BEWARE COURTSHIP WITH YATO WOMEN

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Episode Two

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The burning sensation came first.

Hissing in pain, Okita leaned over until his forehead met the cooling touch of the tiled floor. He cupped the wound on his neck, as if to prevent his hair from getting stuck to it. The bathroom was his new prison now since he was getting prone to symptoms such as vomiting and intense over-heating. Okita now completely understood why people nicknamed the toilet, "the porcelain goddess", as he prayed to her nearly every few fours with offerings of foul upchuck.

Okita cursed and peeled his shirt off before rolling on his back. He stared at the ceiling in disdain. There was a huge water stain near where the light was. Okita rolled to his side. He should really get Yamazaki to do something about that.

"Okita san!" Speak of the devil. Yamazaki opened the door and Okita could feel the underling's pitying eyes on him. "The doctor should be here soon… Perhaps we should get you to a bed?"

He didn't want to go to bed. Okita's body was sweating so much that he couldn't think of anything worse than feeling damp fabric stick to his body.

"Go away, weakling," Okita said while weakly dismissing Yamazaki. "Or else I'll kick your ass—"

"But Hijikata San said—"

"—And I'll tell everyone about your embarrassing otaku collection of figurines. Do you want that?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Why do you have so many with panty shots?"

There was a long pause before Yamazaki wordlessly closed the door. Okita closed his eyes. He hadn't meant to use that blackmail so soon.

Okita was going to strangle Kagura next time he saw her. How long had it been now? Four days? It seemed like an eternity at this point and it all started because of that little beast! He was 99.9% sure that he was infected with some kind of Yato disease. His entire body burned and anything he ate would be regurgitated within minutes.

On top of that, the feverish dreams were getting on Okita's last nerves. When he wasn't thinking of food, Okita was dreaming of that damn girl. Kagura plagued his dreams in every way possible. The visions ranged from normal to downright strange. One moment he would be fighting her, the next he was imagining running his fingers down her neck to the bare side of her back. The sight of Okita's tanned hands against her pale skin drove him crazy. He often woke up in a strange mixture of nausea and sexual arousal.

The dreams that haunted him the most were the most tamed. He would be sitting at a bench, eating dango before Kagura joined him. Instead of badgering him like she usually would, Kagura offered him a shy and sweet conversation. Their banter was playful and Okita would take delight in the way Kagura's open laughter. He supposed he always liked that the most about her; that she was always honest, especially with her emotions. It made him feel safe, since he had enough deceit to last a lifetime.

"Fuck!" Okita cursed as the bitemark sent another wave of burning pain through his body. "I'm going to kill that fucking girl!"

"Sougo, calm down." Hijikata's laid a hand on Okita's shaking shoulder. "We need to get you to bed."

The smell of tobacco filled Okita's nostrils. "W-what the fuck? Are you smoking? Don't you have any respect for the sick? Shitty captain…"

"What are you talking about?" Hijikata incredulously asked. "My last cigarette was hours ago."

"Bullshit! Five minutes ago at least," Okita retorted as Hijikata sat him upright. Looking closely at him, Okita observed with hooded eyes. The smell of stale food was beginning to make him sick. "Did you eat mayo and eggs for breakfast again? Brush your teeth. It's making me sick."

"I had that at 9Am, it's evening now…" Hijikata stared at Okita. "Your senses are becoming absurdly strong."

"Yeah, so?" Okita did recall having a more hyper-awareness of everything. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Let's get you to bed, first. The doctor will have an easier time with you in there."

Hijikata hoisted Okita on his back, much to the latter's dismay. Admitting defeat, Okita clung onto the older man and laid his head on his shoulders. The fabric of the ShinSenGumi jacket was stiff, as it always was. Yet, beneath the smell of mayo and gunpowder was something pleasantly sweet and soft. It lulled Okita to close his eyes and gave him images of a bright, salmon-haired girl.

"You were there," Okita deliriously whispered.

"Hm? You said something?"

"Yorozuya… You went and you saw her."

"How did you know that? Yeah, I went there earlier today. I noticed you got sick after your fight with Kagura and decided to inquire them about it."

