes is part of the unconscious mimicry and i suspect it comes to him fairly easy. it's all very superficial of course but as i said his presence on that urban plain isn't very substantial either when death and breakfast are the same what difference is there between a chocolate parfait or a bloodied 4 day old onigiri from a corpse's lunchbox? and the last thing... the past is unspeakable and sacred and monstrous and most of all sacred. so maybe possibly every blatant lie and gag and anachronism in the flashbacks is the viewer/reader being denied that past. because in memory there is Treachery also and gintama characters know all too well that remembering someone correctly and being connected to someone properly are two entirely different things. so we get the battlefield pocari vending machine (my beloved) because it's survivable and because it actually leads somewhere. (via @agroupofcrows​)

i love early gintama for SO many reasons

[roseserpentpress]

Adding some variety this time with a Sakata Gintoki x Hijikata Toushirou anthology fic collection. This one is actually the second book I did! I had a hard time deciding the anthology name since I was like ugh silver and iron sounds too pretentious- and then figured a title that was pretentious and then proceeded to make fun of it for being pretentious is a very Gintama thing to do, and ended up rather pleased with the title.

Since it was the second thing I typeset I ended up with a few issues in the final print (and binding... I didn't intend for a straight spine but forgot about rounding it, but a lot of people like to leave their spines straight anyways so it's fine) that I'm tempted to go back and fix and maybe redo the whole thing another time (we do not talk about the inverted page number positions. Is this why the icha icha series numbers are all centered instead of on the outside of the page? No absolutely not) but in the end I still enjoy it the way it is, so for now I'm at peace with it.

Originally I was actually going to add little designs above each title page of each story, but in the end I got to trigger-happy for the printing and bookbinding process and printed it before I drew the designs. I did in the end while bored draw the designs after, so maybe I will eventually redo the book. We'll see.

List of fics in the anthology:

Summer Heat (3k, G)

Hijikata gets ordered by Kondo to go on a vacation. For some reason, he runs into Gintoki there.

I told you once (and here's the twice) (3k, M)

“Ah, stern as always. You never change, do you, Hijikata-kun?”

“And you always do whatever you want to”.

“Right, I’m working on that”, and then Yorozuya lifts his hand and takes Hijikata’s cigarette from his mouth, placing it between his own teeth. Hijikata himself is too stunned to do anything other than just look at his mouth, lips curved over where his own had been just moments before, his body now kicked into high alert as if responding to an imminent threat.

An animal realizing they’re prey.

---

Two years is a long time yearning for someone.

Stop the rising tide, I need extra time (3.5k, E)

No one really comments on the change in their relationship, and Hijikata doesn’t know how to feel about the general air of lack of surprise around them.

---

Sequel to "i told you once (and here's the twice)". Hijikata is trying his best to make a place for himself in Gintoki's life. Gintoki loves him for it.

Common Misconceptions (7.6k, G)

“Yes, Hijikata-san, we were worried for you,” Sougo drawls, with a smirk on his lips, and then, like the little bastard he is, he asks, “Where were you?”

Hijikata thinks he knows exactly what conclusion those two idiots landed on after seeing him in the Yorozuya’s yukata.

(Or: 5 times people wrongly assume something about the relationship between Hijikata and the Yorozuya and the one time they turn out to be right after all)

Don't venture into the forest alone or you will end up befriending a lonely kitsune (7k, G)

"With his curiosity peaked, Toushirou slowly sat up and crawled over.

Fur?

It was white? No, darker than white. Silver?

Toushirou picked up the tuft of fur on the ground, wondering what animal it could have come from. He had been here so many times, but had never seen an animal with silver-white fur. Maybe a new animal moved into the forest and he had yet to see it?

From behind the bushes, a pair of curious red eyes watched the young boy."

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Kitsune! Gintoki x Human! Hijikata AU

7-year old Hijikata, shunned by his family, meets a young kitsune living alone in the forest.

Written for GinHijiGin Week 2020, for the prompt: Gintoki's Birthday.

And when it's time to remember, please don't forget your heart's greatest desire (13k, E)

After missing Ketsuno Ana's rare meet and greet session, Gintoki expected to head home and wallow in self pity while stuffing his face with strawberry shortcake and milk.

What he didn't expect, was to run into an unconscious man with beautiful black wings, and end up carrying him home.

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A Human Gintoki x Tengu Hijikata oneshot AU

Inspired by marrbl's art (included in fic with permission from artist)

Downloading Pornography Can Lead to Computer Viruses and Strained Relationships (12k, T)

Tama is sick, and Gengai enlists Hijikata’s help to fix her. Too bad Hijikata never watched the Tama Quest arc, otherwise he might have known that the Leukocyte King isn’t normally a huge flirt.

Boys Over Flowers (12k, E)

Gintoki always thought that both he and Hijikata were just really good bros. They were just two normal bros who played Super Smash and joked around after school at WacDonalds. So what if they cuddled a bit while watching scary movies? And what if they shared a bed during sleepovers and jacked each other off in the morning? Bros did that, right?

Okay, maybe Gintoki and Hijikata weren't just 'bros being bros' afterall.

The Demon's Bride (15k, M)

Hijikata bowed and introduced himself. “Hijikata Toushirou, Shiroyasha-dono’s bride and soon-to-be wife. Pleased to meet you.”

Gintoki spluttered on his drink while Takasugi’s laughter got louder.

===========

Shiroyasha/Ponikata AU

RVSP Even if You Aren't Sure You'll Make It, Just In Case; It's Better to Have More Chairs Than Less (16k, E)

Hijikata has a problem and needs Gintoki's help.

[horunicorn]

Oya Oya

Hewwo :3 I have written much smut but this is my first time making it public. Sorry it came out so long. Feel free to point out any mistakes.

Warnings: choking, dominance

The fusuma slammed shut behind you, rattling the shōji across the room, after he'd pushed you rather roughly into his room at the Shinsengumi dorm. You were honestly surprised the kumiko didn't fall apart.

"What the hell, Y/N?"

You curled your lip up at him defiantly. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me," he warned, pacing to and fro in front of the door, clearly agitated. Then again, the man did have a short fuse. "Who gave you permission to hang with the Yorozuya bastard? Is that what you do behind my back?"

His accusation flipped your entire mood over. You were cheeky before; now you were pissed. What right did he have to point fingers at you? After all, he was the one who pushed you to do it. For three weeks, you had been patient while he worked. Of course, since he lived where he worked, it seemed like he was never free, always balancing his vice commander duties in and out of the headquarters. He did ask for your permission before going on cases, to make sure that you were okay with him doing overtime on certain days. And you always assured him that you would wait for him, no matter how busy some days could get. You always told him that it was okay to put his job first when he needed to. But that didn't mean he could take advantage of your understanding, did it?

The guy was smarter than most; he picked up on hints and cues effortlessly, especially if they were from you. So why had he been so oblivious to your subtle advances these past weeks?

"Who are you to tell me who I can or cannot be friends with?" you snapped back, temper flaring.

"You know very well who I am and what I can and cannot do," he answered, a little condescendingly.

"Yeah, well, you should also know that Gin-san gives me way more attention than you do," you uttered rashly. It was how you felt on the inside. After so many days of neglect by Hijikata, Gintoki's friendly affection towards you had you hooked in like fish to bait. Every smile and head smack he gave you fed your growing hunger for a man you couldn't get to and yet you still went on with it. You hung around Gintoki, longing for Hijikata, for something physical, just to take away the ache of missing the vice commander.

"What did you say?" Hijikata's tight voice betrayed the anger that was sparking inside him. The thought of you just being in Gintoki's presence was enough to provoke him. Confirmation that you let him touch you - nevermind if it was just playful shoves or shoulder bumping - flooded his vision with red. "You let him touch you?"

You scoffed at his ridiculous jealousy. "I'm not a slut. All Gin-san did was listen to me when I was alone. He kept me company."

True, you worked eight hours a day but the tiredness didn't mean that you didn't want to talk late into the night.

"Company, huh?" Hijikata crossed the room to stand in front of you so fast that you had to double check the spot he was previously at, just to be sure. He was a head taller than you. Now that he was all riled up, his presence was intimidating, especially since you had to look up to meet his eyes. "It just had to be him?"

You knew better. If you let him go on, you would have angry make up sex in seconds. This was a matter that needed talking through, not blind fucking. You pushed him away harshly, much to his surprise.

"We're not in a movie, Hijikata." Ah, using his family name when you were alone was never a good sign. "You can't just fuck me and be done with it."

A thought crossed your mind. Maybe it wasn't that he was busy. Maybe it was you who had done things wrongly. If you hadn't dropped all those stupid hints and just came straight forward with your needs, you needn't have had to feel the pain of ignorance from him. Your low self-esteem came racing back to you.

It was my fault. I didn't talk to him.

"I'm sorry," you choked out, turning away from him. Your sudden change in demeanor startled him but it wasn't something he hadn't experienced before.

Just like that, his anger melted away. He stepped towards you, pulling your reluctant form into his arms.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for anything," Hijikata sighed, one hand carefully cupping the back of your head. When his temper wasn't in the way, he saw things much clearer. "It was wrong of me to accuse you like that, especially since I know how much I've been neglecting you. I just didn't like the fact that of all the people to go to attention for, it was him." Hijikata said him with visible distaste. You relaxed against him, calmer now that he was no longer angry, that he had assured you it was not your fault.

"But I like him," you protested.

"Could you not like anyone else?"

"You hate everyone else, except the gorilla and he's infatuated with Otae-chan."

"Are you saying you'd go to Kondo-san if you could?" Hijikata teased, instantly lightening the atmosphere.

With that you ducked out of his embrace. "Please. I don't do stalkers." Hijikata was quick to catch you again though, this time from behind. He placed a gentle kiss to the shell of your ear.

"If you hadn't gotten caught today," he began, "I would have shown my appreciation for your patience in a different way."

"You have something planned?" you asked excitedly, happy that he had been thinking of you too.

"I did," he confirmed in the past tense. "But I can't get Yorozuya's stupid smug face out of my mind."

You knew all too well why. You knew that hanging out with Gintoki came with a punishment if you were caught. Before you could respond, Hijikata had a hand locked around your neck, with pressure not enough to choke but just enough that made swallowing difficult.

"Sometimes I think you let yourself get caught on purpose," he went on in a low voice, free hand travelling down your left arm and tugging it behind your back. He had you in a hold you didn't have any intention of breaking out of. Indeed, just the feeling of his hand on your throat had you weak at the knees, ready to be ruined by him.

"T - Tōshi," you managed, voice strangled by the hand on your windpipe. "Hard to... breathe."

"But you like this, don't you?" He purred. "You want to be choked like the little slut you are."

Oh, there was no denying how much his words were turning you on. Getting choked with his hand was good. Getting choked on his cock was better and you were more than eager for it.

"Choke... me with... your...cock..." Earlier misgivings forgotten, you wanted nothing more than for him to use you. It was all you had wanted since using Gintoki as a filler. His attention.

"Mm, I don't think so, baby girl," he murmured, finally releasing you from his hold only to take your hand and drag you down onto his futon. "I want to give, not take. And I expect thanks."

Translation: I will fuck you senseless and you will be vocal about it.

"Dont you think you can punish me better if - " Your question was cut short by a gasping inhale. Hijikata had somehow managed to loosen the knots of the date-jime that held your nagajuban and kimono together amidst everything and was now shamelessly pushing his fingers between your damp labia, hand disappearing in the folds of the cloth. Immediately, your hips moved up, asking for more when he'd barely begun. He murmured an amused "oya oya" upon finding the absence of underwear on you.

"I think you've been wetter than this, haven't you?" Deviously, Hijikata poked two fingers into your hole without any warning. There hadn't been much foreplay but could you really complain when you were swallowing his fingers like the greedy whore you were? He pulled his fingers out along with your arousal and spread it over your clit, rubbing in tantalizing circles, like a taunt.

"You're going to tease me," you stated, breathless already.

"Just for now," he promised, the sensitive nub slipping between his pointer finger and middle finger. Your nerve endings fired, sending thick coils of pleasure up your body. Again, your hips moved up.

Hijikata chose that moment to take his hands off of you. He sat back on his heels, hands placed perfectly on his lap. Disheveled and disgruntled, you forced your pleasure-weak body into motion, sitting up with your kimono loose around you, one side sliding down to bare a shoulder.

This was no dream: your body had flaws everywhere. Beauty marks on your skin, scars from being clumsy, skin that wasn't silky smooth or creamy white. You felt very small when you walked past some women on the streets but Hijikata always made you feel perfect. He loved every one of your imperfections, which encouraged you at times like these.

"Frustrated?" he smirked and you wondered just what he was playing at. Unbothered, you knee-walked closer, until you were parked right in front of him. Your hands grasped at the lapels of his uniform jacket. The familiar musk of cigarette smoke wafted up your nostrils, further turning you on. His gaze was hot on you; you could feel it despite not looking at him. Deliberate in your movements, you pushed the jacket off then proceeded to unbutton his vest and undo the knot of the white scarf around his neck. You were busy working on his shirt when he caught your hand, bringing it up to his mouth.

The contact of the softness of his lips against your skin made your thoughts fuzzy. His stare lingered on you and your restraint broke. You crashed your lips into his, claiming your pleasure, trying to pacify your desire for him. He indulged you, using a hand to hold your head steady. You kissed and kissed until there was no more breath to breathe between the both of you.

Hijikata pulled back first, dragging a thumb across your lower lip. It was such an intimate move, hinting at the lust he had for you; that was all it took for you to go into full 'I need you now' mode. Impatient, you shoved him back and shimmied up his body, brazenly rocking your hips, smearing your arousal onto his white shirt. Obviously, he felt your dampness through the material and gripped your hips to stop you from moving. The sight of you grinding above him was too much for his already tortured mind. Everything had to go. Now.

Soon you were balancing above him, the tip of his hard cock pressing at your slick entrance. You braced your hands on his broad chest, breath controlled as you slowly sat down on him, the length of him sliding into you inch by inch until your ass touched his lap. The sensation of him in you never failed to make you moan. His girth, his length, everything was just enough to fill up your tight hole.

"My sweet girl," Hijikata murmured, eyes half lidded. "I'd nearly forgotten how good you feel around me." He held onto your hips. "Move for me."

At his demand, you lifted yourself off and back down again, whimpering at the discomfort. Yeah, he was definitely big. Without your weekly routine, your body needed time to get used to him again. It didn't take long, though. Hijikata's soft encouragement and touch had you thirsting for more in no time. You got used to the stretch, gaining momentum and confidence as you moved. No longer did it sting; there was nothing but pleasure with the way you had him sliding in and out of you. Every time you rose left his cock slicker than before, layer upon layer of your arousal coating him.

When your legs got tired, you resorted to bouncing, biting your lip when your ass slapped against his skin in the sexiest way. Hijikata was in awe beneath you. His blue eyes were dark, lips parted in heavy breaths. First his eyes fixed on the way he was entering you, on the way your sweet pussy just swallowed his cock. His rough hands roved up your stomach, fingers dancing over your jumping breasts. That was the second thing he stared at. The soft mounds of flesh on your chest that bounced along with you made his cock twitch. Then he looked at your face. At the way you bit your lip, the pleasure in your expression. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to dominate you.

The feeling swept over him. Having you on top was incredible, especially since he knew you could control the depth and angle of his entrance. But he needed to have you his way. He couldn't yet explain why.

You cried out in surprise when he sat up abruptly, forcing you to remain still on his lap. You pressed your chest to his, feeling him move along with you, in you. The movement brought on a whole new sensation that made you scratch his chest with a low moan.

"Can he do that?" Hijikata asked, voice thick with lust. And something else. He knew now why he needed dominance over you.

"Who - What?" You couldn't register his words and the meaning behind them at first, not until he flipped you both over in a practiced move and he rolled his hips into you, hitting every unclaimed spot within you. Your legs came around his hips.

"Can that silver haired idiot do this? Make you feel this good?" He pulled back slightly, only to plunge back into you with a jolt that pushed another moan from your mouth.

"N - No. Tōshi..."

Hijikata pulled at your hips, angling your lower body upwards and began thrusting into you, going deep and hard each time. He knew very well that at this angle, each slide of his cock was sure to brush your g-spot. And each time his pelvis met yours, the head of his throbbing cock would carass the tip of your cervix, making you buck your hips even further up.

Seeing you this way only fuelled his unneeded jealousy for a rival that was hardly a threat.

"I bet he can't," he agreed gruffly. "He doesn't know your body, does he? Doesn't know how my baby girl likes it. Tell me." Hijikata drove deep, pushing his own hips up. You choked on a moan, hands tight around his wrists. "Who's making you feel good?"

You were unable to answer, eyes in danger of closing, body on the brink of orgasm. As if fucking him wasn't hot enough. No, jealous Hijikata was even better. His need to hear your verbal confirmation of just how good he could drill you was heightening the entire experience.

Hijikata wrapped a big hand around your throat, forcing you to meet his steely gaze.

"Who?" he demanded.

A lone tear rolled down your cheek and you knew once you opened your mouth, you'd be begging. "Y - You, Tōshi. You're making me feel good. Fucking my pussy so good."

He smirked in satisfaction. There was no need to hold back now. With demonic speed, probably living up to his title, Hijikata slammed into you, hips snapping back and forth furiously. He hadn't even gotten to rub your clit yet and you came undone, pulsing around his cock, sinful moans falling from your mouth along with his name.

"One more time," he urged, tempted to stop and savour the way you were contracting around him. Snug in your warm wetness. He was close. Too close to stop. He spit on your clit and rubbed it in tight circles, coaxing yet another orgasm out of you. This was too much after the first and his name left you in screams, your body spasming, legs jerking. The sight of you being ruined by him did it. A few more thrusts and he fell on top of you, hugging your trembling body close as waves of pleasure crashed over him. He bit your shoulder, hard, enjoying the feeling of his seed leaving him and filling you. The others might not be at the sleeping quarters but you doubted that your screams hadn't reached the main block.

Once you both felt calm enough to move, Hijikata carefully extracted himself from you, using his scarf to wipe off any semen that came leaking out of you. You laid your head on his clammy chest.

"I'd never cheat," you said blatantly.

Hijikata pushed a hand through your messy hair, staring up at the ceiling. "I know. I just... wish I could have been there for you. I know it's not fair, having to always put up with my work."

"You're here now." You turned your head to smile up at him and he returned it with one of his own rare ones. The kind that took your breath away and reminded you of how different he could be around you. "Won't the others be looking for you?"

"Let them," he sighed. "I've been long overdue for a day off anyway." There was a brief pause, as though he were thinking things over. "Can I take you out?"

Your heart skipped a beat, delighted that you both could finally spend quality time together. Not that mindless fucking wasn't fun but normal couple stuff had to come in somewhere.

You smoothed your hand over the skin on his chest, loving how only you were allowed to touch him this way. "Yeah, you can."

[claymorecut]

YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE LOVE WHEN YOU CAN’T STOP LOVING YOUR WIFE EVEN WHEN SHE GROWS A PAIR OF KINTAMA

A GinTsu fanfic

Word Count: 8072

A/N: This fic is long. And messy. And I wanted to write this for a really long time. Hope you guys enjoy! <3

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Huh? When did I get here..?’

Standing under the scorching afternoon sun, this is the first thought that crosses the silver-haired samurai’s mind. The familiar crossroad bustled with people as Gintoki scrunches his eyes and shields them from the blinding sunlight. Not long ago was he lying on his precious couch in his cozy little apartment, so how come is he now standing on the middle of Yoshiwara? Oh yes, he was already on his way to pay his busy wifey a visit.

‘Must be the heat, I might’ve lost track of when I reached here.’ Rubbing his eyes which seems to itch a little, the man decided to make his way towards the infamous tea-house. It has been months since he last visited Yoshiwara but the true reason he’s here today is because he wants to see his wife. For the last few weeks, Tsukuyo has been coming home late due to work and to his disappointment - and sure enough, hers as well - they hardly get the chance to spend time together.

Of course, like always, Gintoki stays the same, good, supportive husband who doesn’t constantly nag his wife about her workaholic nature and busy schedule but right now, perhaps, he has started to feel a little lonely. And as cheesy as it sounds in his thirty-five years old mind, Gintoki really misses her. Not just the sex or the long, passionate kisses, but he really misses spending quality time with her. Seriously, when was the last time the two sat down and read their favorite manga series together? More importantly, their second anniversary is only a few dates away and this time, he wants to surprise her with something special. Something that can help the Tsukuyo take a break from her job and relax.

The former city of night appears as same as ever with people busy with their daily work. A few Hyakka members patrolled the streets, in case of any transgression. However, far away in front of another tea house, Gintoki catches a small crowd of woman swarming a large, tanned man, most likely flirting with him while he seems to be going along with them playful pokes and giggles. Due to his back facing him, he can’t get a clear look on the unfamiliar man except for his wide back and blond hair which perfectly contrasted his bronze skin. No wonder so many women were flocking around him, he appears to be quite a good-looking man.

“Oh Gin-san, how have you been?” The delighted owner of the tea house was greets him as he walks inside.

“Usual, I guess.” The man simply replied and takes a seat on one of the benches, facing her. “I just saw this guy outside. You guys hired a new bodyguard?”

At his curious question, Hinowa gives him a confused look. “No. We haven’t had new recruits for quite some time now.”

“Oh.”

“So, Gin-san.” Hinowa asks, changing the subject. “What brings you here?”

While Hinowa gives him her signature smile, Gintoki finds the situation quite odd. Wouldn’t a teasing “Here to see Tsukuyo~” with her playful smirk have made more sense?

‘Perhaps, she’s gotten used to it.’ His mind reasoned back as he brushed off the thought.

“Uh…well, I was basically here to meet Tsukuyo but I was thinking of taking her on a trip for our anniversary.” Looking down, he nervously rubs the back of his neck. He may have been a married man now but even still, showing his rather romantic side of his in front of anyone except Tsukuyo makes him a little…flustered.

“You know how she is with her ‘I don’t want anythin’’ and stuff. That woman has been working constantly for ages and she really needs to get some rest! I never thought choosing a gift for a woman would be this tough, let alone surprising her but it’s her we’re talking about after all….So, I thought maybe you can suggest me something.”

After finishing up his chattering, Gintoki looks back up at her with a flushed face, only to find Hinowa confusedly blinking at him. “…Eh? Anniversary?”

The man knits his brows. “Don’t tell me you forgot?”

“Forgot what?”

“My and Tsukuyo’s anniversary.”

“But when did you get marri-“

“What’s goin’ on?” A deep and surprisingly familiar voice came from behind the silver-haired man.

“Oh, Tsukuo. Did you know Gin-san got married? He just told me.”

“What? When?”

“I don’t know…maybe he’s talking about someone else…”

This casual exchange of words sounded strange. But what sounded stranger is the name of the man who is talking with Hinowa. Who is now standing right beside him. Perplexed at this sudden change of events, Gintoki slowly turns to his side to find the very same tanned and muscular man he has seen before entering the tea house standing who now looked at him and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Yo, Mr. Husband. Did ya forget to invite us or what?” The man named Tsukuo teases him.

And Gintoki felt all the blood drain off his face.

He knew something was off. Really off. And as he got the closer look of the man’s face, the more he finds himself horrified. “W-who are you?”

The large man quirked one of his brows and then looks back at Hinowa, directing his thumb at Gintoki. “Is he okay?”

“He looked fine before. Gin-san, you look pale. Are you okay?”

No. No, he isn’t. Because this doesn’t look right. And no matter how much he tries, his brain has now failed to process the entire situation as Gintoki finds his eyes fixated at the buff man who looks shockingly familiar. Blond hair, violet eyes, the familiar black kimono decorated with autumn leaves and the infamous scar that he has gotten accustomed to kissing - Gintoki has been seeing all these features for years now.

In his wife.

