Out Of Sync

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gintama nor any of the characters. This is merely fanfiction.

Kagura glared at the blond haired Shinsengumi captain who dragged her along by the wrist. ‘Minors shouldn’t frequent gambling joints’ he admonished with a mocking smile.

‘You were there too, so stop being a hypocrite’ Kagura rebutted.

‘Yes, but I’m eighteen, and you’re...what are you like eight?’ He asked with an annoying straight faced expression.

‘I’m fourteen you idiot, and you’re not even on duty so you have no right to detain me’ Kagura continued.

‘Actually, I have a responsibility to uphold the law even when I’m off duty’ Okita grinned.

‘It’s funny how that sense of duty never materializes when actual crimes are being committed. You’re just being a jerk because it’s me and you’re jealous of my epic fighting skills’ she taunted.

‘I’ll show you exactly how lacking those fighting skills are’ he countered as he squeezed her wrist causing her to yelp in pain. Kagura’s free hand balled into a fist which she aimed directly at his solar plexus, causing him to drop to his knees. The stupid sadist’s actually enjoying this, Kagura thought as she rubbed her sore wrist and glared at Okita who was sporting his trademark sadistic smile. ‘That hit gives me the right to forcefully restrain you’ he explained as his smile broadened. Kagura wanted to kick herself for falling so easily into his trap. He knew exactly what he was doing when he provoked her into lashing out, and now the law was completely on his side. Dejectedly, she held out her hands and waited for him to handcuff her. ‘I’m actually kind of hungry’ Okita mused, as he pulled Kagura along. ‘Just hurry up and get to the station so I can call Gin to pick me up’ Kagura snapped. Okita stopped in his tracks as Sa-chan headed directly towards them.

Kagura was unusually placid as they headed towards the station. As much as she tried to shake it off, his shameless flirting with the masochistic stalker upset her. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Okita asked, noticing her unusual silence.

‘You’re disgusting’ Kagura replied, more spitefully than usual.

‘Glad to see you’re back to normal’ he riposted before pulling her forcefully and causing her to crash into him. Kagura didn’t care anymore. She easily snapped the handcuffs off her wrist and felt slightly better after the look of admiration he shot her. It wasn’t long before they were both in an all out brawl. She was sure she had lost her mind as she kissed him on the cheek, causing Okita to freeze in mid-punch. What she really wanted to do was run away and lock herself in her sleeping closet back at the Yorozuya, but she couldn’t bring herself to move and stood in front of him staring at the ground. Okita wasn’t sure how to respond. He actually cared about her feelings. She was the closest thing he had to a best friend, but he just didn’t think of her in that way. She was still just a child. He did the only thing he could think of. He smiled mockingly at her. ‘So the only reason you’re always fighting with me is because you actually like me?’ Okita casually slipped an arm around her shoulders and watched as her face contorted with rage. At least this way she’d get mad and lash out, instead of getting upset, he reasoned. He did nothing to defend himself as she channelled her frustration into a couple of painful body blows. ‘Thanks’ Kagura replied quietly, ‘let’s just pretend that didn’t happen. I don’t know what I was thinking.’

‘Did you have to hit that hard?’ Okita asked, thankful that things were back to normal between them.

‘Gin-chan says I should go all out in fights’ Kagura replied, earning a murderous glare from Okita.

Was she being serious?! Okita wondered as he stared speechlessly after her. It had never crossed his mind that Kagura wouldn’t stay on Earth forever. A feeling of dread swept over him as he watched her walking towards the terminal with a suitcase in hand. Her words kept playing back in his head as he tried to make sense of them amidst his jumbled emotions. ‘I’m travelling through space with my dad for a while. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Don’t worry I’ll be back to beat you up someday.’ She was telling him this now... on the actual day she was leaving? Gin, Shinpachi and Tae walked slowly alongside her almost like a funeral procession. Tears began to spill down Tae’s cheeks as she pulled Kagura into a one handed hug then fully embraced her as the younger girl began crying too. Okita stood nearby and watched as she hugged her friends before reluctantly releasing Gin and walking towards her father who stood waiting at the departure gate. Shinpachi was crying beneath his glasses and holding back Sadaharu who tried to run after her. ‘It’s harder to say goodbye to the people you care most about’ Gin said quietly as he walked past Okita to stare through the window onto the street below. Kagura cast a final glance backwards, meeting Okita’s unreadable blank stare before disappearing from sight to board her flight.