"Che. Probably think you're so clever. So? Am I infected?"

Hijikata took a deep breath. "It's possible."

Okita let out a laugh. "Hah! I'm going to kill that girl. And what did she have to say about it?"

"Nothing," Hijikata replied. "She nearly shoved me while running out of the room today. Gintoki said she had been acting strange this entire week."

"Figures."

"Apparently she's in a stage of heat or something, Sougo. She's looking for a mate. I don't know what she did to you but we're going to have to be extra careful from now on."

It took a while before Okita realized how long they were walking. The corridors were now solid walls and the only lights were the gas-lit ones hung on the ceilings. He knew this place. They were deep underground of the ShinSenGumi.

Okita tried to struggle, but found himself too weak to do so. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Sorry, Sougo. I haven't been completely honest with you. I didn't just go to Yorozuya today," Hijikata explained as they approached a wooden door. He kicked it open. "We got a call from someone who said they had information about this and said they would help us, but only under the condition that we remain civilized."

"What?"

"You could die, Sougo. Humans aren't genetically compatible with Amanto species, more so with the Yato."

"So who contacted us? Who's here?"

Hijikata didn't reply, but sat Okita down on the bed. Okita recognized this as the interrogation room. Typically, there would only be a chair, but apparently Hijikata set it up so there was a roll in bed. What's more, in the cemented room was a foldable table that had a monitor resting on it.

"Is he here?" Kondou said as he strolled in. His eyes rested on Okita in a soft, sympathetic gaze before snapping to Hijikata. "Very good, Captain. Now please engage in the transmission."

"Sir!" Yamazaki said as he came in. "What shall I do?"

"Guard the door and make sure no one comes in. Remember, not a single soul is supposed to know about it. If word gets out I will be coming for you first, do you understand?" Kondou ordered.

"Sir, yes!"

"Then leave. Hijikata, how long will it take?"

Hijikata answered, "We are below ground so it will take some time, maybe twenty minutes."

"You have five."

My, Okita observed, the leader was in a rare form today. Okita watched as Hijikata began turning on the monitor. He used a mechanical device, which had a few buttons of the sort, to dial a numeric code. The monitor then turned on and began to flicker between white noises.

It was steady, but an image began appearing on the screen, along with a voice.

"H… Ello… My… Scrawnier… Hello."

"Why can't we make it clearer?" Kondou barked.

"I'm trying, sir." Hijikata insisted.

"Bunch… Gorillas… Hello…"

"WHAT IS HE TRYING TO SAY?" Kondou yelled.

Okita and Hijikata shared a rare look of equal dismay. I would take a wild guess…

Finally Kondou, in all of his years and experience, reacted to the mechanical problem the only way he knew how—he took out his sword. With a strong hand, Kondou slammed the handle side against the monitor, making the screen go completely black.

He claims to not be a gorilla, does he? Okita rolled his eyes. My deteriorating health lies in the hands of these two idiots.

Hijikata stared at Kondou. "And what was that supposed to do?"

Before Kondou could respond, a spurt of electricity shot from the monitor, making everyone jump. Suddenly the screen flashed to an image.

"That took some time, didn't it?" A smooth voice said. "I must say, it's no wonder you took my help when you did."

Sitting upright, Okita shot a dangerous look between Hijikata and Kondou. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Considering the circumstances and who is involved," Kondou explained. "I'd say it would be the only person who can help."

"And what of her father?"

"Don't be daft, we both know that man would be more trouble than he's worth." the convict known as Kamui responded. Through the monitor he leaned against his chair and tapped his umbrella on his shoulder. The action reminded Okita of Kagura. How could he often forget that the two were related?

"Her father would still be a lot better than you," Okita snapped. Hijikata shot him a warning look.

Kamui smiled. "My, you must really be in pain. I didn't take you to be a hostile type."

"Sougo, calm down," Hijikata hissed.

"Well anyways," Kamui continued. "News is that man ran into a strong group of Amanto while on a mission. As far as I know he's still in the hospital. Even if you were to reach him, I doubt her father would be able to come in time."