Pointing a shaky finger at the large man, Gintoki felt his voice turn into a mere, almost squeaky, whimper “Hinowa-san….what happened to my Tsukuyo?” He could no longer contain the shock and disbelief in his voice. No way is this happening!

“Tsukuyo?” At this, the raven-haired woman looks puzzled. “But that’s Tsukuo.”

“I-I know..but…did some strange light fell from the sky and changed her sex? Like how it happened last time in the Dekobokko arc?” Each syllable he stutters makes his heart race a little faster. “What happened to Tsukuyo?”

“….Gin-san, what’re talking about? There’s no one named Tsukuyo here.”

His mouth falls agape. “Hinowa-san, please don’t joke like this.”

“But….I’m not joking, Gin-san….”

“Then…you’re saying my wife…is now…a man..?”

Suddenly he feels a large hand on his shoulder, probing him to look at the other direction which he was so badly trying to avoid. “Are ya outta your mind, ya bastard?” His said wife says up loudly, sounding quite offended by his genuine question. “I’ve always been a man.”

.

..

…

‘WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?’

*****

“Of course Tsukuo-dono has always been a man.”

“Who doesn’t know about the King of Night in Edo, Danna?”

“Gin-san~ Why are you suddenly so interested in that bastard when I’m right here~”

“Oi, Sarutobi. I’m right here - By the way, why’re you asking around if Tsukuo has always been a guy or not? Did you lose your memories or something?”

Nobody remembers. Nobody.

For the last three hours, Gintoki has been running around the city of Edo after dashing out of Yoshiwara, just so he can find out whether the unearthly Dekobokko cultist have made their comeback or not.  Unfortunately, nothing of that sort has happened. In fact, after asking Kyubei, Saachan and the Shinsengumi who once turned into the opposite gender knows nothing this uncanny event of his wife turning into the male version of her. Actually, his wife never swapped genders even when they did.

And every time he frantically asked the same damn question, their responses also stayed the same - “But Tsukuo has always been a man. We don’t know anyone named Tsukuyo.”

The statement itself is like a tight slap on his face. But what hurts more is that she is no longer here. Nobody remembers their marriage and…nobody remembers her.

His ring is gone.

All the wedding pictures and albums he once had in their little house are all missing.

And now that he looks at the empty shelf where they once had a beautiful framed picture of them kissing on their wedding day, Gintoki slumps down on the floor as he ponders about this absurdity he is currently in. Wasn’t it just this morning when he saw his wife leave for work before giving him a quick peck on his lips? Wasn’t it just a few hours ago when was planning to surprise his wife on their second anniversary? But now it feels like he is in a completely different world. And suddenly he is back to the same ol’ single and unmarried Sakata Gintoki who no longer has the amazing badass blond bombshell of a wife by his side.

In this sorry state, Gintoki recalls a memory from the morning where his favorite weather girl, Ketsuno Ana was announcing today’s horoscope predictions.

“For Libras, today, you may find yourself in an uncanny situation. Perhaps, your love life will be tested today under very confusing conditions but let me tell you, do not give up hope. As long as you believe in yourself and your partner, everything will turn out just fine.” The woman gave a bright smile from behind the screen as he flicked the TV off.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?” The utterly confused and enraged man yelled at the ceiling without paying any attention to what his neighbors are going to think. Confusing!? No, this is a hellish situation! “OI WRITER! WHY WON’T YOU JUST LET ME LIVE AS A HAPPILY MARRIED MAN!?”

Even breaking the fourth wall didn’t work. Finding himself alone in the bland living room, Gintoki hopelessly looks down on the floor and then at his empty left ring finger, gently rubbing it. He is not a sappy man, never has been, but truthfully, the empty finger does not suit him anymore.

The day he found out Tsukuyo had been in love with him throughout the runtime of the series was the day realized how much of lucky bastard he has been to have someone like her in his life. Idiot he might have been for not acting on his feeling but the day he took his vows was day he promised he will not let go of her. Ever.

‘Then why the hell is this going on…?’

A knock on his door interrupts Gintoki and he lets out a heavy sigh. If it was any other day, he would definitely have answered the door. But right now, ignoring it seems like a better option. Must be the baba is what he thinks and then stands up from his place to go look for some strawberry milk in the fridge. Maybe that can help him cool down…even just a little. Another two knocks, this time louder, tries to get his attention but he chooses not to respond again. No way is he in the mood to have a chat with someone.

“Oi Gintoki! I know you’re in there!” A voice calls out for him. A very familiar voice that he just wants to…avoid right now.

However, his mission fails instantly when another knock comes in, making him rub his already throbbing temple.

Groaning, Gintoki turns the other way to greet the unwanted guest in his house. Well, technically that was her- oh sorry, his house too, but according to the current situation, calling him a guest seems more appropriate. Sliding the main door open - and deep down, wishing it’s Tsukuyo standing there – he finds the male version of his wife nonchalantly smoking from the signature kiseru with his muscular arms folded under his well-toned chest. His blond hair is now tied in a small ponytail and damn, he is a few inches taller than him.

“Why did ya run away like that?” Tsukuo asks, putting down his kiseru. And while he refuses to admit, Gintoki can clearly hear the concern in his voice which seems so…familiar. But this isn’t her.

“Just had something to do.” Shrugging, Gintoki tiredly looks at the man. “I don’t know what I was saying, sorry about that.” He lies, really not in the mood to explain whatever this is. And possibly, this man will not believe him.

“Okaaay.” Tsukuo trails off, confused at his dismissive behavior. “You okay now? You seemed a little off back in Yoshiwara.”

Oh, can he just stop resembling her so much!?

“Yeah. Can you just leave me alone? I’m gonna get some sleep now, my head hurts” He knows he is being an ass but this is for the better. Tiredly, he slides the door close only to find a tight grip on the doorframe and shoves it open again.

“Hey. What’s wrong with you?” Tsukuo asks, slightly annoyed as he bends a little forward to look into the silver-haired man’s eyes. “First you act like you’ve seen a ghost and now you’re actin’ like an asshole?”

Hearing this, a vain pops in his head. He really can’t catch a break, can he? First, he sees his wife turn into this extremely handsome and muscular man who has lost all memories of their marriage and now, he’s supposed to explain why he is acting like this like a madman!?

“So, how else am I supposed to act, huh!? Act like everything’s normal when it’s actually NOT!?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!?” Tsukuo snaps back, confused at his sudden outburst. “Isn’t this normal, you moron!?”

“Oh yeah!?” Gintoki grits his teeth, feeling fumes coming out of his ears. “Maybe it would have if my married life hadn’t been suddenly erased from existence!”

“And when the hell did you get married!?”

“ ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO ON 21ST JUNE, AT THE END OF SPRING!” Gintoki screams out, making the passerbys look above at the two men who are now engaged in a heated argument.

“What the-!?”

Scoffing loudly, Gintoki throws his hands up in the air in utter defeat. “See! This is what I’m talking about! A few hours ago, I was a happily married man, planning to surprise my wifey for our second marriage anniversary and suddenly, I see everything is gone! Poof! Vanished in thin air like it NEVER existed!! And the worst part- nobody remembers my marriage, NOT EVEN YOU!”

Tsukuo only returns him another puzzled look. “And how the hell would I remember that!?”

“Because you’re the one I’m married to, damn it!” Frustrated, Gintoki jabs his pointer at the man’s well-built chest, only to realize what just he said and immediately rephrases his statement to, “Or should  I say the female version of you.” and awkwardly pulls back his hand. “And now, suddenly she looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger and I’ve no fucking idea how or when it happened! I don’t even have any evidence to prove myself in this…this crazy situation and damn it, this all sounds so ridiculous!”

Silence follows and the two men stare at each other, one giving an extremely baffled look while the other groans in embarrassment. This is not going anywhere.

Covering his face his hands, Gintoki breaths out a long, exhausted sigh. “Listen, I think I need to clear my head. Can you just…go?”

The man doesn’t reply for another few seconds. Perhaps, he’ll just leave him alone now.

“….I’m not going anywhere.”

Gintoki’s ears perk up. Did he really just..?

“And I think it’s better if we talk properly.”

Finally, he looks back at the man’s earnest face. “Eh?”

“Let’s get outside.” His said wife suggests and turns to walk down the stairs. “I think you should tell me what exactly happened. Maybe that can help you clear your head.”

“You believe me?” Gintoki calls out, baffled at how serious he sounds.

“Not completely.” Tsukuo looks back as he steps down the last stair. “But I do know you’re not lying.”

*****

Tsukuo is popular, just like his wife. Very popular.

But fun fact, unlike Tsukuyo, who makes every other lecher look the other way with her intimidating glares, Tsukuo doesn’t seem to mind all these flirtatious wink and compliments that keeps coming at him from the opposite gender.

“You seem to have quite a huge fanbase in Edo.” Gintoki inquires. The two has been walking down the streets of Kabukichou for quite a few minutes now and the extra attention the tanned man keeps garnering is making the silver-haired samurai a little distressed.

“Well, can you blame them?” Tsukuo looks at him, smirking proudly.

“No.” Gintoki shrugs, glancing at another group of women eying Tsukuo, who literally has the body and face of a Greek god. “But I never thought you’d enjoy so much attention.”

“I don’t exactly.” The man casually replies. “But when someone wants to talk and spend time with me, I can’t just say no to them.”

“And you just said the typical playboy line. How convenient.” Gintoki mumbles, not audible enough for the man beside him to hear. He remembers the first time when he met this version of Tsukuyo back in chapter 441 in the Dekkobokko arc. To watch the serious, tsundere woman suddenly turn into a player who shamelessly flirted with his female version was such a shocker.

“Flowers have no beauty nor ugliness. If such a thing does exist, then it’s in the looks of a man that cannot admire both equally.”

“HEY, WHO IS THIS GUY!? A VIRGIN WOMAN SUDDENLY TURNED INTO A PLAYER!!!”

Gintoki lets out a sigh. Even though back then such a thing happened, the situation was, more or less, temporary. Tsukuyo’s sudden personality change was only limited to that one arc. However, from what he has come to understand here, this Tsukuo has always been…Tsukuo. Sneaking a glance at the man, he again finds him smile at another woman on the sideways who flushes bright red and shyly hides her face behind her palms.

‘Yup, this is not Tsukuyo…’

After another few minutes of silence, Tsukuo asks. “So, you were saying I’m your wife?”

“No. I’m saying my wife got replaced by you.” Gintoki replies bluntly.

Unnoticed, the man rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Do you remember what exactly happened?”

“What do you mean what exactly happened? I was on my way to meet my wife, but then I see you and suddenly everybody has forgotten about Tsukuyo and our marriage.”

“Yeah, you already said that. But I’m asking did something happen when you were on your way?”

Gintoki knits his eyebrows. “…Huh?”

“Did you meet any…shady fortune teller on your way?” Tsukuo inquires seriously, glancing at him.

“Umm..nope.” Comes his honest answer.

“Then did you inhale or drink something strange before?”

“Nooo….”

“Then what about the headaches you were getting?”

“Most probably because of stress. What about it?”

Tsukuo shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought maybe it’s some sort of a side-effect of some ‘magic spell’ you’ve been put into?”

“This doesn’t make any sense, you know.” Gintoki scowls at his absurd speculations.

“Well, this is Gintama. Remember when the animation staff decided to freeze you for an entire episode due to budget issues?” Tsukuo points casually.

“Yeah, I do remember tha-“

“Plus, this is a poorly written fanfi-“

“Please don’t mention the obvious to our readers so casually. It can ruin their reading experience.”

Tsukuo sighs. “So, nothing out of ordinary happened?”

“No.” Except for his horoscope coming true which he cannot tell him.

“Tsk. That’s a very cheap way to move the plot though.”

“Would you stop being fussy about the plot already?”

“I was just pointing out the errors.” Tsukuo says as a matter of fact.

“You’re starting to sound like Onishi-kun now.”

Tsukuo grumbles. “Fine, I’ll stop.”

“Good.”

Even like this, the nitpicky and logical side of her is still clearly there. And a part of him feels happy that it is there. As the two continue to stroll around the streets of Edo, Gintoki finds his lips curl upward for the first time in the last few hours, unaware of the blond man looking at him with him own small smile.

*****

The afternoon heat is now replaced by the breezy evening evening as the two make their way to a public park.  Gintoki has no idea why they are still hanging out together. Or why Tsukuo still hasn’t left for work? Or why they are suddenly in a park and why does it feel like a date? Well, obviously he does not mind spending time with him – it’s actually quite refreshing – but still, Tsukuyo has always been a busy woman, a workaholic who doesn’t leave her duties behind, so, shouldn’t Tsukuo be like that too?

“Why’re we here?” Gintoki asks as he watches Tsukuo taking a seat on a nearby bench and stretches out.

Tsukuo, to his question, gives him a blank stare. “Because I’m tired of walking.”

“You aren’t even wearing any heels!” Gintoki frowns, pointing at his zori. “Tsukuyo can jump twenty buildings on her four-inch heeled leather boots and won’t even beat a sweat.”

Listening to his sudden proud comment about his wife, Tsukuo gives an amused smile. “Oh, that sounds interesting. That’s what I expect from the female me.” He gives himself a few pats on his shoulders.

Gintoki scoffs at his prideful gesture. “You’ve no idea how she’s like.”

Scooting a little to the side, Tsukuo taps on the empty seat right to him. “Wanna tell me how she’s like then?”

There is a moment of silence between the two before Gintoki walks towards the bench. “Oh, she’s just…amazing.” Taking a seat beside him, he grins widely, suddenly at a loss of words to describe his wife. “Sometimes even I end up thinking how I landed a woman like her.”

“You sound like a love-sick puppy.” Tsukuo chortles lightly.

“Well, I am a lucky man.” Gintoki shrugs, surprisingly unabashed by Tsukuo’s previous remark. There is a familiar sense of security in his company even though the man is the very much different from the woman he has fallen for.

“Well, you did marry me. Of course, that makes you a lucky man.”

His cocky response made Gintoki scoff in dismay. The moment he was starting to think they were a little alike, Tsukuo once again made him rethink his words.

“I didn’t marry a smug bastard. She’s the complete opposite of you.” Gintoki proudly replies, ready to explain his point. “Beautiful, serious, workaholic and definitely not a flirt - that woman can kill a lecher just by looking at him her venomous stare. And she’s called the Shinigami Tayuu in Yoshiwara. Well, formally, but you get how scary she is by that name. Hell, even I once became a victim of her wrath for ‘accidentally’ groping her before we started going out. Fortunately, she didn’t kill me then….”

Memories of the time flash in his mind as a soft chuckle escapes his lips. “Actually, it was my fault so I really can’t blame her….There’s always been so much more. She’s always been so strong and kind and…so different from me. Someone that I thought a broke man like me could never have. But she still stayed…right there with me….That’s what made me fall for her.”

“…You really love talking about her, don’t you?” Tsukuo asks, smiling at the man.

Gintoki sighs, smirking proudly. “Boasting about my wife once in a while isn’t bad.”

Soon, silence falls between them. Without having any idea of the kind of face the man sitting beside him is making, Gintoki lets his eyes stay fixated on the bushes right across their seat. For some reason, he has been rambling quite a lot today. Was he always this chatty? No, as far as he can remember, he was not. Probably, it’s the heavy feeling in his chest that’s making him so talkative.

“…and, who proposed first?” Tsukuo first breaks the silence.

This catches the silver-haired samurai’s attention.

“Of course, I did.” Gintoki replies, turning to see the man giving him a shocked look that made his eye twitch. “Oi, don’t gimme that look! I saved for the ring!”

At this, Tsukuo gives him an impressed smile. “Who’d have thought, Sakata Gintoki would become such a hopeless romantic for his precious wife?”

This time, the playfulness in his voice makes Gintoki grunt in embarrassment but he chooses to answer anyway. “For her, it’s worth it.”

“Umm-hmm. But I’m pretty sure she made most of payment during the wedding.” Tsukuo cleverly remarks.

Gintoki sighs, nodding in agreement. “Yes. Yes, she did.”

Sneaking a glance at the blond man, Gintoki finds the blond blankly gazing up at the sky, a small smile adoring his lips as he closes his eyes and breathes heavily. Albeit all the striking differences, he couldn’t help but find a sense of secrecy surrounding him, much like her. And right now, his serene expression reminds him of the way she would sometimes get lost in her thoughts.

“Missing her?” Tsukuo asks after a moment of silence.

Upon hearing the question, Gintoki sadly smiles. “Of course…Plus, we haven’t been spending much time together recently because of her work so….yeah.”

“…you still don’t know what’s going on?”

“Nope. But my horoscope did say it’s gonna be a strange day.” Gintoki confesses as a dry laugh escapes his lips. However, Tsukuo doesn’t inquire him any further.

Suddenly, a sense of uneasiness envelops Gintoki. He quietly watches the kids run back to their homes while the sky now appears to be painted in a deep shade of orange, the sun slowly disappearing in the broad horizon. It is strange how everything seems so normal to everyone but him; everything here feels like a strange dream he is unable to wake up from.

For the last few hours, being in Tsukuo’s company didn’t make him feel lonely in any manner. No matter how different he is here, there is a sense of peace in with him.

However, this is not his reality. This is not the place he belongs to. And this person, at the end, does not have any feelings for him.

“I think I should go back.” Standing up from his seat, Gintoki decides to take his leave. A part of him fears if he stays any longer, he would forever remain stuck here.

As he walks away, Tsukuo call out to him. “Oi, where are you going?”

Gintoki can hear his footsteps now. “Home. And I’m hungry.” He replies without turning back.

This still doesn’t stop the man from following him. “How about you come with me to Yoshiwara? It’s better than staying up like some loner in your little house.”

This time, Gintoki turns around, skeptically looking at him. “Don’t you have work?”

“Nope.” Tsukuo shrugs and walks to him. “Hinowa told me to take the day off.”

Well, that kinda hurt. He didn’t even come on his own accord, that’s how bland their relationship seems now.

“Well. You’re free to return back to work, then.” Gintoki waves his hand dismissively, ready to leave again.

“There’s a new izakaya.” His immediate response stops Gintoki on his tracks as he hears his stomach growl hungrily. “My treat.”

*****

By the time the two reached Yoshiwara, it has already turned dark outside as the full moon shone brightly above, illuminating the night sky. The streets appear busier than it was during the afternoon as the two make their way to. But before that, Gintoki gets to hear all the Tsukuo fangirls welcoming him back to Yoshiwara after his oh so long, tiresome day. Damn, nobody even bats an eye on the Savior of Yoshiwara anymore.

“Tsukuo-sama, how about you spend your night with me?”

“There’s a new kimono I received, I’d love~ to show it to you~”

“But I wanted to serve you sake and enjoy watching the full moon with you~”

Damn it, he hated how Tsukuo is like a chic magnet. Yes, the man is handsome and of course, he cannot blame the ladies for being smitten over him but he has been seeing since the afternoon and now all these flirty gestures are starting to get on his nerves. First, he brings him here – basically bribes him with free food - and then, pulls off this shit!

Picking up his pace, Gintoki makes his way through the crowd, leaving Tsukuo behind. If that blondie is going to take his sweet time with his precious ladies, he might as well search for this new bar and get something to eat all by himself.

“Oh Gin-san!” A familiar voice call for him. His mind was so delved into Tsukuo’s apparent bachelor life that he forgot to notice he was passing by the teahouse. “Are you doing okay? ” Hinowa asks sweetly, walking towards him.

“Um…yeah. I’m-I’m fine. That was- I was asking those questions f-for a friend of mine. Sorry for leaving like that.” Gintoki nervously chuckles, scratching his head. It’s better if he just stay quite instead of bombarding her with another set of ridiculous questions like before.

“I see. That’s good to hear. I was worried.” The rave-haired woman politely smiles.

“Um, yeah. Tsukuo mentioned.” There is a hint of disappointment in his voice as his eyes fall on the dusty street. “But you didn’t need to tell him to take day off for me.”

“Oh, but he was way more worried than me. At first, he just simply went back to work when you left. But I could tell how much he was worried.” Hinowa instantly replies, catching Gintoki’s attention. “You know how that man is. Always working and acting like he doesn’t care when he actually does.”

Baffled, Gintoki looks back up to find the woman giving him her signature smile. “You mean-”

“AHHH HINOWA!” The loud voice quickly interrupts their little chat as Gintoki finds a heavy arm casually crash around his shoulders, making the poor man wince. “I’m treating this dude for dinner at Sato-san’s place.” Tsukuo fakes an excited grin.

Not noticing the slight blush on Tsukuo’s face in the dim light, Hinowa beams excitedly. “Oh, that’s great! Their bar is right around the corner. You must taste their kushiyaki, Gin-san -- Tsukuo, don’t forget!”

“Yes ma’am!” Tsukuo obediently notes and starts dragging Gintoki by his neck. “Now let’s get you something to eat!”

“I can walk on my own, damn it!” Comes Gintoki’s grumbling as he frees himself from Tsukuo’s death grip.

“Yeah, yeah, ojii-san.”

“Who’re ya calling ojii-san, bastard!?”

As the two continue their banter on the way, Hinowa lets out a chuckle, waving at them. “Enjoy you two!”

A few moments later, the two enter the new izakaya which appears quite crowded due to its growing popularity. The interior seems to be pretty much similar to Otose’s snack bar – with a bar counter stretching to their right and a few dining tables to their left with customers enjoying their meal – the lively atmosphere feels refreshing. But what catches Gintoki’s interest is a savory aroma of grilled meat around the room that almost made his mouth water.

Walking up to the bar counter, Gintoki takes a seat on one of the stools with Tsukuo sitting beside him. He watches the man take his kimono off and place it on lap, exposing his well-toned biceps that can make every man in the bar look away in envy. Yes, even him.

“Ojii-san, two beef kushiyaki and one sake.” Tsukuo signals the old man behind the counter who quickly responds with a “Coming right up!” with a big smile.

Gintoki gives him a surprised look. “You don’t drink?”

“Nope. Never have.” Tsukuo honestly replies. “Does Tsukuyo?”

“Oh, yes! She loves drinking.” the silver-haired samurai exclaims, remembering all the times when they trashed countless bars together after getting wasted. “But that woman is terrible at handling her liquor.”

This catches his interest. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Gintoki shivers at the thought of his drunken wife’s face. “Give her one drop of alcohol and she turns into a savage beast! I got my head smashed by a bottle of sake when we first had a drink together.”

Tsukuo lets out a chortle. “Damn, I guess it’s better for me to not drink then.”

“Good choice. I call her ‘the drunk terminator’.” Gintoki proudly declares the infamous nickname he once gave to his lovely wife.

The old man places their order in front of them to which Tsukuo gives him a generous nod before turning his attention back to their little chat. “That’s why you called me Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lookalike back when I came to your house.”

Gintoki chuckles and picks a kushiyaki from his place. “Who else am I supposed to compare the brawny male version of my wife with, then?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” With that said, the two dig in to their plates. “Itadakimasu!”.

Taking a bite of the flavorful kushiyaki, Gintoki hums in delight. “This is really good - Ojii-san, I’ll have another of this!”

“You really don’t say no to free food, do you?” Tsukuo shakes his head, not surprised by this habit of his at all.

“Well, you offered.” Gintoki slyly replies with a mouthful to which Tsukuo feels his lips curl.

The two then continue to eat in silence, with Gintoki sneaking a few glances at the distracted man who now has again started smoking from his kiseru after the old man offered his an ashtray. Something about this entire day feels off and yet, with him, he felt at ease. Still does, actually. Perhaps, it’s because Tsukuo’s the only one who knows about his condition. Or perhaps, he’s just trying to deny the fact that he’s, at the end, the same person deep down inside that he has always felt at ease with.

Gintoki recalls the horoscope news– your love will be tested – that’s what it said. Maybe, now he understands what the test really means. But to say it out loud to him; wouldn’t that make things awkward? Because, at the end, this Tsukuyo has no reminisce of the things they have shared together…And the last things he wants to be called is a creep by his own wife.