Okita walked towards the Shinsengumi barracks wondering why everyone he cared about always ended up leaving him. A year ago when she kissed him he knew for sure that he didn’t return her feelings, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about her. Despite all their fighting he had always considered her to be his best friend. She was the one girl he could actually stand being around, and their interests were practically identical. He was struggling to register the voices of the men in his squad as he walked obliviously past them. ‘Sougo’ Hijikata began as he spotted the younger man walking past. ‘Not now’ Okita interrupted as he headed towards his room and slammed the door behind him before sinking to the floor. Ordinarily the vice commander would have been annoyed at Okita’s insubordination, but something didn’t feel right. He glanced at Kondo who was standing nearby and seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. Okita reached for the framed photo of Mitsuba that sat on a small table nearby. He dismantled the frame and reached behind Mitsuba’s picture for the hidden photo of an annoyed looking Kagura, which he had snapped on one of the many occasions when he hauled her to the station.

Kagura glanced at the photo of her friends which was taken on the day that Otsu-chan had been recruited as Shinsengumi chief for the day. More specifically, she stared at Okita. She wondered if he even had a picture of her. Right about now he would probably find the note she had slipped into his jacket. She stared out of the spaceship’s window as the Earth vanished from sight.

Okita’s fingers grasped a folded piece of paper which he was sure he hadn’t placed in his own pocket. A small photo of Kagura fell from the note and he reached down to pick it up. At least she was sort of smiling in this one, he thought as he recognised the smirk on her face after she had thrown up on the Shinsengumi’s barbeque, during their beetle hunting trip a while ago. He turned his attention to her note.

Gin thought it was hilarious and snapped that photo. I know I should have told you sooner but I kept putting it off and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I think it would have been more appropriate to say goodbye with a fight, but there wasn’t time for that either. Somehow I don’t think you’re the type who would have appreciated a goodbye hug. That’s weird to even think about. Even though you’re a jerk and a sadistic idiot, it was fun being your rival and crushing you in all our fights. We both know that I’m better than you at almost everything. I say ‘almost’ because you’re actually really handy with a sword. I’m glad I’m far enough away by now to not see the arrogant expression on your face. Anyway, I meant what I said. I’ll be back someday to beat you up again. See you later.

China (Kagura)

‘Sougo, open up’ Kondo demanded as he pounded on the door. Neither Kondo nor Hijikata expected Okita to simply open the door like he was asked to. They watched as he repositioned a photo of his sister on the small table next to the door. Both men could have sworn that he seemed as upset as when Mitsuba had died, when he’d stormed to his room earlier. And whilst he wasn’t exactly his usual self, he seemed less depressed than before.

Okita sat staring at red and orange leaves falling from the trees around the Shinsengumi training ground. He wondered where Kagura was and what she was doing. Three years had already passed since she left. It was starting to get dark and he was about to head inside when someone shoved him hard from behind. Okita was about to slice whoever was responsible in half, when her voice made its way to his ears. ‘Looks like you were slacking off while I was gone.’ He turned around and stared at Kagura. Did girls really grow that much in three years? Her hair was longer, her voice was a little more grown up, she was taller and he was sure she hadn’t looked like that the last time he had seen her in a red Chinese style dress. He had naively expected to see the same girl that walked away from him at the terminal three years ago. Without even thinking he pulled her into a hug. Kagura pushed him away and grinned before launching into a barrage of attacks, which he blocked and countered with some of his own. This was a lot easier when she was fourteen Okita reflected, as he tried desperately not to touch her anywhere awkward as she landed on top of him on the ground. His reservations were swiftly abandoned as Kagura landed several punches to his ribs. He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her to her feet before smiling sadistically and slamming her against a nearby wall. Both of them were breathing hard and Kagura turned to look at him. ‘I’m hungry’ she remarked casually as though their fight hadn’t even taken place. Okita smiled, she may have grown up a lot, but she was still the same Kagura.

