Fandom/Pairing; Gintama / Okita/Kagura

Warning/s; Use of mature language, ah, to a certain extent. Possible OOC-ness, because it's the first time I wrote for the Gintama fandom— and also because I'm not used to writing something that's not angst. For once, I guess. As for the terminology: 'China', 'monster girl' refers to Kagura; 'Sadist', 'bastard' to Okita; and Danna to Gintoki.

Note/s; Written for iu_fanfiction's Kris Kringle Fanfic Challenge with the theme, ending. Which I woefully did not focus on. ;A;

-

run cold

"You're a fucking idiot— I just had to say."

"Curse all you want, monster girl."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who thrusts himself into the rain without an umbrella."

"Shut up. I'm not in the mood," and then, as an afterthought, "the hell are you standing there for, China?"

"Aren't we cranky today? Is it your time of the month?"

"…"

"Oi, answer me, you bastard!"

"Not unless you answer my question first."

She tips her umbrella backwards, contemplative. No, there's no sharing tonight. Notif she's around. "Gorilla sent the Yoruzuya here, uh-huh."

"For what?"

"Gin-chan didn't tell me the details,"— a pause— "but I think it has something to do with you. And Gorilla was ranting something about subtlety and all that crap."

He arches a brow this time, weighing his gaze on her.

"I don't need Danna and his little troupe comforting me," he replies, not planning to give the girl a room in his privacy.

"I didn't say anything about comforting! A sadistic bastard like you would never need one, uh-huh."

"Right," he says, tired eyes tearing away from her form to the newly-erected gravestone, "now shoo."

"What? Is that all you're going to say? If it weren't for Gin-chan I'd rather freeze my ass off at Antarctica than search for you in this downpour!"

She scoffs, turns her back and says, aloud, "You should be thankful, bastard."

"Wao," comes his dry voice, and for a moment there she thought she sensed the usual mocking edge in his tone, "I'm surprised you know Antarctica."

"Argh! That does it! Wallow in your own misery for all I care!"

"I intend to."

"—but you should at least consider what your late sister would say."

The silence rolls in between them like a passing cesspool of weighty emotions, ready to take him to the hilt of his patience. Kagura blinks. Blame it on her woman's intuition or whatever, but the mood feels like it's going to sink any second now.

The gravestone sits on the damp ground. Unmoving. Calm.

Mourning.

Her prediction falls short, though.

"What do you know, China?

"You're impossible. I give up— but that's because you're so shitty today."

He stares at her, mentally drilling holes into the small of her back.

-

eclipses in a box

"I really despise debts," Okita says bluntly, looks up at Kagura, attempts to stand up, can't, falls, and grimaces again. He eventually decides to snake his arm over her neck and incline towards her for support.

The cloth on his side is smeared with blood. She presses her palm on the injured area, making him hiss.

"Look, bastard, open your one-track mind later. You're not the only one who hates debts. But Gin-chan said to take revenge by two-folds. And you presented me no other option."

"Except leave me out here and die. Or were you too stupid enough that you saved your rival, China?"

"You took the blow that's meant for me!"

"This isn't shoujo manga," —he wrinkles his nose in disgust at the sheer thought of it— "You were in the way, so no matter which angle you try to look at it, this wound's your fault. I'd have to arrest you for obstruction of justice."

She tries to refrain herself from hurling him to the ground because he'll even become more of a burden. They can't afford that. Not when the others are vulnerable to potential perils.

After seconds of gaining a sense of self-control, she dismisses his rudeness. Accident or not, she is still obliged to repay him.

"Fuck, sadist. Stop ruining the moment. Unlike you, I'm devoted to my code of honor."

He smirks lopsidedly.

-

it's the bluest of skies

"Bye. Although I know you don't give a damn about farewells."

"I know my vocabulary perfectly well, China."

"I'm not asking you, sadist."

"Implications."

"Shut the fuck up."

Otae smiles. Just smiles. Proceeds to pin down the bride's wild hair (and, considering the rate they're going on, maybe she had to pin down the equally untamed girl, too) to keep it in place.

"You're going to hurt the police officer's feelings."

"Shut up! Argh!"

Kagura whirls the brooch towards Okita and he thinks, even with her back facing him and with the Boss Lady the one doing the fixing, that she has a pretty good aim. He stops it just in time, using the scabbard of his sword to deflect it.

"What's that? Are you practicing on how to throw knives at your soon-to-be-husband? I didn't know your planet implements such a tradition."

"You know nothing, bastard, and why the hell are you still standing there?"

"Shinsengumi duties," he says plainly, as if it's the most natural thing in the world, "We're here to make sure you're not going to wreck the whole place. Much more crash your own wedding."

"Gin-chan didn't tell me any of that!"

"You know nothing, China," he mouths, with a mocking twinge of imitation.

"Kagura-chan, I'd appreciate it very much if you remain still," Otae interrupts, a very eerie smile gracing her features. "As for you,"— she spins slightly at Okita's direction, her face pulling up a hostile expression— "It would be very convenient for Kagura-chan to have none of your presence. The hour before a woman's marriage is sacred, you know?"

Oh, so that's where the monster girl's babbles concerning womanhood come from.

"Oi, you're not going to stop me?"

"If it's your causing a ruckus, then I'll do the honor."

"Get a clue and shove it right into your ass, bastard."

"What?"

She grits her teeth together, "Stop me. From getting married to someone I don't even love"— she clucks her tongue— "Papi arranged this goddamn thing. I can't defy him."

He holds out a waving hand dismissively as he turns his back, and says, "No one really deserves a monster girl. Why not ask Danna to do that for you?"