‘Just talk to him, damn it!’ Slapping himself inside his head, Gintoki pours a glass of sake for himself and chugs it down in one go, loudly exhaling at how unusually strong it tastes. However, before he could bring up the subject, he watches a middle-aged woman wearing a lavish kimono walk to their direction.

“Tsukuo-san, I didn’t expect you to be here.” The woman stands to his right, her silky tone didn’t going unnoticed by Gintoki as she casually puts a hand on Tsukuo’s shoulder.

Something inside Gintoki catches fire.

“Oh, Kirishima-san, what brings you here?” Standing up from his seat, Tsukuo places his kimo and generously greets the lady who, not so surprisingly, reminds Gintoki of a jorogumo. What about personal space- she even has the audacity to stand so damn close to him.

“Oh, nothing, nothing.” The said sophisticated Kirishima-san replies as she coyly places a hand on his chest. “You haven’t been here the whole day, I was looking for you.”

Gintoki chugs down another cup, the burning sensation in his body no longer because of the alcohol.

“Oh, um, I’ve been a little busy.” Tsukuo nervously glances at Gintoki who seems to have been declared invisible by the woman while he continues to drink his sake. He looks furious. “Is there something that you wanted to talk about?”

“Oh, yes. Regarding the donation work.” Kirishima-san says courteously. “If it’s okay, would you like to come outside for a little?”

“Ah, yes, I almost forgot about it.” Tsukuo apologetically says as he escorts the vixen-like lady outside of the bar. Whether it’s just work or not, this Kirishima-lady definitely has ulterior motives.

From the corner of his eyes, Gintoki watches the two chat about something that’s pretty much inaudible to him. The woman says something and Tsukuo nods. Then Tsukuo says something and the woman flirtatiously giggles. From this little view, he could say how badly she wants to get into his pants. However, he feels his blood boil when the woman starts to seductively rub her hand over his left exposed arm, as if he’s her little plaything. And Tsukuo doesn’t seem to mind at all!

‘Hah! He really is a player!’ Immediately, Gintoki looks away before he could see that Tsukuo has politely taken the woman’s hand off his arm.

Scoffing, he drinks up the rest of the liquor from the bottle, sighing in satisfaction. Again, this wasn’t the first time he is seeing this side of Tsukuo but it would be a lie to say none of it…disturbs him. Not even a slightest. Of course, he understands the two are different and never can he ask the person to be someone else but still, isn’t this the same person? At this point, he really cannot comprehend any of such thoughts. And by now, he can feel the alcohol kick in, making his mind all dizzy and muddled.

“Ya know, Ojii-san, I’ve a wife! She’s jus’ the best in the world!” Gintoki slurs in front of the old man, his mind now all foggy. Never had one bottle of sake been enough for him. But tonight, it’s somehow started to show its effects.

“You are a lucky man, sir.” The old man smiles at him.

“Right~” Gintoki hiccups, a goofy smile now plastered on his flushed face. “And she’s called the Shinigami Tayuu, isn’t that cool!?”

“That’s a very great name, sir.”

“Wanna show me where she is?” Ginotoki giddily whispers, just like a little child who has found lost treasure.

The man politely nods “Of course.”

Directing his thumb outside the door, Gintoki points at the Tsukuo with lopsided grin. “There! That man with the blond hair my wife!”

Hearing his little declaration, the old man laughs rather awkwardly while Gintoki continues to ramble. “Isn’t that funny? Like, she was this really sexy, badass woman before but poof, she’s a sexy, badass man now! And seriously, I don’t ‘ave any problem with tha’. But she doesn’t even remember anything! She doesn’t even love me anymore and is now flirting with other girls!” Slapping the counter loudly, he lets out a dry laugh, making the customers nearby look at his direction.

“Sir, I think you’ve had enough drink today. It’s better if you return back home with Tsukuo-dono.” The old man politely says, now giving him a concerned look as if he is now some drunk who has lost all his senses. Seriously, who was he kidding? There is no chance anyone will ever believe his words. And truthfully, a drunk’s confession is generally considered gibberish.

Exhausted and slightly dizzy, Gintoki stands up from his seat. “That guy will pay.” With that said, he leaves the bar quietly.

*****

Staggering on his feet, Gintoki somehow manages to get out of the flashy and lively streets and enters a dark, deserted alleyway. The full moon shines brightly above him, fortunately enough for him to not lose his steps and stumble down on his face like some cheap, homeless drunk. His head aches and at this moment where he has no solution to whatever-this-is, giving up seems like the only option.

“Oi, Gintoki!” The familiar voice call to him…yet again. And just like this afternoon, he wants to avoid it.

“Will ya just wait!?” Tsukuo yells again, his breathing heavy as Gintoki finally stops at his place and faces him.

“…What do ya want?”

“Why did you leave like that?” Tsukuo asks, slowly walking closer to him.

“You seemed busy with the pretty lady so I left.” Comes his cold response, making Tsukuo stop just a few steps away from him.

Gintoki expected a cocky laugh. Instead he finds Tsukuo gravely looking at his direction.

“…it was work. Really.”

Oh yeah, sure it was work. It’s always work. Whether it’s in here or there, it’s always work! And goddamn it, he was so tired of listening. All he has been trying to do for the last few weeks is to be a good, supportive husband who does not nag his wife for overworking or not spending enough time with him. If he’s being honest, he was angry, really angry at everything. But the moment he tries to make things better, some stupid horoscope predictions decides to test his affection for his wife and now, he’s stuck here with an alternate version of his wife.

Despite all this, he decides to stay quite again. No way is he going for another round of ranting session. Exhaling sharply, Gintoki rubs his temple again. “You know what, instead of doing all this, I should be looking for a way out. But for some dumbass reason, I ended up spending the entire day with you and watched you smug ass getting constantly flocked by your fangirls who you just shamelessly flirt with while I’m constantly reminded that you are not the person I love when I know it’s not true!”

….He failed. He ended up rambling again.

And so to calm himself, Gintoki breathes in. A long, deep breathe. While the man standing in front of him freezes on spot, dumbfounded and speechless.

“…were you jealous?” Tsukuo finally finds his voice back and carefully takes a step forward.

“Of course I was jealous!” The permhead finally admits.

“Why?” And another step forward…

Gintoki scoffs. “Really? You’re asking me ‘why’?”

“Yes.” And another…

He sighs loudly. “Because I love you.”  And Tsukuo smiles.

“Even when you are this flirty, cocky man! Even when you don’t remember a thing about us! Even when I know that you don’t love me here! Because whether you’re Tsukuo or Tsukuyo, deep down, I know it’s you. It will always be you. The same person that I happily devoted my heart to and there’s nothing that I ever want to cha-“

Before Gintoki can finish, Tsukuo’s presses his lips against his, shutting him up in an instant. And Gintoki freezes on his spot, his hands awkwardly dangling around his sides while his eyes widen in surprise. There is nothing too fierce and hungry about the kiss; it feels like the ones they always share after waking up, chaste and full of love. Slowly, Gintoki closes his eyes and returns the kiss back with the same favor as his. Unlike the soft and pink ones, his lips are slightly chapped. And yet, the taste and smell of smoke he has so gotten used to is enough to tell him that yes, he’s kissing the right person.

Shortly later, the two pull back. Panting, Tsukuo puts his head on Gintoki’s shoulder, hiding his now flushed face as they silently stand there, savoring this little moment.

“It’s good to hear that you still love me.” Tsukuo is the first one to break the silence, his voice a little muffled.

‘Still?’ Gintoki knits his brows, confused as he recalls the strange horoscope predication.

“Guess I’m bound to fall for you no matter what.” He can hear the relief in his voice as Tsukuo slowly raises his head. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

The test, this strange world…His smile said everything. “You knew…?”

Tsukuo doesn’t answer his question. Instead, he just lovingly smiles at him and says something else as Gintoki feels his vision get blurry, his face slowly disappearing before him as his voice gets replaced by the one he has been hearing for years.

“Wake up, sleepyhead. I’ve got something to tell you.”

*****

The stiff sofa cushion has made his back ache painfully as Gintoki slowly sits up, stretching his arms and legs to loosen up his sore muscles. Sluggishly, he scans the surrounding to find the bulb above him glowing and outside the window, its pitch black, suggesting its night by now. He doesn’t even remember when he fell asleep. The TV is right around the corner as always and so is the little shelf. And there are two frames kept there- one of the Yororzuya and the other of his wedding day…

“You’re awake.” His eyes snap open at the familiar….and feminine voice of his wife who emerges from their bedroom right behind him. Turing around, he finds Tsukuyo walk up to him with her nightgown on.

In an instant, Gintoki jumps up from his seat and rushes to his wife, embraces her in a tight hug and almost making her lose balance. “OhmyGod, Gintoki! What’re you doing?”

Even her yelp didn’t make his huge grin disappear as he held his wife close, breathing in her freshly bathed scent. “I missed you!”

“H-huh? W-what’s the matter?” His sudden confession made the woman turn a deep shade of pink.

Pulling back from the hug, he lovingly presses his lips against hers. “I’m saying I missed you, woman!”

Watching the joyous smile on her husband’s face, Tsukuyo feels her lips curl up too as she caresses his cheeks affectionately. “I missed you too, you foolish man.”

“I just had the strangest dream ever. All just to see that no matter what or who you are, I will always end up falling for you.” Placing a hand on her heart, Gintoki looks at the love of his life with the brightest smile on his face. “It practically called you my soulmate.”

Hearing this, Tsukuyo lovingly holds her husband’s face in her palms, her amethyst eyes and soft voice entrancing him for the rest of his life. “Soulmate or not, I’ll always fall for you, too. No matter what.”

This makes the man exhale a sigh of relief. “I love you.” Gintoki says and leans in to touch his forehead with hers.

“I love you, too. And I’m sorry I couldn’t spend time with you for the last couple of weeks. You even came to meet me today but I couldn’t make it.” Tsukuyo apologetically says and closes her eye, finding comfort in his embrace.

Instead of asking when he went to meet her, Gintoki gently presses a kiss on her forehead and looks back at her. “Don’t apologize. Just…don’t overwork yourself, okay? And take a break. I was thinking of keeping it a surprise but let’s go somewhere for anniversary, on a trip.”

To his offer, Tsukuyo happily hums in response. “Okay. Let’s go.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him for a hug which he happily accepts.

Gintoki doesn’t remember what exactly happened here; the dream is only that he has memories of. And yet, there is a part of him that knows that wasn’t just a dream. However, instead of pondering about the past, he’d rather live in the present. After all, he deserves this moment of happiness his wife after getting his mind bombarded by a strange ‘test’.

“By the way, I think I’ll have to take a longer break.”

At this, Gintoki pulls back a little, slightly confused. “Huh?”

Looking down, he watches Tsukuyo take his hand off her waist and slowly bring it to her belly while Gintoki looks back up at her, astonished and completely speechless.

“Looks like you’re gonna be a father again, Sakata-san.” Watching the sexy smirk adoring her beautiful face, Gintoki feels his face go from surprised to purely ecstatic. And in an instant, he sweeps her off her feet, spinning her around in exhilarating joy while Tsukuyo giggles warmly in his arms.

“WE’RE GONNA PARENTS SOON!”

“Hahahaha! Gintoki, stop it!”

“WE’RE GONNA BE PARENTS SOON , BABY!”

“Yes, yes! I know! Now put me down!”

In between their giggles and joyous laughs, the two stop midway in their little celebration as Gintoki carefully brings the woman down. His wide, goofy grin never leaves his face and he once again presses his lips against hers, which she wholeheartedly returns. No way can he ever explain how happy he is now. After years of running away, after years of calling himself unworthy of love, he finally found someone who now shares her life with him. And never in this lifetime or any other, would he like to change that.

“Thank you for making me the luckiest man in the world.”

[gintokisimp]

Happy Birthday Gin-san!

One-Shot about Gintoki's 30th birthday. Tsukuyo has a special present for the clueless Gintoki.  The setting of the fic is an already lightly romantic established GinTsu relationship. They already had some kind of romantic encounters, but it was never quite enough for anyone to make a first move. Basically all of them could be seen as „Well, that was awkward, but we are friends so it’s funny.“

Genre: Fluff, First Kiss Stuff

Rating: General Audience

Word Count: 1,960

"Gin-chan, wake up! wake up!"

Kagura's scream echoed through the Yorozuya banged on his door before tearing it open with an ugly sound.

"You're an old man now, no more sleeping in late" She continued to scream with full volume.

"Shut up!" Gintoki screamed back and opened his eyes. He sure felt like an old man already. His life was okay now, after the ending of the canon material. But something was missing, but he also didn't care enough to find out what exactly was missing.

Kagura brought in a birthday cake with 3 sloppily placed candles, topped with one single strawberry. Gintoki frowned looking at the candles.

"I'm 30, not 3." He blurted.

"Yes yes, right. You're so old, I need to use one candle for 10 years, that's how old you are!" She explained to him. Gintoki snorted.

"Why are you so happy so early in the morning?!"

"Here, eat up or mommys gonna be pissed!"

She ignored his bad mood and lifted the fork, forcing the cake in his mouth.

"Ah Kagura stop that, I can eat myself." He picked the fork out of her hand and grumpily ate the cake, sharing it with her. To be exact, Kagura shared with him. She ate most of the cake.

"We're gonna have a party today, yes we will!" She announced.

He groaned in disapproval, a party was the last thing he wanted.

"Zura and Elisabeth are coming, that weird space guy, Shinpachi of course, Gorilla boss lady, -"

"How many people did you invite?!" He interrupted her.

"Mayofreak, Gorilla, that sadistic assface" She ended her list.

"Did you invite the whole Shinsengumi?!"

"Yes of course! It's a special occasion after all!"

"Who's gonna pay for that?!"

"You don't need to pay, don't worry. It's your birthday!"

She happily jumped to her feet, snatching the plate from his hands, on her way to leave his room.

"Thank you, Kagura" Gintoki mumbled. She turned around and smiled.

He laid down again and sighed.

Just forget my birthday already, no one cares about that.

"No more sleeping! Get up now!" Kagura screamed from outside.

Angrily mumbling Gintoki crawled out of his futon and prepared himself for the shitty day.

---------------  x ---------------

The Yorozuya office was packed.

Every possible sitting space was occupied, the room filled with familiar faces. The mood was exuberant, but Gintoki still didn't warm up to the idea of the party.

All guests had arrived by now and the alcohol rose to everyone's head, while Gintoki tried to keep the excitement down. They tried to toast on his birthday several times, but he always denied it, frantically searching for excuses.

Once, he spurted over to the kitchen, pretending that he left the stove on.

Another time, he feigned to be asleep on the couch.

There was no reason for a celebration. There never was.

Katsura had just spilled his third beer all over the floor and Gintoki was kneeling down, searching for some napkins in a drawer, when suddenly the shoji door opened and another trio entered the room. "Hey Tsukki, Hinowa, Seita!" Kagura shouted happily.

Gintoki's heart stumbled. He abruptly lifted his head, banging his head against the drawer. Rubbing his back of the head, he stood up straight and faced the new guests.

Kagura didn't tell me they were coming as well..

"Tsukki…,what are you doing here?" He asked nervously

"Gin-san, Happy Birthday!"

Hinowa said with a singing voice, reaching for his hand to press it lightly, shaking it excitedly.

"Here, we have a present for you!" Seita hugged him turbulently with a small package in his hands, giving it to him with a big smile.

"It's ya birthday, are we not invited?" Tsukuyo mumbled, arms crossed in front of her chest, averting her eyes, Kiseru in her mouth.

Hinowa slightly pushed in Tsukuyos ribs.

"Don't you-?"

She whispered and Tsukuyo blushed slightly before she eyed Gintoki.

Confused, he tilted his head, Seita still jumping around in front of him.

Tsukuyo sighed, closed the few steps between them, walked around Seita and spread out her arms, wrapping them around Gintoki.

He was baffled.

Hugs? Since when does she give out hugs?

"Happy Birthday" She mumbled incomprehensibly.

Tsukuyo hugged him tight, a little too tight. He could feel her arms cramping around him and her heart racing against his. Well, that's awkward. Gintoki felt his heart speed up as well.

"Oi oi, not so unruly, you're almost assaulting me" He laughed nervously.

She tensed up, let out an angry sound and smashed him to the ground, pressing the air out of his lungs.

"That's a nice present, did not expect anything else from you.." He mumbled, lying exhausted on his back.

Tsukuyo was standing over him, her face beet red.

"Tsukki, are you okay? Are you sick?" Kagura shouted from her seat on the couch.

"'s fine" She blurted.

"Oi, why does no one care about me? It's my birthday and I just got crashed into the damn floor" Gintoki grumbled.

"You're fine." Kagura simply replied.

"Nothing new" Shinpachi shouted from the other side. Hinowa smiled happily.

"Oi, why are you happy? Why are you happy?!"

---------------  x ---------------

The evening had gone by mostly uneventfully. Katsura had tried to battle everyone in a game of uno, but he failed miserably, losing every single time. The now close to tears samurai was comforted by Elisabeth in one corner of the room.

"This never happens to me, I'm so good at this game!" He cried in his sleeve.

Elisabeth held up a sign: You're the best player!

Tatsumas laughter repeatedly echoed through the room. It was the most annoying sound of the evening. Gintoki had the strong urge to kick his head in.

"Kintoki, drink something with me!" He called out to him, completely wasted.

"It's Gintoki, can't ya at least get it correctly on my birthday?!" Gintoki hadn't touched a single drop. He still didn't feel like celebrating.

The Shinsengumi members happily drank in their own little round and were joined by Hinowa, Kagura and Shinpachi. Seita played on his new TS. unbothered by the commotion around him. Otae and Kyuubei sat on his table, sharing some food, leaving Gintoki and Tsukuyo alone.

"So.. how are ya" Gintoki started after some minutes of silence between them.

"Whaddaya mean?" She replied uninterested, smoking her kiseru.

"I asked about your well-being , what do you not understand?"

"Why are ya asking, you never ask that" She simply replied.

"Fine, I won't do it again." Offended, Gintoki crossed his arms in front of his chest.

He glanced over to her, their eyes met and both of them turned away, slightly blushing.

Hinowa turned her attention to Tsukuyo, noticing the thick tension between them.

"Tell him how you are, it's not that hard." She chuckled, slightly drunk and continued talking to Kondo with great interest. Hinowa had recently started to bond with him, much to her disapproval. She didn't want the police involved in Yoshiwaras business.

Tsukuyo huffed.

"'s fine, I guess." She finally replied to his question.

"Ah.. I see."

"and how is it?"

"How is what?"

"Being old." She grimaced maliciously.

Gintoki scoffed. "It's not that different from yesterday, it's just one day later."

"okay.."

"I don't know.. lonely" He continued.

"You don't have to be lonely," Tsukuyo said, still looking in another direction.

"..what do you mean?" Gintoki turned in her direction.

"I urr I.. I mean..you have Kagura and Shinpachi.. you're not alone"

Gintoki paused.

"Yea right, I'm not alone, but still lonely"

"That's not true, Gintoki."

"Sooner or later Kagura will move out, Shinpachi will find a girlfriend, and they will be living their own lives. I'll be a single left alone dad by then. Maybe I should buy myself a woman in Yoshiwara.." His thoughts trailed off.

"Ya couldn't afford that anyways. Besides.. I'm sure there's someone for you" Tsukuyo's voice got lower with the progression of her sentence.

"Really? Who is it, is she hot? Does she have big boobs? Please tell me she's not from the Hyakka"

"..kind of"

"Tell me, who is it?" He was invested now.

"Well..-"

"Tsukki, don't you still have another present?" Tsukuyo jumped at Hinowas interruption.

"No I don't. It's already late, let's go home." Tsukuyo answered quickly and she stood up hastily, leaving the disappointed Gintoki behind.

"Okay, if you say so."

Seita helped Hinowa and they said their goodbyes, walking to the front door. Gintoki stood up as well and accompanied them to the exit like a good host.

"You can tell me Tsukki, I won't tell anyone!"

But she just ignored him. He gave up.

"Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed it." He said politely.

"Oh Gin-san of course we did! It's always pleasant to be around both of you !" Hinowas smiled.

Gintoki was confused "Why do you say 'both of you' so weird?"

Hinowa didn't reply and Tsukuyo pushed her to the door. Halfway, she stopped and turned around, facing the in the door leaning Gintoki.

"Gintoki..I .. I actually have another present for you" She started quietly.

Hinowas gasped slightly.

"She's gonna do it!" She whispered to Seita.

"Eh? I don't need presents, I thought I already said that." Gintoki waved his hand dismissively.

"It's just.. something small."

"uh.. okay?"

"you jus..just need to come a bit closer."

"You're scaring me."

"Or I can just come to you.."

Tsukuyo carefully walked back, stopping right in front of him at a very short distance. Sweat formed on his forehead.

"Close your eyes." She whispered.

He did.

Gintoki felt her small hands on his, turning his palm around, laying her hand in his. But there was nothing in her hand.

There's nothing there, What could it be? -

That's when she kissed him. No warning, no preparations. She just kissed him then and there in the doorway, right on the lips, in full view of everyone.

Gintoki forgot to think at all.

Her warm soft lips on his spread a fire in his body, crawling under his skin, burning the hands that were covered by her soft fingers.

One second.

The whole room went silent, Tatsumas laughter died.

If you listened carefully enough, you could've heard a feather falling to the wooden floor.

Two seconds.

Gintoki's head started to spin. His eyes opened slightly and he saw her face through his lashes.

Three seconds.

That was over the limit of an accidental kiss.

It was not a shy kiss,

it was brisk,

setting a complete new point in their relationship.

Her feathery touch on his hand tightened, sending a shiver that traveled down his spine, making his heart beat painfully fast.

Gintoki slightly opened his lips, about to return the kiss, but she retreated, her face tinted in a shade of red he had never seen before.

Tsukuyo smiled lovingly and lifted a finger, brushing it over his open mouth, caressing his lips.

"Happy Birthday"

She whispered and turned around on her heels, hooking the excited chattering Hinowa into her arms and quickly excited through the front door.

Gintoki just stood there, dumbfounded, unable to move.

The kiss wasn't that long, and it certainly wasn't a scene from a shoujo manga with a great backdrop, exciting atmosphere and a big buildup, but it was wonderful.

Nothing else was able to reach his mind in this moment, he only knew he would remember it forever.

Several minutes went by.

Still, no one had said a word.

Everyone stared at him and Gintoki stared at the door where he had last seen her.

“ehh.. Gin-san..? Is everything ok?" Shinpachi asked carefully, the sounds slowly returning to the room.

Gintoki's fingers slowly lifted up to touch his lips, her sweet taste still lingering on them.

“what…?" ..did just happen?

[abyss-in-machines]

PROMPT 3: ICE CREAM

AO3

The plan is simple. Actually work hard for once in this dead ass-job that he had mired himself into for ages. Do every possible job handed to them. He might also have to sneakily convince Baba to advertise the Yorozuya, cause work was always scarce. Maybe he could call in some favours from the Prime Minister, but that would be way to easy for something like this. He wanted to earn this, like he never wanted anything else. Maybe even ask Hinowa for work… that could be possible. His skills will never get rusty, and sword training has surprisingly revitalized since the war. Maybe, just maybe, he could get this one right.

Gintoki was a nervous wreck planning this. He usually didn’t plan anything at all, and had always swung with what life had gave him. But this time, the problem posed was truly a rigmarole that he’d have to navigate in the most careful of ways. He had to make sure that the scenery, the timing, the actions, and the object itself was as pristine and perfect as possible. Somehow, it had woken a perfectionist side of him that he never knew existed, and while he was happy about being motivated for an event like this, it was also nerve-wracking and emotionally draining. The fact that he had to keep it a secret from everyone but a select few didn’t help one bit.