Several of the Shinsengumi men including Kondo and Hijikata, turned to stare at Kagura as she walked into the compound beside Okita. It was really starting to annoy him. Why were they staring at his rival like that? He already knew the answer to that question and it was making him even more infuriated. He noticed Kagura looking hesitantly around. ‘Actually, I have to head over to the Yorozuya’ she said before backtracking towards the exit. Okita sprinted after her and noticed for the first time that she had a suitcase with her. He grabbed her suitcase and pulled her by the wrist towards the Shinsengumi cars. ‘I’ll give you a lift’ he offered, not really giving her a choice as he locked her suitcase in the trunk of the car. He hadn’t seen her for three whole years and it was too soon to watch her leave again. ‘Eighteen and twenty two aren’t that far apart’. Okita noticed Hijikata standing outside the car grinning evilly. He sped off, leaving the vice commander choking on exhaust fumes.

Okita was fully aware that he was acting irrationally. It was only 5 AM and he was already standing outside the Yorozuya. Not only that, but he was in the process of picking the lock. If Gin or Kagura happened to spot him then he would just have to abuse his authority as a Shinsengumi officer. Kagura’s sleeping closet would be too small for her now, and she wasn’t sleeping on the couch, which could only mean one thing. Okita slowly slid the door to the single bedroom open and wished he could erase what he was seeing. A surge of jealousy shot through him as he watched Gin sleepily pulling Kagura closer. This was just pure indecency. He was sure they were only like that because of the lack of other sleeping arrangement options...but still. The thought of her being like that with anyone besides him made him feel like slashing things to shreds. A mischievous smile crept across Gin’s face as Okita left and closed the door behind him. He released his hold on Kagura, thankful that she could sleep like a rock through almost anything. It would have been a little awkward if she had woken up just then.

Okita was lost in his thoughts as he hacked mercilessly at targets in the training ground. Kagura had probably gotten over her crush on him a long time ago; or maybe she had never felt that way about him to begin with. It was more than likely that she was just a confused and curious teenage girl when she kissed him all those years ago. What really hurt was that his feelings for her now were all too real. ‘Look who showed up’ Kondo ribbed as he pulled Kagura towards the training ground. Okita, who was covered in sweat, snapped out of his frenzied slashing just as Hijikata walked over and draped an arm around Kagura’s shoulder. Those two morons were acting more immature than HE usually did. Okita noticed that Kagura was blushing as Hijikata pulled her closer and looked over at him with an evil smirk. What was this? Manhandle Kagura day? First Gin and now the chain smoking mayonnaise freak. More importantly, how did Kondo and Hijikata know that he liked Kagura? Was he that obvious?

Kagura grabbed Hijikata’s sword and walked over to Okita. ‘I’ve always wanted to do this’ she said as she unsheathed the blade. Okita grinned. If there was one thing she could never beat him at, it was a swordfight. ‘Aren’t you scared of turning into a loser Otaku?’ he asked in reference to the vice commander’s cursed sword. ‘Not particularly, it might be kind of fun. Take a picture if it happens’ she replied unfazed. Okita was genuinely impressed as she skilfully executed some complicated strikes. ‘Don’t take me lightly. I’ve been around Gin-chan too long to be a complete novice’ she warned. A few clashes later Kagura backed away, looking slightly uncertain. ‘Giving up already?’ Okita taunted. Maybe he’d been a little too rough with her.

‘You wish. But could you stop spraying sweat all over me?’ Kagura demanded.

That was her problem? ‘Quit being such a girl, China.’ Okita barely had time to react as her sword swung towards him. Kondo and Hijikata watched in alarm as Okita was forced to actually get serious. Kondo reached for his sword and was about to intervene when Kagura screamed at him to stay back. Hijikata’s sword clattered to the ground a few minutes later and Kagura and Okita stood staring at each other. Kagura was sweating as much as Okita and she looked over at him and grinned. ‘At least I made you work for it’ she said as she collapsed in a heap on the floor. ‘I’ll be fine in a couple of minutes’ she reassured the three concerned men. ‘Let’s try that again when I’m fully recovered from my most recent alien hunt’ Kagura suggested as she glanced over at Okita.

‘Are you serious?’ He asked as he stared at the sweat dripping down her neck.