-

in a faraway land

"I'm impressed, China. All it takes to win you out is a truckload of sukonbu?"

"Shut up! Besides, you're just jealous because no one will dare hook up with you, uh-huh."

"I have a million fangirls. I'd settle for someone who's quiet, sensible and not an alien."

"Sadists can set standards?"

"So, you call the ability to bribe you an ideal trait?"

"That's not what I was referring to, bastard!"

"Oi, Kagura, don't vent it all out on Sugiyama-kun," Gintoki says, shoving a parfait-filled spoon into his mouth.

"Gin-san, you're sweating."

"It's Sougo, Danna."

"Tch. Remind me why the Shinsengumi is here again."

"Toshi! It's because Otae-san asked us to!"

Kagura decides not to reward the sadist anymore banters (and the others with more reasons to spoil her ceremony), so she treads the church stairs, her heels awkwardly clicking against the cement.

He leers, ready for the final blow to rile her up.

"I've seen the ugliest Amantos, but I bet they possess better finesse than yours."

She lets out a growl, grabs him by his collar, and throws him across the street with godlike strength. He manages to find his landing just in time. Doesn't mean it spared him from any baffled glances from passers-by, though.

"Ouch, what was that—"

"GO FUCK YOURSELF AND DIE, BASTARD!"

.

"I love you, um, as I love—"

The doors burst open, revealing a nonchalant Gintoki dragging a too-unwilling Okita. The rest trails after them.

A collective gasp is heard from the audience.

"No, you don't. Apparently Sugiyama-kun loves you too much that he brought his bazooka along to exterminate your groom."

"None of that is even true, Danna. Let go of me so I can kill you,"— he casts a brief glance at the Shinsengumi's Vice-commander— "After I deal with Hijikata-san."

"Oi, play along, would you? We're wedding-crashers! And you're supposed to be some sort of a decoy!" Gintoki murmurs, in a harsh voice that's unexpectedly audible only to Okita.

"I refuse. Now let go."

"Kagura, you heard that? He said you should let go, oi!"

"I didn't permit you to crash my daughter's wedding!"

"Shut up, bal— father. This calls for a tête-à-tête."

"Oi, you're about to call me baldy, right, you perm-head?"

The afternoon drags on like a cell phone flung into the swimming pool.

Really, it did.

.

"I could've asked for a better method, but thanks, Gin-chan."

"All's well that ends well."

She tosses an icy glare at Okita, "I owe you nothing, sadist."

"Only a life's worth of servitude. First, you dragged the Shinsengumi into this mess. Second, you've got to pay the repair costs— which, I can safely assume, you don't have any money for."

"Go get yourself a bride and fly back to Planet S!"

"I don't particularly entertain that idea."

She delivers a kick to his leg, which he manages to barely evade.

"—On the contrary, China," he says, a playful smirk tugging the corners of his lips, "I think you'll do."

-

take it or leave it

They're at it again, trying to settle unfinished businesses when everyone (sans the Shinsengumi and the Yoruzuya, unsurprisingly) is busy participating the Sakura viewing festival.

"Oi, I haven't even proposed yet," Okita says, almost impassively, with the blade of his mp3 sword set to slit her throat open.

"Huh. You're a decade too early to do that," Kagura says, just as blankly, her right hand coiling around his neck in an ominous manner.

"Shall I take that as a yes?"

"Dream on, bastard!"

She aims her kick to his side, but he efficiently blocks it with the hilt of his sword.

"Hold still so I can kill you," she tells him.

"I'm not wet behind the ears to actually heed you. And that's supposed to be my line."

"Have you ever heard of listening, sadist? You should try it once in a while."

"Sure I have. I never dreamt of doing that to you, though. Quite romantic, isn't it?"

"There's not even one remote speck of romance in your line!"

"I'm hurt, China." – feign sweet talk, attack, evade, jump back, and when he spots an opening he makes a beeline for it, only to have his effort returned with a swift uppercut or a kick in the stomach. All of which, he adds, always misses anyway.

"Give it up, creep."

"Haven't you ever heard of 'love conquers all'?" he questions, smirking just barely as the other assumes fighting stance, "I'm about to kill you, so I must say, this passion is burning."

One meter's getting quite a risky distance.

"Stupid! I'll tell you what's burning. My desire to kill you!"

"Unfortunately, China, you're in a bad shape today. Why don't you sit down so I can choke you with this ring?"

"Do you even know where you should put that?"

"It fits your throat perfectly."

"The finger, damn it!"

He pops the ring into his mouth, grabs her arm forcefully and leans in, pressing his lips against hers. His tongue coaxes her lips for entrance, and as reflex she opens her mouth slightly, with the ring inevitably taking its entrance. The coldness of the golden band stings her tongue, the very material threatening to slide further down her throat the next second.

The danger snaps her back to reality. She shoves him away, and promptly spits out the ring.

He licks his lips and comments, in a rather grating tone, "That's insolence, China."

"It's impulse, stupid," she simply says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "If I swallow this it's game over, right?"

"You don't—"

"Don't let it go over your head, sadist. I'm nowhere near admitting defeat, uh-huh."

"Your ego's such a pain."

She eyes the ring on her palm tentatively, encloses it with her fingers, and fixes a glare back at him.

"Just to make things clear— I hate you."

"Ah," he says smilingly, in a voice laced with half-meant relief, "So it's not entirely one-sided in my part."

-

END

A/N;; Choking with the ring via kissing is twisted, I know. I just thought it's, well, so them, lol. Or at least in Okita's part. Reviews are very much appreciated~!