Well, even if it all burns down to the ground, I’ll have strawberry ice cream to keep me company… oooh, shit. I have to budget for the ice cream too…

With that in mind, Gintoki got to work. To repeat, Sakata Gintoki actually started working hard for once.

*

Everyday, Shinpachi’s confusion grew. He couldn’t make sense out of what he had been witnessing for the past couple of weeks. The silver haired samurai was… working. Working hard.

Dedicating every resources he had towards the job, the man somehow morphed overnight, and the odd jobs business followed suit. Shinpachi had never seen more than two customers at a time requesting jobs in the headquarters, much less a line of people. He felt like he had seen some of them hanging around Otose’s bar. Now that he thought about it, most of the people frequenting the bar were Kabuki-cho working class people, local business owners and such, coming over for drinks and food after a long day of work. He did remember Gintoki muttering about trying to negotiate with Otose-san about advertisements, but he never thought that Gintoki would go through with it.  

They’ve never had work, let alone this much work. Shinpachi had to arrive earlier at Gingko’s place these days just to get everything in the place cleaned up. The first time he did show up early, he received the shock of his life, as he saw Gintoki up already, preparing breakfast for all three of them. Kagura had to be woken up grudgingly, but Gintoki had seemingly baited her with mounds of eggs on rice every morning. The man would never wake up any later than one in the afternoon, yet here he was, all ready and set by eight forty-five sharp.

For the first time, Yorozuya was actually making profit. The sheer number of requests from local businesses and the general public (as well as the unusual mob requests too, mind you) funded all the food and living expenses that they would usually incur as debt, and more. Gintoki actually paid the rent on time, as Otose happily exclaimed the first time he did. He was smartly utilizing the profits as well, somehow managing to fund advertisement and reach for the Yorozua over time. For the first time in ever, Gintoki managed to pay both him and Kagura with a consistent wage over the months. This wasn’t just uncanny, it was straight up a huge anomaly on the laziest man that Shinpachi ever knew in his life.

As he dusts the sofas, recollecting, he notices Gintoki busy peering over the account balances on the table. He seemed to be carefully scrutinizing all the numbers, before finally letting out a sigh and slacking back on the chair.

“Just a couple more to go, Patsuan,” Gintoki loudly exclaims, as he gets up and walks to the fridge, opening the door to look for his strawberry milk.

“Before what, Gin-san?”

Gintoki sniggers, grinning from ear to ear. “Nothing.”

Shinpachi shrugs, and kept on dusting. Gintoki plops down back on the chair with the milk carton, happily indulging in the milk.

“Oh also, Gin-san, why do we have so much ice-cream in the freezer?”

Gintoki pauses for a while, slowly turning to Shinpachi with a dead stare.

“Urusai.”

*

“Shin-chan tells me that you’ve been awfully hard at work nowadays, Gin-san,” Otae said softly, her trademark innocent smile plastered on her face. Gintoki shuddered.

It was a hot, sunny day, and Otae had hired the Yorozua for house cleanup to fix up any possible leaks in pipes and structures. Since he had already assigned the other two into other jobs, Gintoki decided to attend to Otae’s job personally. And now here he was, checking up on the dojo hall, the last place remaining. Of course she was here, training with her naginata.

“How’re things going with Tsukuyo-chan, Gin-san?”

“Huh? Swimmingly, I guess. She’s finally starting to get my jokes, although I still get those random kunais to the forehead.” He rubs his chin, deep in thought. “Oh, I also got her to like parfaits! She’s slowly warming up to chocolate, but says too much sweets are bad. I strongly disagree.”

She smirks. “Planning to tie the know anytime soon then?”

Gintoki shakes. “Hmph.”

Otae laughs, figuring it out. She puts the naginata down and approaches Gintoki, holding a small parcel, with a wad of bills on top of it. She hands it to him, who slowly reaches out a hand, wondering what this was all about.

“A bonus for the job, and for what’s to come, if I’m not wrong.” She smiles, looking at him earnestly. “This arrived early in the morning, as per your instructions. Good luck, Gin-san. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

Ginkoti shrugs, smiling.

*

“I know what you’re trying to do, Gin-san,” Hinowa grins, seeing Gintoki arrive at the porch, winded.

“If you do, then pray tell me why are you trying to murder me with all these difficult tasks, eh?” Gintoki snarls, peeved. Hinowa giggles, incensing him more.

“Are, calm down, Gin-san. If I do recall, you were the one asking for jobs, no matter what.”

“I know, but holy shit, the training regimen the Hyakka follow… it’s a miracle I’m in one piece after every one of those sessions. Tsukuyo really gets them all prepped up.”

“You know her, Gin-san.”

Gintoki shudders, taking a seat on the porch step, while Hinowa approaches closer.

“You know, Gin-san, she would never say no. You worry too much.”

“Easy for you to say…”

Hinowa laughs again. “I’m honestly surprised. You did put a lot of effort into this. As her big sister, I couldn’t be more happier for her.” She turns to Gintoki, beaming. “I wish you all the best, Gin-san.”

He grins. “Don’t worry. I got ice cream, just in case.”

*

The date went as smooth as possible, and yet she couldn’t help but worry about him. Gintoki had been acting… much more earnest the whole day. Treating her to a movie, getting parfaits, he had funded the whole thing. They had been out the whole night, to the point where he was walking her back home late at night. Even the Yoshiwara streets had gone quiet, for people had closed up early. Makes sense, as tomorrow was the beginning of a new week.

Even so, the date was fun. She had needed a break like this for a while. Work was definitely much more stress than usual, and age was slowly, yet definitely taking its toll. She wasn’t much old, mind you, but years of work and toil with the Hyakka took a toll on her body. Gintoki too knew it very well. He had definitely lifted her spirits in tonight’s date, even though she was pretty sure that she had been sleepy for most of it. However, he understood, and had kept on through it all. She was truly lucky, truly blessed to have had the privilege of having a relationship with Sakata Gintoki. Words fail to express her gratitude for his presence.

In deep thought, she realizes that they had reached Hinowa’s place in no time. The porch lights were on. She turns around to wish him goodnight, only to find him on his knees, with a hand reaching out, a small open box lying on the palm. Inside the box was a silver ring.

She gasped, hand covering her mouth, shocked. She couldn’t believe it. He grinned, and cleared his throat.

“Marry me, Tsukki.”

*

“You know,” he started, as they walk back to his place after exiting Hokuto Shinken. They’d been out on another date since then, both wearing their engagement rings. “I, uh, still have a lot of chocolate ice cream left. We could use that for desserts after the spicy ramen.”

“Why do you have so much ice cream to begin with?” Tsukuyo groans. “I specifically remember warning you about your sugar intake.” He does a double take.

“C’mon Tsukki, it was necessary, ya know,” he shrugs, looking away. “In case…”

Tsukuyo grins, gripping his hand tighter. “Fine, fine.” She holds up her right hand to catch a glimpse of the silver ring, and smiles serenely.

The things we idiots do for love…

[pendrag0nisms]

I’M NOT NAKED, I’M KATSURA.

Rating: TV-14

Genre: Almost smut but not quite.

Plot: Gintoki Sakata and Katsura Kotarou have a bit to drink then go back to Gintoki’s place...

Note: Sorry this isn’t the best! It was the first time I’ve written for this show or ship!

GINTOKI SIGHED OUT AND THEN SHUT HIS EYES. he was sitting at the counter in some empty bar that had a name he hadn't cared to pay attention to, drinking away his problems. what else was he supposed to do? being broke and a mop head were good enough reasons to drink, right? he stared down into his empty glass then frowned and pushed it to the side. he got the bartender's attention and ordered another. as he waited for it to be given to him, he heard footsteps. he didn't turn to look at the approaching figure. the other man was katsura kotaro and he sat down right next to gin, not even leaving a seat between them. gintoki saw him from the corner of his eye but didn't say anything.

"i figured i would find you here, gintoki." katsura said but that was a lie. he saw a bar and decided to stop by for a drink. it was only a coincidence that gin was there, too. he looked at the silver haired young man for a moment with his hands in his lap. once a few seconds passed, he looked towards the bartender. "i want what he's having." he stated simply. next to katsura was his... elizabeth. standing there with the same emotionless, silent, and unblinking expression as always.

"zura? i hope you didn't come here just to bother me."

"it's not zura, it's katsura." came the young man's automatic reply, his dark eyes staring straight ahead. the second part of gin's sentence seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. a few seconds passed and the bartender set a drink in front of them both. simultaneously, they picked their glasses up and each took a drink at the same time.

"whatever. just don't interrupt my drinking, will ya?" gintoki gave a sigh, lifting his free hand to scratch the side of his head. he kept his alcoholic beverage in the other, taking another drink. this was his third that night and he was already feeling pretty buzzed.

"i wasn't planning on it." his dark haired companion replied, quietly gulping down some more liquid from his own glass. he used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth afterwards. since gin didn't want to be bothered, katsura didn't bother him. he didn't say a single word. he would respect his old comrades need for time to himself.

truthfully, neither of them minded the silence. because, you see, it wasn't awkward silence. it was actually quite the opposite. some people were able to sit in the company of those close to them and enjoy themselves without saying a single word. besides, both young men needed some alone time to think and reflect. it made no difference that they were besides each other. gin finished his third round and got another. a few minutes passed and katsura got his second. they were the only people in the bar, except for the bartender, so it really was quiet. the sounds of glasses clinking against the countertop and drinking were pretty much the only noises in there.

time passed and before the joui leader knew it, he had downed another glass of alcohol. he decided three drinks was enough so he didn't order anymore. katsura put a hand to his mouth, taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes. honestly, he really shouldn't have drank anything in the first place. it was rather unprofessional considering the busy day he had tomorrow. not to mention, he was quite a lightweight. well, it was too late now. he sat himself up straight, as straight as he possibly could during this moment, and put his arms in his sleeves then took a deep breath. his posture wasn't as good as he'd like it to be but it couldn't be helped. he glanced towards gintoki.

gin couldn't hold much alcohol, either. he was a lightweight, too, but unlike katsura, he didn't know when to stop, so he never stopped. gintoki kept drinking until he was drunk. which had been his objective all along so... good for him? he had several empty glasses around him and his forehead was against the counter, which was actually cool to the touch and felt nice against his skin. the room wasn't hot or anything but he himself felt warm. he shut his glossy, dead-fish eyes and remained completely still. if it weren't for the sound of his breathing, he'd probably be mistaken for a corpse.

"gintoki?" the other young man uttered. katsura wasn't drunk. tipsy, yes. completely shit-faced? no. definitely not. unlike his companion. he watched the man for a moment then lifted a hand, giving his shoulder a light nudge. that caused gin to groan lowly. he sat up and put his elbow on the counter now, putting his hand to his face and leaning into his palm. he ignored the dark haired man next to him, getting to his feet. he stumbled a bit, having to hold the barstool to steady himself. his vision was blurry and he was having a hard time standing straight. maybe he shouldn't have drank that much. gin cleared his throat and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"listen... my buddy here is gonna pay, so don' worry.." gintoki mumbled, his words slurring together a bit. after patting the young man's shoulder, he turned and started to walk towards the door. he swayed slightly with every step he took.

"i'm not buddy, i'm katsura..." even buzzed he couldn't help but correct the other. it took him a few seconds to realize that gin had told the bartender he was going to be paying for all the drinks. "wait--" he turned his head quickly only to see that the stupid mop top was already gone. he had no choice but to pay. katsura set what was hopefully enough money on the counter before he started towards the door, elizabeth following after him. it was dark and the part of edo they were in was dimly lit. he looked around. gin wasn't too far up ahead. katsura watched him for a moment, seeing that he was struggling just slightly to walk.

katsura sighed and started after him. he couldn't let gintoki struggle all the way home by himself. "let me help, gintoki..." he said to him lowly after approaching. he took one of the samurai's hands and put his arm around his neck. with his free hand, he held onto his waist. again, katsura wasn't sober but at least he was better off than his silver haired counterpart. at least he could walk right. gintoki was a bit heavier than he looked and, despite his complaining about getting help and saying he "didn't need any", he was leaning all of his weight on katsura. once or twice the man with the dark hair stumbled.

"ugh... i might.. throw up..." gin groaned out and that made katsura glance at him from the corner of his dark, olive-brown hues. he did not look happy about hearing such a thing and his lips were set in a deep frown.

"gintoki, don't you--"

it was too late. gin had already leaned forwards and vomited on the ground right in front of them. a sigh left his tipsy friend's lips and he shut his eyes. at least none got on him. "come on." he spoke lowly, maneuvering them around the mess. they kept walking, thankfully not encountering any other issues as they did. little was said between the two men. gintoki was talking some but his words were all slurred and he was hardly making any sense. meanwhile, katsura wasn't talking at all nor listening. he was just staring straight ahead with a hazy gaze and half-lidded eyes. were they getting close? he hoped so. he was tired. just in general as well as tired of having the other use him for support. the weight was making his shoulders feel numb.

katsura came to a stop when he saw the familiar building with the 'ODD - JOBS GIN' sign. they were finally here. gintoki yawned and when he saw the place, he stood up straight and pushed away from the other, yawning loudly. "night, zura..." he mumbled with an off handed wave and started towards the place, swaying a bit with every step he took.

"let me at least help you inside. and my name's not zura, it's katsura."

"no, no... you just go on home. a real man.. knows when he's not wanted. you don't want to be like the smell of rotten food that lingers even after the food itself has been thrown away, do you?" that was said before gintoki bent over with his arms around his abdomen and threw up again, right by the stairs. shutting his eyes for a moment, the joui leader sighed and then walked over. he took gin's arm again to help him up the stairs and into the apartment.

it was dark and completely empty inside. kagura and sadaharu weren't even there. where were they...? gintoki stood in the living room while scratching the side of his head, trying to remember if earlier that day she had said she'd be going somewhere that night. wait, did they have a client? was that what they were up to and why they weren't home? gah! gin couldn't remember a thing let alone think straight. it was only making his brain hurt so he shook his head. "forget it..." it's not like he had any reason to worry. kagura could take care of herself.

"we're almost there." the ravenette was saying, not that the mop head was paying him any attention. he felt a tug at his wrist and he started walking after the man, both of them now heading in the direction of his room. katsura slid the door open and helped gin so he was seated on the futon. when he turned to walk away, planning on leaving gintoki there so he could sleep, he felt his arm being grabbed.

"gintoki?"

katsura didn't get a reply. before he knew it, his arm got jerked backwards and it caused him to come crashing down onto his bottom on the ground right in front of the futon. he had hit the floor pretty hard, unable to stop himself from flinching. "ow! what was that for?" he asked angrily in a harsh whisper, whipping his head back to look at the silver haired samurai. gintoki's face was right there and their eyes met. gin's looked as dead as always but there was a certain glint in them he'd never quite seen before. one his own, hazy mind couldn't place at the moment. the hand that was gripping his forearm slowly slid down. it went past his wrist until gintoki's fingers were holding onto his hand.

"katsura..." for once, he didn't have to correct his name. even if he had said zura, though, he most likely wouldn't have said anything about it. the man lifted his free hand and his fingertips gently pushed some of katsura's long, dark hair from his face so it was behind his ear. the joui leader swallowed thickly at that, his teeth sinking into his lower lip. the other was so obviously drunk. his smile was all lopsided and there was a red flush to his face that he was only just now seeing because his eyes were adjusting to the dark and some moonlight was seeping in through the window.

"i really should go, gintoki--"

"your hair... it's pretty.." the man cut him off and shut his own eyes, leaning forwards until their foreheads were touching. such a thing surprised the dark headed samurai, his own face surely becoming a bit rose tinted. he had half a mind to pull away and make gintoki lay down so he'd go to sleep. but his thoughts were all muddled for the most part. he was having trouble processing this. also, he had no willpower to move from this spot or this moment. it was surprisingly nice. he closed his eyes, too.

gintoki's empty hand shifted to the back of his companion's head where he grabbed some of his hair in a loose fist, fingers tangled up in the dark strands. surprising them both yet again, he connected their lips in a forceful yet messy kiss. a soft noise of bewilderment was heard from katsura. his eyes widened some and he put a hand to the other's chest, trying to push him away. "gin--", he mumbled once they had broke apart but was cut off when he was kissed again.

after a few seconds, though, his body seemed to relax. katsura almost felt like he was melting. before he knew what he was doing, he started to kiss back. he lifted his arms and let them wrap around gin's neck. the exchange between them was slow. slow yet sensual. they kissed deeply and katsura, without being aware of what he was doing, leaned most of his weight on the other young man. it caused him to slowly lay back on the futon and bring the smaller of the two down on top of him. they stayed in that position for a while, gin's hands going from his hair to his back to his waist.

eventually, they pulled away from each other to breathe. they both tasted like alcohol and the exchange seemed to do nothing but worsen their current states. katsura was more out of it than he had been moments ago. was it possible to get drunk off a kiss? because he felt light headed and not in control of his own body. he tried to push himself away but then gintoki's lips were pressed against his neck. what an odd sensation... gin moved his lips down towards his friend's collar bone, his kisses slow and lazy. yet, something about them made katsura grip his shoulders tightly. he even breathed out a quiet noise, one he'd be embarrassed about if it wasn't for the alcohol in his system.

the yorozuya boss was holding the other's hair out of the way in a loose fist once more, his mouth not ceasing to attack katsura's neck. his teeth scraped against the delicate skin in a manner almost teasing and his lips slowly traced the outline of the man's throat. gin could feel his pulse and it quickened under his kisses, which became more feverish as the moments passed. then, he let go of zura's hair, holding his hips instead. he did that so he could change their positions. gintoki made it so he was the one on top, the other's legs bent at the knees. he made himself comfortable in between them.

katsura exhaled quickly once he felt his back against the futon, with his arms and dark locks now splayed out above his head on the covers underneath him. he panted lowly and shut his eyes while gintoki sat up some. he slid his arm out of the only white yukata sleeve he wore and let that clothing article simply hang around his waist. it didn't take long for his attention to return to the man he was above. his hands held katsura's ankles loosely for a moment once he'd pulled his socks off. then, they started to move upwards. his hands trailed along his smooth skin, sliding higher and higher until they were up underneath his kimono.

the joui leader felt a shiver go down his spine because gin's hands had reached his thighs. he was unable to stay still. he shifted a bit in his spot, feeling his skin heat up under the other's touch. katsura felt so helpless. not only were the man's hands on his body, but his lips were pressed up against his throat again. all those sloppy kisses against his sensitive neck were making him feel so weak. gintoki pressed down against the man more, lessening the space between them. in fact, their hips were touching now and everytime the dark haired male squirmed underneath him, there was friction between them.

"g-gintoki..." katsura practically whimpered, turning his head away while clenching his hands into fists. a high pitched gasp followed his shaky words and that only caused him to feel more embarrassed. the man's face was deep red at this point, his body hot all over. so hot. too hot to be wearing all these clothes. what the hell was this? he bit as hard as he could on his bottom lip. clumsy hands lifted and grasped the baby blue fabric of katsura's haori, tugging it down off his shoulders.

"aw... is zura getting all flustered?" gin whispered, lips tickling the base of his partner's ear. then he was giggling lowly and under his breath. the sound was happy and childish and gintoki grinned against katsura's skin.

"wh... no! i-i'm not!" the young man stammered quickly. he tried to move his head away from that teasing mouth and cheeky, drunken smile but since he was trapped underneath gintoki, that was a difficult task. he couldn't get away. not that he really wanted to. he just hated the embarrassment. gintoki knew that. and the fact that he could make katsura stutter and flush pink did nothing but fuel his ego and make his sadistic desires grow stronger. so, what did he do? he thrusted his hips down and against the other man's, creating even greater friction between them.

"gi--" katsura cut himself off, a hand lifting and covering his mouth. he did that in order to hide a very, very shameful and inappropriate noise. one he thought himself incapable of making up until this point. his nether region felt rather warm. and sort of tingly. and it was making him uncomfortable. his eyes were shut so he was unable to see the silver haired man looking down at him, his smirk wide and lopsided. a few moments passed and then gin did it again. harder this time. more forceful. now, the man underneath let out a louder sound. one gintoki could hear, even though his mouth was covered.

on both ends, this was a rather pleasurable experience. for katsura, he had never really experienced anything like this before. such intimate contact was foreign to him. the sensation of having a body moving against his own in such a way was making his toes curl and his back arch just a little. it was like every nerve in his body was alive. he felt like he was living. at the same time, he felt as if he were in a daze. his eyes and mind were both hazy. he was completely unaware of his own actions. he was reacting without thinking. was this a dream? on gintoki's side, while it did feel good, most of his pleasure simply came from watching the reactions of his old childhood friend. it greatly amused him... watching zura come undone like this. who knew that katsura kotarou, the rampaging noble and the dawn of the jouishishi, was so easy to break (not to mention, such a virgin)?

"hey, there's no need to be so shy." gintoki reached up, slim fingers wrapping around katsura's wrist and gently tugging his hand away from his mouth. the sound of his heavy breathing was much easier to hear now. "god, you're really horny, aren't you? it's kind of cute." his voice was taunting and playful. zura hated it. and he hated that smug look the perm head had on. his words had a great effect on the joui leader, though, and he was blushing rather dark now. not to mention, he was right. he was horny. how embarrassing...

"sh-shut up... i'm not."

"oh come on! there's no use arguing. you're hard as a rock!" gintoki exclaimed rather loudly, his lips parting to release a low chuckle. katsura's eyes widened slightly and he shifted uncomfortably, a hand grabbing onto the other man's upper arm. he noticed a mischievous glint in the other's reddish hues. to his surprise, the samurai above him leaned back enough to grab the bottom of his kimono and jerk it all the way up.

a low gasp of surprise could be heard from the male with the dark hair and he tried to force his knees together but struggled because there was a body between his legs. almost being completely exposed like this... all it did was make him come more undone. gin's hands were on his thighs again, rough fingertips tracing against the pale skin. very, very slowly, they inched higher and higher and the whole time, their gazes were locked. neither of them looked away. for a moment, nothing else seemed to matter. for a moment, it was just them. gin started to grind down against him once more, taking his time to make it as blissful as possible for both men. katsura moaned under his breath and he didn't try to hold it back this time, as embarrassed as it made him. his body was once again on fire and his own hips lifted, trying to feel more and simply wanting more. gin's lips pressed into a smirk. "you're so, so hard..." he stated again and laughed. then he moved one hand to his partner's crotch, his warm palm pressing down against the erection.

when gintoki touched katsura's nether region, the man jolted and, as if it were a reflex, he suddenly threw a closed fist right at the other man's face. he punched him in the eye and he punched him hard. gintoki immediately flinched and lifted his hand, pressing it to the spot that had just been hit. "ow! what the hell?" he cussed under his breath and sat up on his knees. katsura, with widened eyes, quickly sat up himself.

"gintoki! i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to, i swear!" he said quickly, reaching a hand out towards him.

the other groaned under his breath, his head slowly shaking. "way to ruin the mood, zura..." he pulled his hands away, putting them on the futon on either side of his companion. his eye hurt. man, he was definitely going to have a black eye tomorrow. why? it was all because he tried to lay a guy. he sighed and then leaned in towards the now worried looking but still flustered man. shutting his maroon hues, he planted his mouth right on katsura's and kissed him. and katsura easily gave in, pushing back with his own lips.

GINTAMA IS A TV-14 RATED TELEVISION SERIES SO, (UN)FORTUNATELY, THE REST OF THIS SEGMENT HAD TO BE REMOVED. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.

"ahh... my head.." gintoki groaned and squeezed his eyes shut tigher. he had a massive hangover, which he only had himself to blame for. maybe he shouldn't drink so much. also, his left eye was sore. why was it sore? his fingertips brushed against his eyelid and he immediately flinched. a bruise was definitely forming... that's right! katsura punched him. wait-- katsura... he quickly opened those wine red hues of his and then they grew a bit wider. katsura was fast asleep right up against him (not to mention, taking up most of the futon so gin was halfway on the actual floor), his head on his shoulder, long, dark hair sticking to his skin. the joui leader's hand was pressed flat against his chest. his bare chest. he wasn't wearing a shirt. neither was the other man whose shoulder was poking out from the blanket.