‘Like I would ever lose to you’ she replied as she sprang to her feet ‘I’m going home to shower’.

‘It’s probably best if I come with you. In that condition it would be easy for someone to kidnap you. You’d probably make a useful slave...’ Okita trailed off as he noticed the raised eyebrows Kondo and Hijikata directed at him. ‘I didn’t mean it like that you twisted freaks’ Okita pulled Kagura along as he distanced himself from the idiots.

‘I thought you and the masochist would be married with kids by now’ Kagura speculated as they walked away from the Shinsengumi compound.

How could she say that so casually? It would hurt less if she’d just kicked him in the groin. Before either of them realised what they were doing Kagura’s arms were around his neck and he wrapped his own around her waist. She pulled away and stared at the ground.

‘I didn’t mean to’ Okita apologised. It was enough just to know she was back on Earth, even if she didn’t return his feelings. Being just a friend was better than not being with her at all.

Why was he apologising? Kagura wondered. It was clearly her fault. What was she thinking? She had barely been back on Earth for a day and she was already throwing herself at Okita when he had made it clear that he didn’t feel that way about her. She was furious with herself.

‘Did you even think about me while you were gone?’ He asked.

‘No’ Kagura replied and watched as his gaze fell to the ground. ‘I didn’t just think about you. I was obsessed with you’ she said quietly before sitting cross legged on the grass. It took Okita a few seconds to process what she had just admitted to. He wondered if he misheard her. He sat behind her and pulled her closer before nuzzling her neck. This time she didn’t pull away. ‘You know that Kondo, Hijikata and Gin-chan are just behind that tree, right?’ Kagura asked as she pulled his arms tighter around her. ‘Really?’ Okita asked innocently as he pulled her even closer. ‘Oi, that’s close enough’ Gin shouted as Okita hurled a pebble in the direction of his voice.

Kagura smiled as she spotted the familiar head of brownish-blonde hair. She draped her arms over Okita’s shoulders from behind the park bench where he was seated, and leaned down to rest her face against his. Okita allowed her to pull him into the unconventional hug and waited for her to sit next to him. He repositioned so that his head rested on her lap whilst his legs, which were bent at the knees, occupied the rest of the space on the bench. ‘You look interesting from this angle’ he told her and flinched as Kagura slapped him hard across the face. ‘You’re perverted. How’d you manage to get into the Shinsengumi?’ She asked whilst covering his eyes with her hands. ‘The perverted quality you describe is actually a prerequisite for being in the squad, just look at Kondo-san.’ Okita’s expression and tone were as deadpan as ever. She really loved that about him; it made her want to smile every time he spoke. Her hands moved to his hair and she shifted some of the light brown strands away from his face. It was starting to get dark and Kagura wondered why they were sitting outside in the icy wind. Surprisingly, she didn’t really mind. It felt good having Okita as her only source of warmth. He seemed to guess her thoughts and moved close enough so that he could wrap his arms around her.

Kagura smiled mischievously and grabbed one of his hands then initiated an arm wrestling contest, in which neither of them was willing to concede defeat. It was a dead heat until she used both of her hands to force his down. ‘You’re officially my piggy-backer, sadist.’ Kagura pulled him to his feet and jumped onto his back and Okita swung her around a couple of times before purposely dropping on his back with her beneath him. ‘It’s more fun when you struggle’ Okita told an unusually placid Kagura. ‘You’re twisted’ she replied before flipping them over. A few minutes later they were both covered in streaks of mud from the frosty grass in the park and both were tired from their spar. Okita undid her remaining bun to match the other side of her hair that had come undone, then got up and helped her to her feet. He reached for her hand and Kagura’s fingers slipped through his as they walked away from the park.

‘They’re predicting snowstorms next week’ Okita told her, ‘So unless you want to break my leg again, sparring outside is probably going to be off limits for a while.’

‘I wonder what effect the snow’s going to have on me’ Kagura mused ‘I go kind of crazy during the rainy season’.

‘I’ll carry you home if you trip and break anything’ Okita replied helpfully then lifted her so she was at eye level with him and pulled her into a crushing hug. ‘Seriously China, don’t worry about it. I’ll just have to keep you warm.’

End

Writer’s block for my other Gintama fanfic results in this.