"hey, hey... wake up." he then tried to move the arm that was under zura, only to realize that it was all numb and tingly from being laid on. he managed to pull it out, though, when his partner started to wake up.

"hm...?" katsura grumbled sleepily and sat up, seemingly unaware of the current situation. "gintoki? what is it?"

gintoki didn't answer. instead he just lifted the covers and checked underneath, swallowing after a moment. he wasn't wearing a single damn thing. he glanced off to the side and then bit at his lip. there were his pants. and his shirt. and his pink, strawberry boxers. oh god. when he looked back at zura, who was rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he noticed the red marks that stuck out on his olive skin. they were all over his neck and collarbone. on the other side of the bed, he saw a very familiar kimono and the pale blue haori that was always worn over it. so... they were both not wearing anything.

"you're... naked." gin mumbled out loud, his gaze flickering up to his companion's face.

"i'm not naked, i'm katsura." gintoki took a long, deep breath. had he really expected any other reply? lifting a hand, he hit katsura upside the head, eliciting a low 'ow' from him.

"i'm serious. you're naked. we're naked."

katsura understood this time. like gintoki had done moments ago, he lifted the covers to take a peek. then, he grabbed the blanket in his fists and pulled it up on himself, hiding his chest. not that he had to hide his chest. he wasn't a woman. he didn't have breasts or anything. katsura was just a conservative person. not to mention, he was feeling pretty embarrassed. again. memories from the night before flooded into his head. they were hazy but oddly vivid at the same time. for the first time all morning, he turned his head to really look at gin. his left eye was a reddish-purplish color from where his fist had made contact. he was so busy staring at the mark he made, that he didn't realize gintoki was looking off at something else. he blinked then turned to look as well.

and there was elizabeth. just standing there and staring, bags under it's eyes. a few seconds passed and then both gintoki's and katsura's expressions shifted to ones of complete and utter terror, eyes' wide and jaws' dropped. "h-how long have you been there!?" gin was the one who broke the awkward silence.

elizabeth turned his sign and all it said was 'all night'. that only made their jaws' drop lower so they were almost touching the ground. without thinking, the man with the silver hair grabbed his pillow and threw it at elizabeth's face. "you sick pervert!" elizabeth stepped out of the way in order to not get hit by the pillow, though his expression was now one of clear irritation. a few seconds passed and then he turned the sign around again. what it said was quite a relief.

'all you did was take your clothes off.'

both men relaxed almost immediately. gintoki put a hand on the other's shoulder and gave him a little smile. "all we did was take our clothes off. see? there's absolutely nothing to freak out about." of course, they both knew that wasn't completely true. they had kissed. a lot. with tongue and everything. and they had moved against one another very intimately. there were roaming hands and fingers and lips. and all the breathless noises they made, the names they gasped and whispered and groaned, couldn't be overlooked either. really, they'd done almost everything apart from actual intercourse. so honestly... the sign hadn't helped much at all. gintoki sighed.

"gin-san--" that voice was familiar. gintoki heard it right as the door to his room was slid open. gin didn't have time to react. to tell him to go away. it was too late. there shinpachi was and their eyes met. they stared at one another in complete silence for a moment before the young boy started to slid the door closed again.

"wait! wait, shinpachi! it's not what it looks like!" he said quickly and waved his hands frantically. who was he kidding though? two naked men were sharing a futon. one had a hickey covered neck. it was almost exactly what it looked like. the man sighed loudly and put a hand to the back of his head of wavy hair. poor kid. hopefully he wasn't scarred for life after seeing his gin-san in such an inappropriate situation. truthfully, though, gintoki didn't care too much at the moment. all the excitement made his headache worse. it was throbbing.

"i can't deal with this right now..." the yorozuya boss sighed and then laid back down, wishing he hadn't thrown his pillow but too lazy to go and retrieve it. he shut his eyes and decided that he was going to get some more rest. yes. that's what he decided but apparently fate wouldn't allow him to indulge himself and do as he pleased.

the door was opened again and this time it was kagura. he could tell because she opened the door way louder than shinpachi. again, gintoki didn't have time to react. she stormed into the room with the speed and destructive nature of a bull. "ZURA!" her angry voice practically echoed off the walls. to get to the joui leader, she walked over gin and in doing so, she stepped right where his dick was. it hurt like a bitch. he instantly grabbed for his crotch, curling in on himself as tears stung the corners of his eyes. he cussed under his breath and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, hoping the pain would quickly die down. why did he have such poor luck? and what did his balls ever do to deserve this?

meanwhile, kagura was sitting on the chest of poor katsura. both of her hands were balled into fists and they each took turns punching him in the face. she was making a bunch of grunting noises, going "huuuu" and "haaaa" with a voice that had lowered an octave or two.

"leader! leader, it's me! katsura!" the man tried to reason with her but kagura was not stopping. there was a fire in her big, blue eyes and every punch seemed to get stronger than the last. gin was still holding his dick and the pain was thankfully starting to go away. as he laid there with his his head on the ground by the futon, a shadow loomed over him. when he glanced up, he saw sadaharu. he was just sitting there, wagging his tail. what the hell was this? a party in gin's room?

"sadaharu..." gintoki started softly, pushing himself back up into a sitting position. he made sure the blanket was still covering what needed to be covered. he and the large dog stared at each other for a moment and then sadaharu opened his mouth and the samurai knew what was coming. "no, sadaharu, wai--" it was too late. teeth were digging into his head and he saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but drool. drool and blood that was now running down his face. oh how wonderful this morning was going. he used his hands to push the dog off then wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist. now he was aware that shinpachi was back in the room. he was trying to get kagura off their dark haired guest but having no luck at all.

"kagura! please--"

"what did you do to gin-chan? huh!? you had no right to seduce him to try and get him to join your rag tag team of losers! he doesn't want to join you! you had no right to prey on him like that! no right! you know he's a dirty, useless pervert and you used that weakness against him to get what you wanted!" kagura was rambling on, trying to defend gintoki but it just sounded like she was insulting him. the man with the natural perm suddenly threw his arms around her abdomen and managed to pull her off katsura.

"that's enough of that! and i'm NOT a useless pervert!" he then let her go and after that, he groaned. very, very loudly. his headache was ten times worse than it had been when he woke up. it was pounding. kagura stood up and wiped drool from her mouth, seemingly calmed down now though she was still glaring at katsura. katsura was just laying there, half off the futon. his eyes had tears streaming from them and both his mouth and nose were bloody. shinpachi was just standing there. the glare on his glasses was making it hard to see his eyes but it was easy to tell that he was both exhausted and disappointed. elizabeth and sadaharu weren't doing much. just standing, sitting in the dog's case, and staring.

gintoki took one look around the room and then pointed towards the door. "would all of you get out!? now! my head is killing me! my dick is sore and my eye is turning purple! i'm taking the day off and going back to sleep and i'd really appreciate it if you all left." it was pretty clear he wasn't joking. shinpachi was the first to leave, rather thankful he didn't have to stay in there any longer. kagura walked to the door only to stop and look back at the man she'd just been beating on.

"i'm not finished with you." she muttered and then put a hand on sadaharu's neck, petting the soft fur for a moment. she left and he followed after her. that only left katsura and elizabeth. gin looked at his childhood friend for a moment and then towards the man in the costume. he pointed towards the door. "that means you, too, you sick creep." elizabeth had no choice but to leave after that, taking his sign with him. at least he had the decency to slide the door closed behind him. finally. the room was quiet. gin took a deep breath and then shut his eyes, rolling onto his side and pulling the covers up to his shoulders.

katsura finally managed to sit up. he licked his lips and sniffed, using his hand to wipe away some of the blood that was gushing from his face. and... hang on, was he missing a tooth? it wouldn't be surprising. for such a small girl she really hit hard. his olive-brown hues narrowed a bit and after a moment of staring down at gin, he moved closer and then laid down beside him. instead of shutting his eyes, he just admired him. to his surprise, gintoki lifted a hand and his fingers slid through a section of the male's dark, silky hair. gintoki thoughtlessly played with the long strands and smiled to himself. this was actually quite nice. his other hand rested itself against katsura's hip. their bodies were touching but in a way that was different from last night. this was just as intimate but it was a different sort of intimacy.

the perm headed man slowly leaned back a bit and his hand lowered, fingertips tracing one of the red marks he left at the nape of katsura's neck. his eyes opened and they met the other man's. a few moments passed and zura, with his mouth and nose still bloody, leaned in and pressed a kiss to the other's lips. it was slow and gentle and he had no trouble kissing him back. what a nice moment. nothing could ruin it. except for maybe hijikata and okita from the shinsengumi. who decided that now would be the perfect time to stop by...

[gintoki-sakata-archive]

GinTsu Fanfic - Jealousy

Fandom:Gintama

Couple: Gintoki and Tsukuyo

Gintoki, asleep, hugging his pillow, his eyelids fluttering, he opened his eyes open the first thing he saw after opening his eyes was Tsukuyo, who bent over him with a smile on his face and blushes on his cheeks. Gintoki opened his eyes wider with surprise. The samurai's head lay on Tsukyo's knees with his hand stroking his hair. "Tsukuyo, what are you doing?" "Like who? I'm with you silly.I love you Gintoki " Tsukuyo,  bent her head slowly, closed her eyes and glares to Gintoki's mouth "Tsukki" Gintoki, shouted out violently waking up he was covered with sweat, breathing hard, he was wide open. Gintoki rose to his feet and looked around the room. "It's just a dream. I'm disappointed I woke up at the best moment " Lazy stood up, washed his teeth dressed. He realized he was home only from Sadaharu, who was asleep, yawning down the stairs to the Otose bar at the bar, Kagura, Shinpachi, drinking juices. " Kagura and Shinpachi, thank you for recommending this girl to me. She really works great "

"Who are you talking about?" Gintoki sat beside Shinpachi. Gintoki, shouted out violently waking up he was covered with sweat, breathing hard, he was wide open. Gintoki rose to his feet and looked around the room. Otose, handed him the beer Gintoki, took the beer to his left hand. "Kagura, told me the girl to replace her for the Tama and Cathrine, to have someone in their place, only today. Otose, stopped, heard the door open to the bar "You're back" She added with a laugh Gintoki turned and his eyes widened, his lips descending. "Sorry for so long, but I don’t  know the area too well" In front of Gintoki's eyes, Tsukuyo stood with handkerchiefs in her hands, putting her shopping on the counter. She turned to Gintoki, smiled at him when she did it Gintoki remembered that dream, blushed, looked away. Tsukki, trying to mask happiness on her face. She wanted to see him and she was very happy when he was. "You finally got up, how can you sleep. I didn’t  know you liked it so much " Gintoki, grabbed the ball after her words, approached her. "What was that suppose to mean? It's not your business! At least I don’t  look ordinary and boring "  "What does it mean?!" On Otose's face, a grimace appeared. Otose, nothing was waiting for the development of the situation They ended the quarrel because Tsukuyo walked to the table where a customer  waited for her. "Gin-san, we got an order to find a pet, this time the dog"  said excited Shinpachi, The eyewear was happy because it was their first order from a month. "Excellently!" Gintoki, left the beer he had not drunk and headed to the exit. "Tsukuyo, maybe after work, we would make a date?" You are very beautiful"   suggested a man with a deep smile on his face and a horrified look. "No" She responded quickly Gintoki, stopped by the door, clenched his fist, turned around nervously, felt an unpleasant sensation in the middle, and wanted to kill the bar client. "Shinpachi, Kagura, come alone. I'll stay here! " "But ... Gin-chan" "Instead of me, take Sadaharu, it will help you to find this dog" "But ... Gin" "Go!" Gintoki, shouted in a very upset voice, never heard of him, Kagura, Shinpachi, they only saw Gintoki's back. "Yes, boss" They said and closed the door. Gintoki, approached the man who grabbed Tsukuyo by the wrist and didn’t want to let go. Gintoki firmly grasped the man's hand. He covered his eyes with a bush. "This Woman politely asked you to let her go if you were too pushy to get kicked out." The man tried to free his hand from the Gintoki's grip, but the man did not succeed. Tsukuyo, she left the others to order their orders. "Let me go. Do you think I'm afraid of you? " "You will try to touch my woman again, you will not be until the end of the day" Gintoki was surrounded by an evil aura, showed his eyes to the male and was disturbed. The samurai's eyes looked like a wolf, who wanted to uproot the game. "I will not touch her!" Man,  panicked. Gintoki sat down, sat down on a chair and drank beer. "Gintoki, I didn’t  think there was a woman who could steal you" Face of Otose smirk didn’t  go down. "You will face such a face" Gintoki, didn’t answer, pretended that Otose's words did not touch him. He pinched the box in which he held the beer, his face reflected in the trunk, his eyes looking worried and fearful. "Tsukuyo, make an appointment with me, do not pick me!" Gintoki, hurriedly rushed to Tsukuyo, grabbed her arm and pulled with him, ran out of the Otose bar. Tsukki, holding a beer on the left, landed on the floor. Otose, wide smile. At the same time Cathrine passed away, who returned from a free day. "What happened here? Cathrine, was surprised by beers on the floor and a rolling beer on the counter. Gintoki, did not notice when he broke the beer and spilled it. "I can forgive you. It made love " Cathrine looked at Otose with a surprised expression. She only smiled. Without asking Cathrine questions, she began to clean up. The bar door opened. "I'm back" "Welcome home, Tama” Tama smiled and went to impatient people. Gintoki, opened the door from the house, pulled Tsukuyo inside, with Tsukuyo's sleeve falling off her Kiseru. Gintoki, he took Tsukuyo to the wall. "What's up with you, Gintoki !!?!" "I can ask the same thing!" "What?!" "Nothing", just tell me what you're doing. You are a courtesan of death, and you smile to horny men! " "It's not like that…" "I won’t  let you forget about me!" „What are you talking about? I don’t  want to forget you!” Tsukki, blushed and Gintoki, smiled and relieved, his eyes staring lovingly at Kurtuzana's death. He grabbed her beard and raised her face straight so that their eyes looked directly at her. Tsukuya blushed and looked at the samurai with love. Gintoki, approached Tsukki's face, the hair of the white demon touching his beloved woman in silence, gazing at each other with love. Tsukuyo, wrapped his neck and smiled at him. He widened his eyes and rubbish appeared under his eyes, but he smiled broadly at Tsukuyo, their hearts pounding hard, their mouths closing slowly, looking straight into their eyes, their gaze not retreating for a moment, Gintoki, embraced his beloved, their lips touched together. The sounds of Kagura and Sadaharu were audible, with every second they were heard louder and closer. Gintoki and Tsukuyo were frightened, their eyes were fearful, and as the door of the house opened, they both disengaged and stood side by side. "I'm back" "Woof" "W-welcome home" Gintoki and Tsukuyo were red on their faces and the atmosphere was awkward. Kagura, she was all dirty, every stripe of her hair was on the other side "What happened?" "I don’t want to talk about it" They said and walked into the bathroom to take a bath "I think something went wrong" Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki with a smile, the man blushed and smiled, was embarrassed, put his hand on his head, and stroked his head. "I will go home" Tsukuyo raised Kiseru and opened the door to Gintoki, grabbed her by the kimono, turned the eyeballs to the right. He did not want to go his silence spoke more than a thousand words. Tsukuyo, grabbed him by the kimono and pulled him closer and kissed him on the cheek. Gintoki looked surprised at the woman he loved and hugged her tightly. "I will walk you home" "Okay"

[vannahfanfics]

Snapshot

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Gintama

Characters: Gintoki Sakata, Tae Shimura

Requested by: Asperger Hero (Ao3)

“Hiiiii~!” Tae warbled cheerfully as she strolled casually into the Yorozuya only just seconds after she had knocked at the door. The three employees of the joint all greeted her with varying degrees of enthusiasm— her cute little brother acknowledged her happily, Kagura gave a muffled greeting through a mouthful of rice, and Gintoki just grunted and did not look away from his weather program. She had to suppose a grunt was better than nothing, considering how absorbed he always was in the daily report.

“What brings you here this morning, Big Sister?” Shinpachi inquired as she sat down at the table. Tae giggled as anticipation bubbled up inside of her. This visit wasn’t her average, everyday, just-happened-to-be-in-the-neighborhood house call. She grinned broadly as she produced a small camera from within the folds of her kimono.

“Look what I won in a work raffle! A Polaroid camera!”

“Whuzzat?” Kagura huffed as she swallowed a chunk of rice that would choke a normal person and leaned over the table to inspect the small device with curious eyes.

“It’s a camera that instantly prints a picture you take! Here, smile, Kagura,” Tae instructed as she put the camera up to her eye to focus. Kagura blinked before hurriedly striking a ridiculous pose, arms bent at odd angles and face twisted into a less-than-flattering expression. The flash burst as the shutter fluttered with Tae’s finger pressing down on the button. The camera whirred and spat out a black square rimmed with white, and Tae took the photograph to start shaking it so it would develop. After a few seconds of vigorous shaking, she held it out for Kagura to see; the alien’s eyebrows shot up to the roots of her hair as she was greeted with the crazy photo.

“Wow! That’s so amazing!” she laughed, snatching the photo up to run over to Gintoki and stick it in his face. “Look, Gin, it’s me!”

“Fascinating. Now move,” he grumped and fell onto his side so that he could once more behold the cute weathergirl chattering amiably on the television. Kagura pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks in childish protest. Gin yelped as she kicked him hard in the shin, and as he curled up on the carpet whimpering and holding the potentially fractured bone, Kagura scampered innocently back over to the table to sit next to Tae.

“You should get pictures of everyone! We can put them all on a board in here!” the young girl suggested excitedly.

“What a wonderful idea! It will really liven up the place!” Tae agreed. There were worse ways to spend a day, after all. Tae smiled eagerly as she held the camera between her hands. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of memories the little camera would record. It’s really lucky that I won this little prize~ she thought as she snapped a rather candid photo of Shinpachi with half a fried egg hanging out of his mouth. Kagura snatched the photo up and started running in circles around the table while Shinpachi chased her, desperate to rip the damning picture in half. Tae turned to look at the white-haired man still lounging lazily in front of the television, occasionally eclipsed by the two running teenagers. A faint haze of pink appeared on her cheeks as she hugged the camera to her chest.

Maybe… I can keep one or two for myself, too?

~~~~~~~~~~

After a day of hunting down literally everyone they knew, Tae and the two children were back at the table, pinning a collection of pictures to a large corkboard that they were going to hang in the main room. Tae had to say, she outdid herself with the menagerie. She had a nice shot of Sadaharu playing fetch with a frisbee, one of Otose smoking her pipe thoughtfully while admiring the sky, one of cute Tama sweeping contentedly, and one of Catherine flirting shamelessly with a man who looked not the least bit interested and daresay even a little frightened.

After that point, people had started crashing the party, and Tae had snapped random photos to just see and what she accomplished. The results had been fun; she had a shot of her crazy gorilla stalker Isao lying upside-down in a destroyed fruit stand where Tae had hurled him (that she was only keeping because Kagure found it hilarious) and one of Hijikata and Okita embroiled in a fistfight with Gin and Kagura. The princess Soyo had come to play with Kagura, and Tae had snapped a very cute shot of them having tea time. They had ventured down to Yoshiwara and got a photo of Hinowa, Seita, and Tsukuyo strolling through the lantern-lit streets. Tae had taken a photo with Kyuubei as well and thought it was so adorable how shy she looked. Somehow she had also managed to nab a photo of the strange long-haired patriot Katsura and his companion Elizabeth wearing mustache disguises (that were being wrenched off by a very angry Hijikata in the photo) and it was funny, so Tae kept it. She had one of Ayame the ninja, too— specifically, one of her hanging out of a window calling lewdly to Gin as he tried his best to speed-walk away. The next shot was of her jumping out of the window to fall right on top of him. Tae thought they were nice companion pieces.

Finally, the centerpiece was grumpy Gin lounging in front of his television poring over Ketsuono Ana. Tae giggled as she pinned it to the board; surely, there was nothing so unequivocally Gin than that photo. He was watching through lidded eyes as the excited trio hung up their finished product and stood back to admire it.

“Are you finally done? Does that mean you’re done dragging me all over town?” he whined as he picked at his nose with his pinky. So vulgar, she thought, but with an undeniable hint of fondness.

“Tae! Can we please keep the camera?” Kagura begged suddenly, tugging on her arm. “We want to add more photos, and we’ll have to have a camera to snag them, yes?”

Tae smiled wanly at the precious girl; the camera would be only a novel and temporarily amusement to Tae. She knew in her heart that the children would derive much more long-lasting and meaningful amusement from it, and it was no loss to her since she had gotten it for free. Still… Her eyes wavered as they settled on the bored-looking man. He had been very unexcited about posing for photos, so Tae really hadn’t gotten any good pictures of him. Tae flushed and looked down at her feet when his eyes suddenly flickered to meet hers. Was it creepy that she wanted a picture of him? Just one… Then she could relinquish the camera to Kagura with no regrets.

“Oi. Take your dog out before he pisses on my floor,” Gin barked to Kagura as Sadaharu whined miserably at the door. Kagura stuck her tongue out at the rude man but obediently jumped up to scamper over to open the door.

“Come, Shinpachi, let us take Sadaharu for a walk!”

“What? Oh, okay,” the spectacled boy shrugged and followed after her. The door clicked shut behind him.

Tae and Gin were now alone.

“What’s that look for?” The smirk on his face was positively devious. Could he know what she was thinking? “You want a picture of me all for yourself, is that it~?” Tae flinched at how easily he seemed to read her mind. She could only shuffle her feet and blush as he peeled himself up off the floor to scroll languidly over to her and take the camera in his hands to begin inspecting it critically. With how close he was standing to her, it was impossible not to notice how he towered over her in an effortlessly sexy manner… Tae’s cheeks turned dark red. Had she really just used “sexy” and “Gintoki” in the same thought process? Oh, yes, she had. She still was. It was all she could think about, even. “I really don’t get the big deal about this thing…”

“It doesn’t matter! I’m going to give it to Kagura!” Tae stammered as she reached for the camera. Gin clicked his tongue and held it high above her head, out of reach. “Gin! Give it here! You don’t care, so why are you teasing me?” she whined pitifully as she stood on her tip-toes to try and reach the camera. Her fingertips could only graze the underside of its plastic surface. Her chest kept bumping into his as she wobbled in front of him, and he tilted his head back as the crown of his head tickled his chin. He was smirking widely, obviously very entertained by her fruitless efforts. “You meanie!” she said and puffed her cheeks at him angrily.

“Mean? I was going to take a photo with you, Tae; I don’t think that’s mean at all.”

Tae ought to be alarmed by the edge to his voice, she really ought to, but that was secondary to the effect his words were having on her brain right then. She fell back onto the flats of her feet as she stared owlishly up at him.

“Really? I thought you weren’t interested.”

“Just shut up and stand still,” he purred as he slowly slipped an arm around her shoulders, letting it hang there loosely as he adjusted so he was standing next to her. His other arm was raised to position the camera down towards them. Tae could only stare at the black lens, shocked at how easy it had been for Gintoki to agree.

Of course, things were never that simple with him.

She gasped loudly as his hand suddenly snapped up to grab her chin and turn her face. Her vision was a blur of his white hair and silver eyes and devilish grin and the flash of the shutter. He had concluded the act far before her mind registered the softness of his lips against hers; by the time the sensation had reached her nerves, he had already pulled back and dropped the camera in her hands to go flop down in front the television. She looked blankly down at the developing photograph, mind whirling in a storm of confusion. Surely she had just imagined that, right? There was no way Gin would kiss her…

The image slowly came to life in the black film. Sure enough, there it was, indisputable evidence of their lip-locking. Gintoki was smugly side-eyeing the camera as he smirked against Tae’s smushed lips, while her eyes were wide and locked on his face. She blinked once, twice, a third time for good measure to see if the image distorted at all. Nope. There it still was, clear as day.

“Ehhhhhhhhh?!” she screeched in a conglomeration of alarm, shock, anger, and stupid glee. “Gintoki! You can’t just do stuff like that!”

“What? Did you not like it?”

“Th-that’s beside the point.”

“So you did like it.”

“I-I didn’t say that!”

“Oh? Want me to try again?”

“Gintoki!” His shoulders shook in a baleful laugh before he tossed a smile at her. That smile made her heart stop. It wasn’t a smile of mischievousness or teasing, but genuine affection.

“Be sure to keep that a secret from Shinpachi. He won’t like it.” Tae stiffened before stuffing the photo into one of the pockets sewn into the inside of her kimono. “And Tae?”

“Y-yes?”

“Drop by more often. I get tired of Shinpachi griping about how he doesn’t get to see you with how much you work.” She blinked as he turned back to the television, grabbing the remote to flip idly through the channels. It took a moment for the request to register, and when it did, her eyes softened as she smiled lovingly. What a Gintoki way of saying things. Never could be to the point, could he?

“Hehe… Sure thing.”

She left the camera on the table for Kagura and left. As she walked home, she pulled out the photo, holding it in both hands as she walked home. Her eyes crinkled up with happiness as she admired it, her new treasure.

“Sure thing…”

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 703 Review

This chapter is amazing. I don’t need to review it; just leave it like that and you already know why. Joking aside (not really), what is there to say about it? It’s not the chapter I thought I wanted, but it’s the chapter I didn’t think I needed. It’s Gintama at its finest in its serious tone. It’s the finale that surpassed the last Utsuro battle. It’s the finale that surpassed my expectation, and trust me, it was pretty high. It’s the finale that the fans will forever remember.

Right from the beginning, it’s a knee-jerking experience with a sheer amount of intensity in the air. Gintoki and Utsuro are not even fighting, yet I got goosebumps just reading their dialogues. Speaking of which, Utsuro continue to be the most sinister villain in a long time for Shounen Jump. I know it’s technically not part of it anymore, but it did spawn from it. The point is, Utsuro is intimidating as always, drawing the aura of sinister that have outsmarted everyone.

He retells the whole story on why and how all the events led to this moment, in case if you are confused. Above all, it does add the shivering feeling because of how right he was about everything. The line about the path makes a callback, which makes me happy, because I reflect this many times before on how important his words were. That means I didn’t overthink it; Sorachi acknowledged it. Also, it adds more to the theme of Silver Soul; a necessary conflict to challenge. Lastly and more importantly, it adds more to Gintoki’s character; a man who can’t escape the tragic path that happened to repeat itself. It’s a mad world.

The showdown between the two have been on-point and stellar, and they haven’t yet to attack to make it so. Even Gintoki grasping his sword got me chills; that’s how unnerving it is. He may have gone through hell, but he will forever keep his words with his friends. No matter what happens, they will find their way to regroup. The conversation is so compelling. It doesn’t resort to power of friendship in blatant terms. All of their words felt meaningful because it relates perfectly to their characters. Those words about Takasugi made me feel so good, but it ultimately segue to a twist to Utsuro’s own game.

The twist is great because it finally put Utsuro in his own mind game, and rightfully deserved. It turns out that he was the one lying down and Shouyo was never there. It was confusing, of course, but the explanation is pretty rewarding. We last saw him about to kill Shouyo, but it actually never went through. He was stopped by Oboro because his blood was also consumed. This makes sense, especially when we just learned about how everything works. Not only that, but it’s even better with him being the one to stop. How can Sorachi make a dead guy, who was once a villain, become so likable in after life? That’s amazing.

I got so gleeful when Gintoki takes the role of a tyrant, looking down on Utsuro. It’s like I have foodgasm without taking a bite. The mind game on Utsuro is awesome; that line delivery about what he sees is superb. Takasugi stabbed himself rather than on Shouyo; that commitment cannot be broken. Gintoki’s strike is so well earned, along with the parallel. To recap, Shouyo is saved (for now) and he’s going to be helped by Yorozuya. Those moments were stellar enough, the next scene is downright masterful, but it comes with a heavy price.

It’s really tough to choose the best scene of this chapter. It’s interchangeable to me. Regardless, the next scene is perhaps the moment I never expected. I was so hung on the idea that the final battle must be explosive, literally or not, tons of action, and a solid storytelling. Maybe because plenty of writers thought bigger means better. That is not the case, and that’s a great thing. What the fans get and thankfully understand the nature and premise, is a wonderful climatic end.

Just before the final exchange, there’s one more conversation; preparing you for the greatness. The bone-chilling feeling that I have comes from Gintoki posing like a true Samurai, ready to fight. That cold stare only increase the chill factor. Utsuro’s words are hurtful, especially when he more or less guilt tripping Gintoki. Words about losing a master and a friend; those are stabbing to the heart pain. The narrative is whether the end path for Gintoki will forever be an empty void. Shouyo is saved, but will Takasugi be saved as well? The answer is yes; just not what you’re hoping for.

It’s badass enough for Gintoki to pose as a Samurai; it’s even more so when he doesn’t move at all to all of Utsuro’s hit. None of them connects; he stands as he knows he will never be empty. The ones he wanted to protect are right there, in his soul. That panel with Takasugi preventing Utsuro’s attacks is pure awesome. That’s friendship at its best. The next scene…is mesmerizing. Everything is impactful for one main reason: the storytelling. If Utsuro was just himself, it would have been pretty cool, but that would be the end of it. It would have been a high-five victory only. However, this is Takasugi’s body, so the story has changed. It’s a heartbreaking story that will pain the fans. It’s a tragic story that must be done. And I love it.

I love every single panel. It’s all one-sided, but it’s incredible. Much like how One Punch Man is brilliant at one-hit gag, this is brilliant at finishing the fight in a one-sided beat down with a crushing soul. I love how every hit slowly eats Gintoki’s calmness, closing in to kill Utsuro, but above all, kill his best friend. The memories begin to surface, causing me to feel the agony. I can’t do it justice here, but it’s simply gorgeous. My favorite part is the sword reflection. No matter what happens, no matter if Takasugi has to die, the reflection shows true color: he is proud of Gintoki. This is unfair. I don’t want to cry.

The way how it was paneled is amazing. It is an emotional roller coaster and each passing panel draws closer to sad fate. It aches me when it zooms in Gintoki’s eyes; understanding the pain he has to go through, but it has to be done. That roar as he holds Takasugi’s sword is chilling. The sad part is, I wanted to cheer and celebrate, but instead, I found myself pleading to stop. The double page spread says it all; epic but heartbreaking. The deed is done. I love Utsuro’s end as he truly learned the lesson as he dies; the lesson of humanity staying strong in the soul. It speaks well to his character and it’s better than simply meet people with strong willpower. It’s a great moral that captured the theme. I honestly didn’t do justice on the scene, but it’s one I often go back dozens and dozens of time; no exaggeration.

The scene with Yorozuya and Shouyo is something I thought I would never see, but undoubtedly welcoming. It makes completely sense for them to interact; it’s simply the past meet the present. It also works out well to give Shouyo a better light that his action has its upbringing and that is giving Gintoki the life he has. The panels with Gintoki looking down at Takasugi with a line about saving or protecting is quite telling. It’s very fitting for Shinpachi to be the one to thank Shouyo for meeting Gintoki. Who knows what would have happened instead if they didn’t meet. It’s such a nice moment of two generations bonding. Now, here comes the hardest part.

I wasn’t so sure what to prepare for, but it’s not the writing fault. It’s me hoping for a quick asspull or something people despise in Shounen genre. The series may be at the end, but to see a very popular character to die is hard to accept. Rarely that happens. Maybe, Takasugi would receive the Sasuke treatment, even if it was bull crap. Sadly, Sorachi doesn’t play that way. In short, this is it; pay respect one last time.

It’s as everything you can expect; it’s downright sad. I find it morbid to think the wins and losses count was a huge indication for their end. It was designed for one to receive the win to decide it all, but at a price of a life. Not like this. Even so, it’s touching that Gintoki doesn’t want the victory, even if Takasugi finds it pity. I love their last share of conversation, talking about how they were bitter with each other since youth, but they could have been best of friends. Scratch that; they always have been. What hurts me the most is the fact Takasugi had lived in the past for so long and what could have been show plenty of possibilities; but his death means it wasn’t meant to be. If that’s not tragic, I don’t know what is.

When I read the chapter’s title, I was speculating that it could mean a good thing. Technically, I was right, but not like this. Sorachi truly knows how to make something simple, complex, small, or large absolute meaningful, and by God, this is no exception. Takasugi’s left eye’s final vision was the tear of his best friend. The right should see Gintoki as the man he knows very well; the man he can called an eternal rival. That’s his final wish, and Gintoki grants that with a smile. The eye slowly closes; God, it’s hard. He vowed to get his win one day in Hell, and Takasugi will be waiting.

He’s gone. Gintoki cries. Powerful. Simply powerful.

Everything from this scene, let alone the chapter, was masterful. I don’t know how my face looked like, but I know my eyes were watery. Let me tell you, listening to Unravel acoustic was a massive mistake. It had me pouring. You can complain all you want about not wanting to end, but if it result to this pure quality, why fight it? This is what the fans truly deserved. Not exactly killing a beloved character, but the top level of writing that one would say, “It’s been 84 years.” I know it’s a joke, but I have to lighten up after this. The next chapter will be the last. By all means, end it. We are satisfied enough.

This chapter will go down as the best of the series; most likely the best I have read this year. It will likely to have the best ending in a long time. I am seriously considering to buy all volumes in one sweep. There’s no need to repeat on why this chapter is the best. You read it and you’ll know it. If only this was posted in a magazine; I will buy it in a heartbeat. Here’s to the final chapter. Takasugi won’t be here next time, but the soul will go on forever.

Rest in Peace, Takasugi.

[rike-with-love]

The perfect girlfriend

Summary: Sougo has a surprise for Kagura as he arrives home from work

Pairings: Okikagu

Rating: T for bad language, 150% fluffy

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gintama or it’s characters, Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Author’s notes: I have a link to my fanfiction masterlist on my profile. Please check it out for more chapters and fics!

The perfect girlfriend

Kagura heard the front door opening and closing.

”I'm home!”

”I'm in the kitchen,” Kagura answered and focused back on preparing dinner.

”Uh...China?”

”What?”

”Could you come here for a moment?”

Kagura lifted her eyes up from the cutting board and she turned to look in the direction of the hallway. ”Why?” she asked with slight annoyance. He had been in the house for a second and already he was interrupting her important task.

She heard him sigh. ”Just come here.”

Kagura sighed even deeper, she took off her apron and threw it on the kitchen counter where a pile of pots and pans were practically mocking her. ”What the hell is so damn important, huh?” Kagura huffed and walked towards the hallway.

Sougo knew Kagura was a feisty person, but sometimes she got even him a little puzzled. After all, all Sougo did was to ask her to come to the hallway. He shook his head a little and placed a box on the floor from his hands.

Kagura stomped over to the hallway and exhaled deeply. ”What is it sadist?”

Sougo was facing his back to her as he was taking his shoes off. Then he got up and turned to look at her. Kagura had her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail and he instantly realized why she was acting so angrily.

He took a step closer to her. ”Did I interrupt something?”

”No,” Kagura huffed and crossed her arms.

”Are you sure?” Sougo asked and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Kagura saw how gently he looked at her. He always did that when they were alone, out of sight of those who were too nosy. She inhaled deeply to calm herself down. ”Well maybe a little, yes.”

Sougo stroked her shoulders with his thumbs. ”Were you by any change...cooking?” he asked. And he was right.

Right before Sougo had arrived back home, Kagura had failed for the third time in a row at making a fairly simple dish. And she was so disappointed at herself.

”No, I wasn't cooking...I was failing,” Kagura said with a low voice and looked down on her feet. ”So go ahead, make fun of me.”

Sougo shook his head again and wrapped his arms around her. ”You're so stupid.”

Kagura huffed and tried to wiggle out of his embrace. ”You-”

”Why would I make fun of you?” He asked to interrupt her.

Kagura stopped pushing him away and slowly gave in to the hug. ”I don't know...” she mumbled against him.

”You'll get better, just keep practicing, mmh?”

”Yeah...”

Sougo pulled away from the hug to look into her now calm blue eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous with every emotion, but her serene eyes were one of his favourite. It meant she felt happy.

”Well, I better get back to work then,” she said and took a couple of steps back, causing his hands to drop from her shoulders to her wrists. ”I have to go back home for tonight so I better hurry with the dinner, yes.”

Kagura felt him tightening his hold of her wrists and pulling her back to him. His eyes told her exactly what he was feeling. ”You're going back tonight?” Sougo asked with a disappointed tone echoing from his voice.

”I am,” she said. ”I can't stay here every night, this is your home, yes.”

Sougo didn't know what to say. Weeks ago he had asked her the faithful question. Actually that was the sole reason he had gotten his own place. For her to come and live with him.

Kagura had told him that Gintoki didn't allow it, which wasn't true at all. She was an adult, so there wasn't much for him to say about her life decisions. It was really about her not being ready for it.

She had a certain picture of a perfect girlfriend who could take care of the house, prepare dinner with the first try (not the fifth) and so-on. But Kagura hadn't told him that. She knew he didn't care about any of that. It was her own stubbornness and overly polished image of a girlfriend that held her back.

Kagura had decided to follow her heart with the situation, she was sure that when she finally would be ready, she would know it.

Then Kagura remembered, he had asked her to come to the hallway for something. ”Was there something you wanted to show me-aru?”

”Uh, yeah. There is,” Sougo said and let go of her hands. He turned on his feet and walked to some strange box Kagura didn't recall seeing before. ”I found something on my way to work.”

Kagura lifted an eyebrow, he was acting sort of strangely. Sougo got back up and turned to face Kagura. The second she saw what was in his hands her eyes began to sparkle. ”Oh...oh my god,” she almost squealed.

”Yeah, I found him...or her near the gates of the compound,” Sougo said. He was holding a white furry baby bunny in his hands, the endearing creature was so small it fit into Sougo's hands without trouble.

Kagura slapped her hands over her mouth as the cuteness of the bunny overwhelmed her. ”It's so cute, yes,” she chirped.

Sougo glanced at the animal. ”I guess it is,” he said and looked back at her. ”It was hiding under a bush, shivering from fear.”

Kagura listened to his tale with adoring eyes, she was feeling quite speechless herself.

”I didn't see it's mother anywhere, so I figured it was alone.”

”So...you took it with you?”

”Yeah, I felt sorry for the poor thing.”

Kagura stepped closer to Sougo and the fluffy furball. She held her finger in front of bunny's nose and carefully touched its soft fur.

”I thought you could take care of it,” Sougo said with a smile.

”Huh? You brought it...for me?” Kagura asked as her heart was spreading a fluttering feeling around her body.

Sougo nodded and offered the baby bunny for Kagura. She carefully took the bunny and giggled at the softness she felt. ”I can't believe you did this.”

”Well I know you love animals China.”

Then a terrified feeling overtook Kagura's mind. He saw how her eyes stood frozen with fear creeping up on her face. This wasn't her first bunny and it didn't end so well then. Before Kagura could succumb into her own terrible memory, she was snapped out of it by Sougo touching her arms firmly.

”Oi. I know what you're thinking,” he said with a serious voice. ”You were just a child when that happened.”

Kagura's eyes focused back at Sougo. ”What? You remember?”

”You've told me,” Sougo confirmed. ”And I know you can take care of this one just fine, you're the most caring person I know.” He was sure that she could take care of the bunny, people learn from their mistakes after all.

”I can't believe it, yes,” Kagura said and felt her eyes getting wet, but not with sadness.

Sougo smiled at her. She felt how hard her heart was pounding as she looked at him. And then she realized something. Sougo knew her, he knew her quirks and flaws. He knew her past and accepted her as a whole. So why did she felt the need to become this perfect girlfriend nobody asked for.

”Sougo...” she called softly.

Surprised to hear his name come out of her mouth for a change he blinked his eyes. ”What?”

”I think I'm ready,” she said without a doubt in her mind, her words coming directly from her heart.

”Ready for what?” Sougo asked casually.

Kagura passed him by without a word. Sougo was excited and a little nervous about her words. He could only hope she would finally give him an answer. After carefully putting the bunny down into its little box she turned around and smiled shyly.

”I'm ready to live here...with you,” Kagura said with a light pink blush appearing on her cheeks. Sougo's eyes widened from her words.

”I still can't cook but-” Sougo pulled her tightly into his arms, muffling out her nonsense in the process.

Kagura giggled at him, he was just as cute as the baby bunny. Sometimes it felt so strange to think about how differently he treated her after they got together. There was still bantering and name-calling happening frequently, but there was so much more under the surface.

”I don't care can you cook or not. You know that, right?” he murmured.

Kagura wrapped her arms around his waist and giggled a little. ”Maybe-aru.”

As she felt the blissful happiness filling up her heart, she felt sort of embarrassed. Why an earth she didn't say yes right away? Why she had the need to become the perfect girlfriend first?

”You know China, I thought that the bunny would brighten up your day, but...I guess it did that for the both of us.”

And then she remembered why she wanted to be the best version of herself.

”I still can't believe you rescued a bunny-aru.”

It was because of him.

”Do you think I'm so heartless that I would leave an innocent animal to die alone?”

She wished nothing more than to make him as happy as he made her everyday.

Kagura backed away a little and tilted her head up to look at him. ”No, you're not heartless.”

And she did. She had made him the happiest man in the entire universe by simply being his.

Sougo smiled at her words and inched closer to her face. As their lips touched, Sougo felt her smile into their kiss, causing him to instantly smile too.

She was already the perfect girlfriend in his eyes.

[midnight-in-town]

BTW I still can’t get over the fact that Sorachi-sensei gave us the Love Potion arc, because it’s one of the best written comedy arcs of the whole series: I love how you can either take it at face value and say it doesn’t mean anything, or you can try to see a little beneath the surface and acknowledge how meaningful it is on some aspects, just like all the other comedy arcs. 

Knowing how popular and famous Gintama is, it’s logical that Sorachi-sensei will never voice a clear position about which ships he probably has a soft spot for, but it’s not like he gave an arc or several to all the possible ships of Gintama. And I’m not talking just about GinTsu.

For example, is it really a coincidence that the other ship getting a lil’ focus in this arc is the love triangle Kondo/Otae/Kyuubei? Is it? Considering the Dekobokko arc or even, later, Kyuubei’s own resolution along with Tsukuyo’s about being a woman and being in love, during half of ch620? Or even just Kondo’s failed gorilla marriage in the last arc?

I don’t think so. :)

(more rambling under read more)

Anyway the whole arc is presented as being comic relief and as not to be taken seriously for those who don’t like the ships it is focusing on (that’s Sensei’s skill right here), but still Sensei subverted the whole thing and that’s what’s so unbelievably cool about this arc. 

Like, I love how the introduction is that “whoever smells the aizen kou drug will fall in love with the first person they see” but even tho’ he applied that to Kagura and Shinpachi for a short while, Sensei ended up throwing even that to the bin, especially when you see how the arc went for Tsukuyo and Kyuubei.

The first thing Tsukuyo saw was Gintoki’s dick after she smelled the drug but the whole arc is about realizing her feelings for Gintoki, the man. 

On the contrary, you have Kyuubei who ended up going after dicks for most of the arc (no matter who the guys were), even tho’ I doubt that she actually saw a forest of dicks right after she smelled the drug.  

So it’s interesting how Sensei adjusted the very first rule of the arc to eventually make it about what he wanted to explore for his characters. 

Even when you see the monologues for Otae and Kyuubei, it does seem to reflect what their personal arc is revolving around: Otae always had conflicted feelings to sort out about Kondo; Kyuubei always had this hesitation about whether to live as a man or a woman (until she made her final choice in ch620).

Granted that poor Kondo himself is often reduced to comic relief, but it should be pointed out that his monologue only reached us after Otae kinda manhandled him so, ahem, hard to have any conclusion on what he said, even if it’s not like his feelings about Otae needed any clarification. :)

It gets trickier for Gintoki because, on the one hand you could argue that “he smelled so much of the drug that he lost his sense of reason” (something I’m sure a lot of readers who disliked this arc did), but on the other, why shouldn’t he also get serious/honest moments in this arc about his own feelings when everyone else did?

Sensei is just way too good at hiding these moments amidst all the jokes, so that no one can complain about him having a soft spot for a few ships in particular. 

Anyone who’d argue that Gintoki was never serious once in this arc is just shooting their own foot actually, because Tsukuyo acted way unlike herself because of the drug several times and so did Otae, Kyuubei and Kondo. 

So even though Gintoki did/said stupid stuff because of the drug, if everyone else did too but also got to face/admit about some of their inner feelings, then it’s logical to think that the same happened with Gin. 

And that’s what’s so amazing about how Sensei wrote this arc: I’m not saying that this arc is implying GinTsu is ever going to get canon (tbh I doubt it, even if Tsukuyo is the one who got the most focus about her feelings for Gintoki out of everyone), but to say that Gintoki has literally 0 interest in Tsukuyo would be misreading in my opinion.

If anything we already know that she’s physically his type (that pool episode/chapter with the Shogun) xD 

Anyway, Gintoki has way too many issues about not wanting things to change + being scared of getting too attached to many people (because of everything that happened with Shoyo and the consequences of his choice back then) that this arc could only go max comic relief in appearance, as far as he was concerned.  

Since the last arc is finally targeting Gintoki’s whole emotional trauma surrounding his choice towards Shoyo back during the war though, I guess that if Sensei wanted, he could choose to hint towards a Gin ship maybe becoming canon at the very end after daily life kicks in again, but as I said I doubt that, mostly because of the massive ship wars (tho I’m also all for Gin/Hasegawa :)).  

Final thing: if anyone were to argue that this arc is only comic relief and can’t be taken seriously on some aspects, then I guess they wouldn’t see the homeless arc and its heavy focus on Katsura’s complicated dynamic with Ikumatsu as being literally the same thing but in another context, because Zura just didn’t need the aizen kou.

Just like Hijikata didn’t need it either when it came to Mitsuba. 

tl;dr Sensei is good at crafting the tone of his arcs depending on what he wants to address for his characters and that obviously includes the love potion arc, which is in my opinion one of the best examples of a comedy arc that’s actually hiding a lot of meaningful stuff. 

An arc is hardly ever a stand-alone in Gintama anyway, so the love potion arc can’t be meaningless if what took place ended up having consequences at some later time (like ch620 or even the last arc, post time skip).

Dissecting the narrative isn’t going to lead anywhere: no one “has to” ship Gintsu or enjoy the Kondo/Otae/Kyuubei triangle, but let’s not pretend that the characters are oblivious to each other and that comedy arcs can’t strengthen their feelings, whatever they are.

[sherryaptx4869]

Making it through love

It’s GinTae month!

Behold, a very short compilation of GinTae moments from the Gintama manga, anime and movie. Try as I might, I cannot do justice for the pair by words because to borrow a line from Westlife’s Home, “the words are cold and flat, and they deserve more than that.” So I looked for pictures detailing in a nutshell why GinTae (aside from OkiKagu) is my OTP. Since they have a lot like really a lot! of moments (aka they know each other heart by heart), I just chose from my pile of screenshots to accurately depict the prompt given which is kind of hard because the prompts blur and overlap with each other. Take these with a grain of salt, because the context of the episode where I took it from might not exactly be as romantic as I want it to be. Remember, this is fan-made. Fanon is not canon. But I wonder about that in this case because the Easter egg hints came directly from the creator of the series himself haha I’m also proud to say that no fan arts are included here to drive my point home that Gintoki and Tae are as canon as we can get from Sorachi very close to being married officially.

This is just the tip of the GinTae iceberg that will sink other ships. This does not capture the entirety of GinTae moments in the manga, anime, movie, OVA, live-action movie and even the audio CDs. Treat this as a preview of many GinTae moments.

For now, I hope you have fun with this one as much as I did when I was scouring my hoard of Gintama images. This is dedicated to all the GinTae fans. If you don’t like this content, just ignore then scram. Credits go to Sorachi-sensei and to the production of the anime where I took the screenshots from.

First Meeting: Watch out! Your soulmate might just appear from behind you while riding your scooter!

Realization: If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question (as manifested by Gintoki and Tae time and time again from the start of the series up to this point).

The Reveal: Put a ring on it! It must be great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

Date: Put your best foot forward!

Reminder: Booze and sweet stuff for both the lady and the gent.

New to the Family: A pretty serious relationship with someone long-term requires an introduction to the family. And whoah! There’s a whole spectrum of shenanigans they get into.

Jealousy: (Play Nick Jonas’s Jealous for the feels haha) It’s not Gin-san’s fault that the ladies hover. But it is Tae’s every right to be hellish because she’s (*whispers*) jealous the wife.

As for Gin-san… he’s making his fist and his dirty tricks do the talking to protect the woman he cared about. (Look at Kagura’s unimpressed face (and Shinpachi’s shrieking) haha, I bet the paragon of adult wisdom she considered to be Gintoki just crumbled to dust.)

Laughter:  Sometimes your silver samurai turns out to be just an idiot perm-haired samurai.

First Kiss: Exactly what it sounds like— but no, there are no kisses in the anime. Paging Hattori Zenzo, please tell us since you saw the whole exchange

Thirdwheeling: Come with us, they said. It would be fun they said. Tag yourself, am I being extra?

Flustered: The sweetness of strawberry parfait oozing out of the Smeggy Samurai’s words and gestures makes him sappy with Pony-chan whose cheeks are tinted with blush yihee *heart*

Rest: Gin-san resting before he gets tired lols. But hey, it’s usually the Kodokan Dojo, the Shimura’s residence where Gintoki lounges about. We also see Tae checking up on the Yorozuya trio regularly as well as to pay her respects to Gintoki’s mom figure- Otose.

Shopping: GinTae shopping for clothes together. Two years later, it is also while shopping for clothes that Tae through a series of unfortunate events brought home Gin-san (and Hijikata) wearing undies on his face.

Food: It’s not only love that is shared, also carbs.

Cherry blossom viewing (Hanami): The Sakata family wringing the beauty out of life. They seize the day over bento boxes (courtesy of Mom Tae) and sake-filled glasses (courtesy of Dadtoki). Of course, the day is completed with a showdown with their frienemy the Shinsengumi. And to cap the day off, look at the reverence and fondness the three are giving to Gin-san.

Rainy Day: Rainy days won’t keep our Queen of Kabuki-cho from hanging out with her family. Mom Tae even had a bento prepared. How thoughtful and sweet!

Super Powers: Plagiarize your way to success. In real life, don’t! It’s a crime. Here is Dragon Ball x Bleach x One Piece = DragonBleaPiece. Yeah, only in Gintama!

Holding Hands: When your hand finds the hand it was meant to hold, don’t let go. (I was singing Heart by Heart performed by Demi Lovato on this part so you’ll find a lot of references to the song <3)

Spellbound: We don’t need any spells for GinTae to be together. See here they even act silly together. Also in an AU, Gin the bully is controlled kept in check by class-president Tae. In the Love Potion arc, no amount of love potion can dope Gin-san to forget that the hand he is supposed to hold is Tae’s.

Surprise Gift: Tae is up to something… Surprisingly enough (or maybe not), it is her infamous Dark Matter that makes one hate surprises when they are presented the honor of eating Tae’s magnum opus.

Dispute: 

Yagyuu arc, Gintoki: It’s like Tae doesn’t hear a word I say. Her mind is somewhere far away. Like she doesn’t even care.

Benizakura arc, Tae: I know this whole city thinks it needs you but not as much as I (and Shinpachi and Kagura) do.

Gin-san went out anyways, and Tae let him.

(Btw, collage is not mine. CTTO. I’m sorry I forgot from whom I took the photo from)

Angst: Gintoki (disguising as Takasugi) is in a predicament. He doesn’t want Tae to find out he is back in Edo after two years of wandering about. No, not yet. Certainly not in those clothes (or the lack thereof).

Rescue: It’s not always the damsel that is in distress. Sometimes, gotta rescue the perm-hair and his friend the long-hair.  Oh the things we do for love!

Tragedy: This was when Kagura faked her illness that led to her “dying” (as orchestrated by the Sadist Prince Okita) and after the Liberation war. Meantime, it is best to grab what wonderful moments you find lying around.

Support: Behind a man’s downfall or success is a woman. Tae’s are the only eyes that can see into and through Gintoki and vice versa. They read each other like a book. They support each other in any way that they can. They even got each other’s hearts backs.

Cliche: They’re unaware of how cliché they’re being when it comes to their romantic feelings. Everyone can see that they have this thing going on, only they can’t see it. Talk about dense. Go on, don’t be shy just say it out loud.

Memories: Let’s intrude on our favourite kind of gathering – walking down memory lane with Tae and Gin-san. Pretend they are looking over a photo album to see how far they’ve come. Looking on are Madao Hasegawa-san and Catherine.

The Power of Two: GinTae accomplishing a goal that neither of them would’ve been capable of doing alone. Just look at the picture, I have nothing more to say haha

“I love you”s: Can Gin-san be more roundabout in saying those words to Tae so they can live together as man and wife. Probably go ask the other half of your sadist duo aka Okita Sogo how to propose/ say you love her the unconventional way. (I’m referring to how Okita proposed to Kagura. Oh well, that’s for another post)

Different Ways of Saying “I love you”: I’m stumped. I don’t know what to say. Every one of their interaction is gold. Just show how you feel and make it real. And to Sorachi-sensei, one good way to hide something is in plain sight. People often forget to look at something right in front of them. Kudos!

And I end this lengthy post to that last panel with Tae saying she understands Gin. The way he’s complicated is simple. Isn’t that sweet? Might I add, Gin-san being a sweet-talker and sappy is really cringe worthy haha.  Tae and Gin-san found a way to find each other thanks to Shinpachi boy. From then on, it’s like she’s been in his life forever with the way she understands his heart by heart. Anego and Danna making it through love. The gods have spoken.

[someoneudontknowabout]

We're not kids anymore

Hi guys ^^ Come with a third chapter. Don't hesitate to leave me any comment or advice :)

Chapter three-when kids playing together, they actually trying to kill each other.

She was definitely stronger , damn it. The training in space with Umibouzu was useful. He was impressed but said nothing and smiled to her. She turned red, just a little, she was surprised by his reaction :

-You turned into a masochist mister tax robber ?

He chuckled.

-Maybe with you ? Don't know.

She felt even more surprised and embarrassed.

-Anyway I have to go back to Yorozuya, it's late. What people gonna say after seeing me with you all alone now ? I'm engaged now-Aru.

-You Always were so careless about people and their judgment. I hate change.

-Yeah because I was a kid and single, Don't make me beat your poor ass again.

-You didn't win kusogaki.

She grimaced at him :

-Well, we will have an another round so.

-I will make you scream and beg like a slave on my knees. We will have fun !

-What a miserable dream...

She glared at him before turning her back to go home.

She was walking slowly in the sunset. Kagura didn't feel comfortable when she was thinking about her future, about the wedding and about Hiroshi, her future husband. At the beginning, she didn't care really, she was ok to meet him. He is a nice guy so she wasn't worried. That was before she came back to earth.

She founds back all her relatives and suddenly she began to think twice about this wedding plan. People reactions made her unsure. When she announced the news to Gin and Shinpachi, they froze. Strangely, Gin didn't look really older, he looked like he was always in his twenties.

First, Gin looked mad at her :

-WHAT?!?! Don't kidding me you kusogaki! You can't be married before me!

-Before us! Said Shinpachi.

-Shut the hell up Cherry boy! Screamed Gin and Kagura.

-Whose the guy by the way, Kagura ? Asked Mégane.

-Oh papi found him, his name is Hiroshi Harata, he is cool.

-What the fuck?! Kagura Chan you are really ok with that? Dont wanna wait more? Are you really sure? Insisted Shinpachi.

Sakata Gintoki was silent. He looked carefully at her and finally said with a serious tone in his voice:

-I'm really surprise by your announce.

Kagura had a really weird feeling.

-Are you really mad on me Gin-chan? Wanna me to stay live here? I will not marry without your consent!

But Gin didn't really focus on what she said, he seemed lost in his thought.

-Kagura I will give you my consent if this is what you trully want.

-NANNY? Asked Shinpachi.

-But... Before you tell me your final decision, take your time! Don't need to run. Listen kid, you have to be sure and have no regrets in the future. You have to be sure he is the only guy made for you. It's a serious business here so don't screw up.

She felt nervous after his speech. Jesus why he had to be so serious about that?

She wanted to go out for a walk and went to Shimura's dojo met Otae. She was really happy to see her again, she told her about the wedding too and hope she will be happy for her, not like Gin and Shinpachi.

-Kagura-Chan! What a surprise! That's funny how wrong I was! She said happily.

-Ah? What are you talking about anego?

-At the time, I was pretty sure you had a crush on the young colleague of gorilla-san.

That was the craziest moment of her damn day. Her so pretty face twisted in an awful grimace of disgust and consternation.

-Anego! Are you loosing your mind? Are you sick? Want me call an ambulance for you?

Otae laughted at her reaction.

-Ah you know, you were surrounded by adults like Gin and Katsura. He was the only boy closed to you and you played together all the time. It was cute.

-It wasn't cute! Urgh! We ain't playing! We trying to kill each other! How is it cute? He is a cold sadist Anego.

-Yeah, yeah I get it! But still...he saved you and risked his own life. I appreciate him since that.

She had a sudden flash back. It was a really dark time for the Shinsengumi. Kondo was about to be executed. And so they were on this awful cliff. She was exhausted and angry, she was impatient and the ennemies were sneaky that's why she fell. She heard Shinpachi screamed her name in horror. Honnestly she was dumbfounded. She felt something warm and strong held her in the air. She looked up and let out a gasp. Toshi and Gin screamed their names. She never would have expected Sougo to act this way. Not with her. Only with the gorilla. She was scared as hell to die but she didn't want him to put himself in danger. It was troublesome.

She was afraid and didn't want to left his comforting hand. She could feel through his hand how strong he was. She knew perfectly she was too much weak to left his hand, she wanted survive so she screamed at him :

-Get off of me!

He was in trouble, she could see it. His body was shaking.

She screamed so loud but much to her surprise he kept holding her. She looked into his eyes and felt like they were all alone, just the two of them in the world. That was a strange and intimate feeling. His red eyes were dark and powerful. She was relieved, she trusted him. They were not going to die.

-Kagura-Chan are you listening to me?

-What?

-I asked you how you met your future husband?

-Papi found him.

Otae looked at her with worries in her eyes:

-So you didn't really choose him.

-I guess I didn't.

Nobody seemed happy about her announce. Sadist was the first person to receive the news. His reaction was, well, really strange. First of all he was sick and the next day for the very first time the sadist tried to give her some serious advices about marriage like Gin did. Why everybody turned so serious here? Are we still in Gintama?

She was irritated because she was afraid to make a big mistake. She just realized the deal was big.

At the middle of the night, she opened her eyes. She couldn't sleep. She had dark cicles around her eyes.

-I can't sleep-aru.

She stood up and went to Gintoki.

-I can't sleep-aru.

-Want me to help you find the eternal sleep Kagura-chan?

-Gin-chan, I'm serious I can't sleep-aru.

-Shut up! Please just shut up go back to your bed and close your damn eyes.

-It doesn't work.

-Oie you are not a kid anymore you know so act like a young adult and stop talking.

-But Gin-Chan I can't

-AAAAAH MOO what want me to do about that? Huh?! Go make a jogging or something lady, Gin-Chan is old, he need peace. Onegaï!

She sighted and walked out.

The moon was full and cold but the air was warm and sweet. She was in a red nightgown. She walked without knowing where she wanted to go. There was no one in the street, it was really calm. She felt the wind in her long hair. Her pale skin shined under the moon.

-China... What are you doing here? Looking for me?

She looked in front of her, it was the Shinsengumi compound and a really handsome policeman was greeting her with a teasing smile.

-I thought policemen as lazy as you slept all day and all night.

-And I thought gorgeous ladies like you didn't walk alone at night.

She couldn't believe her ears. She felt her heartbeat go crazy. She wasn't able to make any move. He looked proud of himself and chuckled.

-I'm kidding.

I want him dead dear god, I want him dead and I'm dead serious, she thought.

[claymorecut]

Later...

A GinTsu fanfiction

Note: I had this fic planned for a very long time so here it is. And I hope it's not way too cheesy or the characters aren't too ooc. Thank you for reading this. Hope you guys enjoy it!

The streets of Yoshiwara didn't look the same as usual. Refugees were taken in, treatment were given to the injured as the women of Yoshiwara were rushing everywhere to provide aid to those broken souls.

Really, war never brought anything good. It was the same this time as well.

After Utsuro's defeat, there were thousands of innocent lives who lost too much in this war. Lives, loved ones and so much more, it was impossible to count. But gratefully, the city of Yoshiwara still remained undamaged, hidden beneath the surface. At the time of such dilemma, the Hyakka came forward to provide assistance, taking in all the refugees and providing them with food, shelter and treatment.

Gintoki walked pass the crowd, his gaze drifting from one scene to another. If it weren't for these women of Yoshiwara, there could have been a lot more casualties.

After saying his goodbyes to both the kids, Gintoki decided to look around the city that had been his home for ten years. The people he met, the memories that he made, it was time to leave it all behind. Because he had to take care of another job. He saw them all, for just one last time without exchanging a single word with them. He didn't want to listen any nagging from them neither did he want to give an explanation regarding his leave.

He was too much of a coward.

Amongst the crowd he spotted Seita, running from one place to another along with the members of Hyakka to help them out. Inside the tea house sat Hinowa on her wheelchair, instructing other Hyakka members about their tasks. The city was in such a rush Gintoki felt like he was almost invisible to them.

His eyes wandered, searching for a certain courtesan amongst the crowd. And there she stood, away from him at a good distance, assisting all like always. Her scarred face looked as mesmerising as the moon, glistening the city of night with her hue. Her sincere facade immediately turned soft as a little girl approached her tugging on her kimono. She smiled gently at the little as she bent down to say something and patted her head. Gintoki looked at the women one last time as he finally turned around, leaving the place.

Yes, they were going to move on with their lives, with or without him.

xxxxxx

Tsukuyo stood back up as she told the little girl to get some sleep. The girl nodded gleefully, running back inside the building. All the refugees were taken good care of, and fortunately, no heavy casualties were dealt with. It had been two days since the end of the war and Yoshiwara was successful in arranging all kinds of supply and aid to the victims. They were able to save all these lives and that was a great relief to her.

She gazed back at the street and amongst the crowd, her eyes suddenly caught a tint of silver, turning around the corner. She very well knew who it was but it was very unusual of that person to watch something from the sidelines and leave without any confirmation. Without any further thoughts, she decided to follow him.

His silence looked fishy to her all of a sudden.

xxxxxx

The night sky was painted in a hue of silver with the full moon hanging above, glistening the earth. Gintoki walked down an empty alleyway, leaving his footsteps the only sound audible there as the dark pathway was lightened by the glow of the moon. Leaving all this behind almost looked impossible to him. But, he also couldn't let any other join him in his suicidal mission either. This was his own duty, his own burden to carry and involving any one of them would be a great mistake.

His feet stopped midway suddenly as he inhaled a very familiar smoke in the air.

"The hell are ya doin', sneakin' around at midnight in here?"

His lips curled upwards as he heard her voice. If it weren't for her kiseru, he really couldn't have figured out that she was following him.

He turned around to look where she stood, a few feet away from him. Her back was pressed against a wall as she closed her eyes and took a puff from her kiseru, "And what the hell are you doing, following a handsome man who's all by himself at midnight in an empty dark alleyway like this?" He replied, that teasing tone very much clear to her.

Even with her eyes closed, Tsukuyo could easily feel that goofy smirk on his face. He was still the same asshole she met all those times ago.

Ignoring his flirtatious retort, she glanced back at him, her tone serious,"Where's Shinpachi and Kagura?"

Tsukuyo saw him almost flinch at the mention of the two kids. Knowing him for such a long time, she had realised that those two children meant a lot to him, whether he ever showed it or not.

"Who knows? Maybe playing around somewhere." His reply came as casual as ever, his flirtious smirk long gone.

Tsukuyo remained silent as she turned to fully face him. He was scratching his neck, his eyes not facing her but the ground. His lousy yet confident stature was now clouded with hesitancy. And his silence was enough to answer all her questions.

He was leaving.

"Oi, you're staring." His deadpan voice snapped her out of her thoughts."Or is that you're falling for my charms, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

His stupid mockery was right back on track and her cheeks flushed a bright red out of embarrassment. She didn't mean to stare!

"Shut up, ya crispy burned field!" She yelled back, poking fun of his natural perms.

Her embarrassed mockery made him hurl back at her.

"Oi! You better not talk about my perms!"

Seeing his response, Tsukuyo smirked proudly at her newfound victory. It was his weakest point after all, when somebody's making fun of his hair. "Oh, yeah. That burned grass growing all over yer empty head." She mocked him yet again, pointing at his silver locks as her smile now grew more and more evil.

It wasn't always when Tsukuyo got the chance to make fun of him and see him all grumbling with embarrassment, but when she did get to see him that way, she had to say, she enjoyed herself the most. Gintoki continued to ramble about his hair and his "shut up, you grumpy old hag!" with his face tinted all red and all of a sudden, this looked like a normal conversation between them. The stupid insults and the name callings and Tsukuyo almost forgot what she wanted to talk about.

Gintoki's complains stopped abruptly as he heard someone snickering, and the someone being the very same woman standing in front of him. Her eyes were tight shut, her face almost red and one of her hands clutching her own mouth. Before Gintoki could even ask, Tsukuyo started chuckling, her joyous roar making Gintoki even more surprised.

It wasn't always when Tsukuyo laughed but when she did it was almost as weird as the glasses not wearing Shinpachi; totally out of character. She once did laugh in front of him, that time when Yoshiwara was finally released from the effects of that love drug and even then, he found this act quite unlikely. Maybe because he saw a different side of her. Or maybe because after seeing her out of character, something inside his chest actually started doing flips. This whole situation suddenly felt very repetitive.

He felt like a stupid teenager!

Gintoki tried to fight back against her strangely appealing chuckles, via insults."O-oi, you drunk terminator, why ar-"but was cut mid-sentence by the Courtesan of Death.

"Ju-just look at yer face! Y-ya look nor-normal now."she replied between her laughs.

Gintoki stopped, his embarrassment and retorts long gone as he heard the woman say those few words. Her words put him at ease but at the same time he felt a pang hitting his chest. Why the hell is she acting this way of all day!?

Wiping away her tears of joy, Tsukuyo straightened her posture, now returning back to her serious self. "Sorry."

"You aren't gonna ask where I'm going?"

His words took her off guard. Gintoki's eyes were serious and he was now looking directly at her, telling her to ask her that one question. For a second, she actually believed that he'd tell her about her plans. Tell all about his secrets. But she knew him well, too well. She knew she had no effect on him.

He was Gintoki.

"Even if I did, would ya tell me?" Tsukuyo replied, her posture back to normal. His silence was enough to answer her question. "Ya won't."

Crossing her arms, Tsukuyo looked at his ruby orbs directly, her gaze unwavering "Really, ya live in such an irony." She continued, "Ya once told me that I should let others help me carry my burden as well. But here ya're, doin' it all alone, carryin' yer burden all by yerself. Ya really are an idiot."

Her words pierced him; he knew she was telling the truth. And he knew he couldn't deny it either. Before leaving, he really wasn't planning to give anybody any kind of explanation, he couldn't share his plans with anyone. Hell, he didn't even plan this encounter with her. Yet somehow, seeing her and talking to her this one last time made some sort of sense to him. But he knew he couldn't say anything. Not even to her.

Couldn't they just talk a bit normally again, just one last time before he left this place?

Sighing heavily, Gintoki snorted."God, this was the last thing I was expecting, ya know. Getting a long-ass lecture."

His words were back to normal, he was back to normal, acting like the same old Gintoki, his seriousness long gone. She knew he was just pretending. Why, she didn't know. But if that was what relieved him now, even just a little, then so be it. If living like his old self for this one time, not worrying about the changes that were yet to come in the later days, could make him even a little glad, she didn't mind at all. She didn't mind joining him along here.

"I was actually planning to get some puff-puff action tonight. But here I am, stuck with you and listening to your long, boring speech. Give it a rest, Tsu-ki."

She couldn't help but smile. This could be the last time they get to live this way, in these old days."Well that's yer fault for leavin'. Ya didn't even come to say hello, ya bastard." Her answers sounded the same like always as she walked a closer to him. Taking another long puff from her kiseru, she blew the smoke right on his face.

And like always, he coughed vigorously, his hands blowing away that poisonous gas."The hell are you doing!?"

"Being normal."she shrugged, now smirking at his frowning face.

Yes, this is enough.

Gintoki stared back at her, at those amethyst that were shining so bright and suddenly, the moon's glow became too blazing for him, almost blinding him. To find himself a distraction his eyes wandered elsewhere, somewhere other than her eyes. Fast enough for Tsukuyo's notice, his eyes now drifted towards her lips and for a second he thought how it would feel to press his lips against those pink ones. How will she react and how-

"Oi. Ya're starin'." Now it was his turn to get red. He was so immersed in his thoughts-of hers that he couldn't even retreat on time. Hell, he was gonna mess things up!

Stuttering a few lines here and there, he won back his usual facade. "Like hell I was staring. But really, I can still get some puff-puff action here, if ya know what I mean. I won't mind at all if you'r-" Before he could continue, a kunai came flying, hitting him right at the centre of his forhead.

"Like ever, I'm gonna give ya some 'a yer puff-puff action."Tsukuyo replied sternly, her back now facing him.

Gintoki's face was already dyed in his own blood as he pulled out that kunai. "Ow! That hurts, you hag!"

"Well, yer fault again."she shrugged as she started walking away from him. "Now get out."her words were nowhere near harsh, but she knew if she stayed there any longer, she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.

Gintoki's scowl disappeared as he saw that woman walking away."Oi! That's not fair! Not ever a goodbye kiss!?"he called out, his whiny voice making her chuckle a little.

"Like hell I'd ever kiss yer stinkin' mouth."

Walking away, she waved at him, "Later."

Gintoki stood there silently as he saw her walking away and heard her last few words before she turned around the corner.

"Come back soon. To your home."

A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the empty space where she once stood; she didn't even turn back to look at him once... He had to say, she really played with his heart strings a lot.

Old hag.

Turing around his feet, he walked straight out of the alleyway, his mind set on the one truth that he seeks the most.

Tsukuyo heard his footsteps as he started to retreat, move forward towards his own goal. Glancing slightly from the corner, she saw him going, his back straight and shoulders broad as he walked away, determined. Was it the last time she was seeing him?

No.

There was no way he could escape. She knew he would return, one day. She didn't know where his eyes were focused at; was it the future or was it the past? But she knew one thing for sure, he would never abandon the people he loves. And so, he would be back. Back to this distorted family that he made, back to his home where he belonged. Back to everyone.

Take care.

Early in the morning, after finishing her patrol and coming back to her quarters, Tsukuyo saw Hinowa waiting inside for her. She greeted her warmly with a smile like always and requested Tsukuyo to take her out in the balcony. Now standing there with Hinowa facing Tsukuyo's back, she told her all about Gintoki's leave and her small meet with him. Lost in her own thoughts, her eyes were now gazing over the changing city, as she wondered about the changing times that were yet to come.

"Is that so?"Hinowa smiled gently, bringing Tsukuyo out of her thoughts."I understand. But honestly, you really are a fool."Hinowa shook her head gently as she looked past her younger sister's unwavering facade."You could have gone after him you know."

Her eyes continued to watch the crowd below, the city now taking a new shape. "Ya know Hinowa, I'm a lil' scared. Watching this familiar city changin',no, not just this city but all the people changin' looks really scary. With the comin' of this new era, things that I once was familiar with are gonna fade now."

Suddenly an image of Gintoki leaving appeared in front of her eyes.

"Leavin' the people I was supposed to see the future with and walkin' all alone. But that's exactly why I've gotta see this all through. See how things end and what they give birth too." And one day when he does come back to us," she glaced back at Hinowa, her eyes slightly moist but a gentle, hopeful smile clear on her face "I wanna tell him all about it. That way he can walk with us again."

Hearing her words, Hinowa smiled brightly at her, believing in her words just like Tsukuyo believed in him.

"Is that so?"

[gintokisimp]

Daydreaming about Silver isn’t good for your Health. Chapter 2: A silent night

Chapter 2. Tsukuyo helps Gintoki to get home after a long evening. 

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Light Angst, PWP

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 4,739

Both of them avoided eye contact, nervously aiming their eyes around the room. For Tsukuyo, it felt like the world was ending. It was so embarrassing for her to just sit here, left alone with the only man she couldn't stand being alone with. Well.. they weren't alone, but it sure felt like everyone disappeared into thin air. The only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat, the faint roaring of her blood in her ears and Gintoki's breathing.

He was still too close to her and she could feel his body heat touching her skin. Technically, that was impossible. No one was able to radiate enough heat to be felt half a meter apart. Was it really coming from his body? He definitely emitted something , she just couldn't get her finger on it. It contacted her in waves and when it brushed over her, she could feel the small hairs on her arm react to it, making it stand up in excitement. 

What was that weird sensation running through her body? She didn't drink anything today, did she? No, no.. that wasn't it.

This whole situation made her so uncomfortable, her ears were burning out of pure embarrassment and at the same time her body and mind reacted to his presence with weird visions everytime she closed her eyes for a short time. Thinking about those visions only made it worse. 

She felt her stomach twisting and a sour taste crawled into her mouth. Please, not here, not now!

"Excuse me, I.."

she puked. Just a little bit, but she puked. Right in front of him.

"Tsukuyo! .. what?"

Gintoki reacted fast and reached out his arms to catch her. When he made contact with her shoulders, she immediately jerked back, sharply breathing in. That was a mistake. He was a lot closer now and the air she sucked in was mixed with his scent. 

Gintoki's scent was a mix of cotton candy, strawberries and something that made her head spin again. She never smelled anything like this before.

Panting, struggling for air, she placed her hands on her knees, averting her eyes down to her feet. 

"What did you do Gin-chan?!"

Kagura let go of the still grinning Sougo and jumped into a standing position.

"Yea danna, what did you do, should I arrest you?" Sougo straightened his shirt and stood up as well. 

"Ah Sougo, loving a woman is not a crime." Kondo laughed wholeheartedly. 

"Stalking a woman sure is!" Otae threw in, an evil smiley decorating her face. Kondo looked at her, unimpressed. 

“Yes it is.” He simply replied. Kondo had moved on, but sometimes it still seems as if she didn’t get the message. Or she simply just didn’t believe him. 

"That's correct." Hijikata mumbled."I bet it's all his fault."

"Oi I'm not the problem here!" Gintoki snarled.

"Gintoki, you're a fine man, don't let these frustrated people tell you otherwise!" encouraged Katsura from the other side of the room. 

"Shut up, no one asked you." Came from Otae at his table.

Hasegawa looked at Tsukuyo with a warm smile "Are you pregnant lady? I can understand. Hatsu and I-"

"- they didn't even kiss yet." Kagura interrupted and pouted.

"Who's pregnant?"

"Who kissed?"

"As I said, they didn't!"

"I sure hope you didn't drink anything! That's not good for the child."

"No ones pregnant, she's just not feeling well. What the hell is wrong with men?! That's not the only reason for puking!"

"I..I need to go." 

Tsukuyo excused herself to go to the bathroom. His eyes were following her, watching her stumbling into the bathroom. Now, without his heavy scent in the air, she could finally breathe again. She leaned against the and slowly slid down, touching the cold floor. With her head in her neck, she took a few deep breaths. The change of atmosphere started to clear her head. 

I'm getting sick, it's all in my mind. That's why I'm reacting so extreme to these situations. Maybe I'm already fever dreaming.

She stayed in there a little while, hoping he would just forget what had happened and that she was here. If she waited just a little longer he might be drunk enough to just sleep in on the spot. She could get out without him noticing. 

A knock on the door pulled her back to reality. Someone entered the small room.

"Tsukuyo, are you okay? We are worried about you." Otae asked carefully.

"Yea, yea ‘s fine. Gettin’ sick. I guess..I already have a fever." 

"Oh yes, I can already tell you have a fever by looking at your face." She smiled at her and added a small giggle. 

"What’re ya sayin?" Tsukuyo frowned. 

"I said what I said, no hidden meaning behind it."

Otae winked.

"Come out and sit at our table. It's quite fun to talk to Zura when he's drunk."

"Okay.. I'm coming, just gimme a minute" 

Otae left the bathroom and she was alone again.

Tsukuyo’s break time in the bath was really all she needed right now. A few minutes passed until finally, everything that submerged her reasonable thinking had vanished and she felt like she could face him normally again. Normal? Nothing was normal about that. She might be able to manage if she really really needed to. But she wasn’t sure. 

Tsukuyo stood up slowly, straightened her clothes and checked her face in the mirror. Considering her situation, she looked quite okay. Her hand reached up to her scar and she scratched it absently. 

You have a beautiful face with a clean soul. 

She remembered it like it was yesterday. 

Later that evening, he was suddenly leaning on the table right next to her.

"Take me home Tsukkiii!" He shouted over the loud noises in the bar. She could tell he drank more than he planned to, his dull eyes tried to focus on her face. He wouldn't be asking her to do that if he was just a little tipsy.

"Ya live upstairs, sure ya can find your way alone." She avoided looking at him.

"No no you should guide me to my door ~ isn't that the thing that friends do? We're friendsss so ya shoulddd help me"

"Friends?" Tsukuyo sounded strangely hurt.

"Yes yes Tsukki will help you get home." Kagura came to his aid and leaned on his shoulder. She set them up expertadly, not even hiding it. 

"Kagura, you should also go home come with us ~"

"No, I need to talk to Shinpachi about something. You two should get some alone time."

"HUH for what Kaguraaa. We're friends. Friends go eat together, drink together and play games together!” 

Gintoki held up one finger for each point but stopped suddenly and stared at his third finger. 

“Waaait, we didn’t play games together. What can we play,..I have an idea, but is there something ya wanna play, Tsukki?” He turned his face in her direction and the odor of alcohol hit her. 

Her eyes fixed on the table, she felt her cheeks flushing and cleared her throat. 

“No, I don’t wanna play ya stupid games.”

“C’mon you didn’t even hear my suggestion! What if.. what if we play a game of jankenpon? That’s a great game!”

“Sounds great.” Tsukuyo replied, trying to sound uninterested. 

“..and whoever looses needs to get rid of a piece of clothing!” He continued with a triumphant laugh which caused Tsukuyo to lower her head even further.

Kagura dug her arm in his shoulder and Gintoki winced. 

“Gin-chan, you two can play that alone upstairs, how about that?” 

“Nooo, why? No need to do that alone we’re just two friendsss who wanna play a game, we can do that hereee." Gintoki put his hand on Kagura's face to push her away from him. 

“Go away, I want Tsukki there.” He mumbled under his breath. 

Tsukuyo heard that and she jerked her head up. She locked eyes with Kagura. The girl smiled innocently at her and she quickly turned away again.

He’s totally wasted, totally drunk, he would never say anything like that if he was sober. What does that even mean? Nothing, it means nothing.  

“You’re awfully honest when you’re drunk, Gin-chan” Kagura whispered and laughed in her fist. 

“Whaddaya sayin’, what did I say? I said nothin’, I said nothing! Shut up!” Gintoki blurted back at Kagura, supporting his statements with wild gestures. With his last word, he accidentally hit Tsukuyo in her face and she screeched in shock, turning around. 

“Ah honey, I’m so sorry, sssorry, did I hurt ya?” Gintoki reached down to her and patted her face rather clumsily.

His fingers brushing her face dissolved any composure she had gained in the last few minutes. Everywhere he touched, she felt a fire burning under her skin. 

“I don’t want t’ hurt ya” He whispered only loud enough for her to hear and he left his hand resting on her scar, with a smile that might have been friendly if he wasn’t intoxicated. 

Tsukuyo’s muscles just screamed for her to get up and run away again. Run away from this sly bastard playing with everyone’s feelings. Pretty normal behaviour, he’s drunk. He’s doing that to everyone, he cares about everyone the same. 

"Do you need help, Tsukki? Should we go together?" Otae asked, a little concerned, eyeing Gintoki with a slight disgust on her face. 

"n..no I'm fine." She stuttered back. 

"Good! Let's go then?!" Gintoki mumbled, withdrawing his hand as if he wasn’t just heavily flirting a mere second ago. Typical playboy . Standing up straight he didn't even wait for an answer and fell through the open door as soon as he made his way to the exit. A loud thud was coming from outside. 

He didn’t lie when he said he needed help to get home. 

“You sure you wanna do this? I’m sure Kagura could handle that if you don’t want to go.” Otae changed her approach, now trying to pull Tsukuyo out of the situation. 

“No. I’m helping him.” She stood up a little too fast and the glasses on the table rattled. Tsukuyo rushed outside giving herself no time to reconsider her decision. She couldn’t have anyone thinking that she was a scaredy cat just because she was the only one weak to his meaningless flirting. 

The night cloudless, the full moon shed its light on the empty street. It was a pretty peaceful scenery.. if it weren’t for a drunk samurai laying face down in the middle of the dusty road. Strange sounds echoed through the night as if he was singing, but never hit a note. 

Tsukuyo sighed. It was a pathetic sight and she began to feel bad for him. Now she only needed to find a way to get him up the stairs while at the same time staying as far away from him as possible. 

If she got too close to him, she might end up just like, face on the street, making funny sounds. Sounds of pleasure. ... oh. 

Tsukuyo shook her head to shush away her thoughts and slowly made her way over to him, gracefully walking through the moonlight. 

As the clicks of her heels got closer to him, she recognized that he was actually singing her name, if you could even call that singing. 

She grabbed his collar, the singing turned into indistinctive groans and dragged him to the stairs. He didn't even complain about being dragged through the dust and instead he started talking about his wonderful friend Tsukuyo who was always there for him and is there for him now, to help him in his hardest times. 

That was not true. She was never there for him. In fact, she tried to avoid him as much as possible, not calling for his help when she needed it, scared of him thinking she would just exploit him. He saved her. He was there for her.

And she was alone with him.

Shocked, she let go of his Yukata. Gintoki's head fell straight on the stairs and he cried out in pain. You idiot. Why did she say yes to bring him home? Idiot. Idiot.

Lost in her own spiral of thoughts and memories, she almost forgot he was there until he grabbed her leg and tugged harshly on her Kimono.

"Tsukkiiii why do you hurt me. Do you hate me?" 

Thrown out of context, she forgot her self-inflicted rule and looked down in his face. His dead, watery eyes reflected the bright shining moon.

Suddenly, they changed into the exact same shade of burning crimson from earlier that evening.

"Am I dreaming or was the moon always so close to me and indescribably beautiful.." 

Tsukuyo slightly turned her head to see the moon above her, but when she looked back, he was looking directly at her and she could see her own reflection in his eyes rather than the moons. 

Gintoki’s limited ability to think only revolved around the things that happened in front of him. And right now, it was only one thing:

The moon. 

And the stellar full moon behind her. 

She looked like an angel to him, her curvaceous body which he blameworthy eyed from time to time dressed in the dark blue kimono. His fingers itched, still holding onto the soft fabric. He could just reach out and touch her, feel her warm skin. Illuminated by the faint light, Tsukuyo was outlined with the moonlight's halo. 

His thoughts trailed off. How could he preserve that sight? How could he look at that forever? The alcohol really had messed up his brain, snatching all control over his emotions. 

However.., ..she was endlessly beautiful. 

But angels need wings to fly. He would make her fly high without them.

"What?" Tsukuyo whispered back. 

Shit, did I say that out loud? Gintoki’s eyes widened. 

"Uh, f- forget it." He stammered and turned around to crawl up the stairs.

Frozen in place by his words, she could only watch him working his way up to his porch. Gintoki always says inappropriate things, but never like this. Is he playing with her? As far as she knew, he tried that with every woman he met. Plus he was drunk. He probably already forgot she was the one helping him.

"Tsukuyoooooo..!" 

Well, .. obviously he didn't forget who was accompanying him on his very long way home.

"Tsukuyooo, I can't find the key hole, come and help meee!"

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this without creating any weird situations. Just help him open the door, kick him inside and leave. 

Tsukuyo was glad she was outside. The fresh night breeze helped her to calm down. She could actually breathe freely, not constricted by the walls of the bar where she wasn’t able to flee in the worst case scenario. 

Now, packed with a little more confidence, she climbed up the rest of the stairs in front of her and joined him on the porch.

Gintoki's forehead connected with the frame of the shoji door, whereas he tried to stab it repeatedly with his rattling key. 

„Go in already! Ugh can’t find the damn hole.“ He mumbled to himself in between his aimless blows. 

If she wasn’t that pent-up, she might have laughed. He looked incredibly stupid while doing that. Just as he always does. 

However, she had no reason to laugh as the wind suddenly caught up, ruffling his hair in all directions, causing it to shine silver in the faint moonlight. 

For a split second, it took away her breath. Tsukuyo stopped a few meters away from him and leaned on the railing. The kiseru in her kimono felt heavy, usually taken out by now to cover up her utter nervousness.

But this time, she resisted. 

Gintoki‘s hand stopped to slash the key across the door and his head turned, his eyes loosely focusing hers. Deep red shining through the silver glittering waves. 

Her heart stumbled, only to launch into overdrive again when he started to speak with a calm voice. 

"Don't ya just stand there and watch me like a creep, come here and help me."

"Sure ya can find the hole if ya try a little longer. A grown ass man like you shouldn't need help finding the hole." She snorted in response. 

"Tsukuyo I didn't know you were into dirty talk." He smirked mischievously and Tsukuyo averted her eyes, flushing. 

“I‘m not.”

“Uhuh, ..Why don’tcha take matters in your own hand and find it for me then?“

Tsukuyo felt heat rising to her ears. Another of those comments and she would either kill him on the spot, or simply faint. A small indecent comment from him was enough to throw her off the tracks again. 

She smoothed out the folds on her clothes in an futile attempt to hide her sweating hands and approached the door, stopping at an arm's length. 

"Give me the key." She held out her hand, but he just looked at her face, still grinning. 

"Come and take it."

She withstood her urge to scream. 

"I don't want to play ya stupid little games, just give it t’ me I wanna go home."

"Tsukki..” His expression changed all of a sudden. “It's already late, you shouldn't go home alone, who knows what could happen to you." 

"What does that mean? That I can't watch out for myself?" Tsukuyo huffed. 

"No" He simply replied. 

"Okay."

“You’re the strongest woman I know.”

“..okay?” 

"I'm just worried, that's all." 

Gintoki turned his head away and handed her the keys. For a second, she just stared at him. He was worried about her? Since when? Her job was by far more dangerous than walking home late at night and he never mentioned he was worried about her doing this job. Shaking her head, she put in the key with one smooth move.

"Wow, you're so good at finding the entrance for my key. Are you always like this?" His head was still facing away from her, but she could see him grinning again. 

The heat from her Tsukuyos ears spread rapidly to her face. Dirty jokes are his favorite. This is the Gintoki she knew, not the one giving any sort of compliments or the one talking about his feelings.

She pulled the door open with a loud swoosh, took a swing and kicked him inside. Landing with his face first on the edge of the little step, he cried in pain. 

"Why are you so mean to me?" Tears were streaming down his face. 

"I guess beauty does really hurt." He added silently.. 

"Shut up. Good Night and have a fun morning after." Tsukuyo turned on her heels and was already on her way downstairs when she heard his voice again. 

"Oh no I've fallen and I can't get up!" Gintoki's dramatic voice echoed through the night. 

She hesitated with her foot hovering above the steps. 

"I said, I've fallen and I can't get up." The voice said a little louder.

With a long sigh, she turned around and stopped in the doorway of the Yorozuya apartment. Gintoki was still crouched on the floor, whimpering in a dramatic pose, his hands on his forehead and his eyes shut tight. 

"I can't move and no one is here to save me. Guess I'll just sleep here then. I sure hope the werewolves won't eat me tonight."

"The ghosts will." 

Tsukuyo cackled. She knew what he really was afraid of. 

"Oh shit were?!" 

He jerked up into a sitting position and his wide open eyes were searching the room, only stopping at the sight of her.  

"Oh it's just you. I thought you were already on your way home. Why did you come back? To find ghosts? No ghosts here."

His voice was shaking. 

"Ghosts are not real."

"Sure."

"So Tsukki, while you're here you can also help me. You see, I'm an old man and I don't make it to bed in time, I'll sleep in right in front of the door."

Tsukuyo put her fists on her hip and eyed him suspiciously. She really didn’t want to come in and help him even further. He was at home, her job was done. 

"’n what should I do? Bring ya futon here?"

"I'm drunk and if you won't at least guide me through the house, I'll destroy everything on the way to my room." 

As if to make a point, he banged his fists on the floor. Tsukuyo wasn’t having it. 

"Ya seem pretty sober to me, go to bed already, ya don’t need my help." It was true, Gintoki looked like he was having an evening free of alcohol, he just looked tired. 

Incredibly tired. 

She wasn’t able to grasp it, but something about him seemed off. As soon as she had denied her help, his facade had dropped ever so slightly, revealing a sadness she had never seen on him. But what made him act like that ?

“I do. I really do.” 

Gintoki's voice was silent, almost too silent for her to hear. 

His mask had only crumbled for a brief moment and Gintoki’s face was as bored as ever. 

"Fine, I'll help you"

With some newly found courage, Tsukuyo entered the apartment. She felt like she was crossing a line, the atmosphere in here felt so much different. Sad. Incomplete. 

She grabbed Gintoki's collar and lifted him up on his feet. Of course he was standing without any problems.

"Yatta! Your magic hands helped me! Look at me, I can stand!" 

Not leaving him any time for celebration, she pulled on his shirt and dragged him through the apartment to his room. Gintoki protested at first, but ultimately followed her lead.

Scanning his dark room, she saw his futon already laying on the floor. He probably just didn't bother putting it away last morning. Tsukuyo could bet all her money on an explanation similar to „Why should I stow it away when I will use it later again anyways?“

She stopped at the door, pulled him past her and threw him inside. 

Gintoki, continuing without her support, stumbled across the room. While he tried to coordinate his steps, he fingered at his sash and the belt. Not long after, the belt buckle crashed to the ground with a loud clang. 

As soon as Tsukuyo realized that he was finally getting ready to sleep, she turned around to leave the apartment. If his half covered arm was enough to make her daydream in a full bar, she didn't want to find out what other parts could do.

"Oi Tsukki wanna help.. me here as well?"

Tsukuyo peeked over her shoulder. His back was turned to her and he already managed to get rid of his Yukata and threw it heedlessly on the floor. Now, without this baggy piece of clothing, his broad shoulders were standing out and his black shirt and nicely fitting pants were hugging his masculine body. She rarely saw him without his sloppily worn Yukata.

"I'll leave now." She whispered, averting her eyes. 

"No. No.. stay.. we could, we could.." Gintoki mumbled back, but he wasn’t able to finish the sentence, as he slumped over and fell on his futon, one arm stretched out above his head and the other arm clinging to the parted zipper of his black undershirt. 

Laying on his back like this, he immediately started snoring. The soft sounds were filling the room and rang in her head. Not knowing what to do now, she just stood in the door and looked over to him. A peaceful smile was plastered on his face. He won't be smiling anymore when he wakes up tomorrow morning. 

Why did he even drink that much? But she didn't know if he really needed a reason to drink. Once you get used to it, you don’t need a reason anymore. 

In this state he couldn't even cover himself with the sheets, so without thinking, Tsukuyo crossed the room and kneeled down next to him. 

His body was radiating that strange sensation again and it just attracted her to come closer, slowly intoxicating her. She reached over to grab his sheets and accidentally brushed his arm in the process. Tsukuyo jolted back and just sat there, shocked in silence. Her hands clutched the fabric on her knees. 

The sudden friction on his arm made it fall down. However, his fingers were still holding onto his open shirt and he exposed himself in the process.Half of his upper body was in her full view and lit by the moon shining through the window. The faint light drew highlights and shadows on his well toned abdominal muscles. Once her eyes caught that, she couldn’t turn away, absolutely drawn into the sight. 

How could someone who's daily intake almost only consists of sugar be that muscular? They were perfectly formed and her fingertips felt hungry to touch them, fidgeting around on her knees. 

Gintoki's muscles twitched slightly and she caught her mouth falling open.

Shit shit shit, I should leave.

But her body wasn’t listening at all, she just continued to stare at him.

The last and only time she saw him like this was at the pool where he was playing a lousy lifeguard. She remembered that she caught herself peeking at him a few times, but she didn't want anyone to notice it, so she focused on giving Seita a nice day, mostly staying away from him. Was it the first time where he called her a drunk terminator? She couldn’t remember. But certainly, there was a nice tone to it if he had been so scared of her. 

From the start of the evening, she should have just stayed away from him. Being around him was never a good idea anyways. 

Go, go now before it’s too late!

Tsukuyo’s gaze wandered from the deep creases along the lines pointing to his lower region. Her eyes stayed there for a moment before she moved upwards to his one bare pec. It looked so smooth and hard at the same time. It moved with every one of his shallow breaths. She wondered if it was comfortable to rest on. 

No..

What was she thinking again..

Her eyes continued wandering to his face. He really was quite handsome and she didn't think he was aware of that. Red eyes looked back at her. Red Eyes?

Realization kicked in.

He watched her. He watched her.

He blinked.

She blinked.

He blinked again.

Her head felt like it would explode any second.

After his next blink she was gone. Faster than the speed of light.

Gintoki's eyes flung open, looking up to the ceiling of his bedroom. He couldn’t exactly remember how he ended up here, at least not right now. Maybe tomorrow.  

What was that electric sensation?

It woke him up, raging through his limbs. Gintoki's skin prickled and it felt so good but it was over faster than he wished. Silent breathing that was not his own caught his attention and his eyes focused on a person sitting next to him. 

It was Tsukuyo. Her body looked very strained and she just started somewhere. She appeared to him like a deer hit by the headlights of a truck with no comprehensible reason in sight. Dizzy from the alcohol and slowly following her line of sight, he noticed that he flashed half of his upper body to her. 

No, She wouldn't be looking there. But what if..

Just to make sure, he flexed his stomach, just a tiny bit and studie her face. Her mouth fell open.

Yea, she was definitely looking.

Tsukuyo’s eyes moved a little lower but Gintoki was too tired to realize where exactly she was looking at. He just kept looking at her face, wondering why she was here and why the hell she was so excited to stalk him while he was knocked out sleeping.

Gintoki already forgot most of the events of last evening. Right now every memory he had resolved around her. Her presence, her voice and her soft skin...

- bright purple eyes stared blatantly into his own eyes. Nothing happened for a heartbeat. With faint moonlight shining on her face, he could see her turning bright pink. 

Was he dreaming? A mere moment later she was gone without a trace.

He was alone.