"In time for what?" Hijikata asked. "What's happening to Sougo? Can you see what's wrong?"

"I felt it, you know. As much as I deny it, she is my blood." Kamui leaned forward and his eyes sharpened. "Let me see the bite."

Okita groaned as Kondou and Hijikata positioned his body to expose the side of his neck. The burning sensation bubbled and spread all throughout his chest. If Okita had to describe it, it was like ripping a Band-Aid off a sticky wound and feeling the blood and pus drip out.

A long silence.

"He's going to die."

Besides him, Okita felt Kondou and Hijikata stiffen.

"What do you—"

"How can you say—"

"Unless," Kamui cut in. "You follow exactly what I tell you."

"Anything," Kondou said.

"Heh." Kamui looked between the men and began laughing. It grew so much that he actually doubled over and clutched his stomach. "Fools! As if I would do that!"

"What did you say?" Hijikata barked.

"I was curious, that's all." Kamui wiped away his tears. "I should've known better. Weak will mate with the weak, as it always is."

"I'm going to kill you!" Kondou roared. "Hijikata, trace the call!"

"That won't help," Kamui calmly replied. "By the time you do, I will already be in a different area."

"Hijikata!"

"I'm trying!" Hijikata scrambled with the buttons. "Shit, how do I work this thing?"

In the chaos, only Okita remained calm. He stared intensely at the man on the screen. "How did you know it was me?"

"Call it instinct."

"Bullshit."

Kamui shrugged and smiled as he always did. "Shall I indulge in your curiosity? You will die, you know."

At Okita's silence, Kamui continued. "Yato women will start to form a poison in their body at the height of their stage of heat. When they find a mate, they mark them with a bite that consequently deposits this venom into their bloodstream. If the male survives such an encounter then he is deemed worthy enough to become the female's alpha. I wouldn't put too much blame on the girl though, I am sure she's never had proper education and therefore didn't even know about the posion." Kamui rested both hands on his umbrella and scrutinized Okita with condescending eyes. "She is weak, but my sister nonetheless. You are not worthy enough to survive her."

With that, the screen snapped black and Okita said nothing as he stared deeply into his own reflection. Kamui's voice rang in his ears.

Yato women… Heat… Mate…

Kagura had wanted to mate with him. Okita cupped his bite mark and his eyes widened as the implications sunk in.

You are not worthy enough to survive her.

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Kagura snapped her head up and peered suspiciously at the trees behind her. Something wasn't right. Lately there was this strange paranoia that someone was watching her. Shaking her head, Kagura continued walking. She was starting to get more and more anxious as the days went on. The absence of one Okita Sougo didn't help much, either.

Sadist.

Clutching her umbrella, Kagura bit her lip. She hadn't seen him in days and it seemed like the ShinSenGumi were becoming more and more antagonistic towards her. Sure, she pretty much beat them all up the other day, but that was more of their fault than hers, wasn't it? On top of that, Hijikata's visit the other day truly unnerved her. Gintoki told her not to worry about it, but Shinpachi's expression said otherwise.

Was there something wrong with Okita? Why didn't anyone else her anything? Kagura thought about him. Aside from Gin and Shinpachi, Okita was the only man in all of Samura Country who Kagura could truly be herself with. Okita was the one who didn't undermine Kagura for being a woman and instead goaded her to go up and beyond her limits.

There was one time when Kagura was fired from her first part-time job. For some reason, she felt compelled to carry her weight and make extra money to help Gintoki with rent. Of course, Gintoki and Shinpachi didn't know anything about it and assumed she was just off playing around. The first day Kagura worked she was fired for being too rough when a customer was being particularly difficult.

And that was how Okita found her, crying outside a café shop like a baby. Of course, Okita didn't hug or wipe away her tears. Instead he teased and goaded her until she was throwing punches at him and seeing blood. By the time their fight was over, she was lying on her back, perfectly exhausted with Okita next to her. She remembered him looking at her, a smug expression on his face.

Good to see you back and fighting, China.

Kagura snapped her umbrella closed. Screw it, she thought. Wasn't she a woman now? Since when did she hide like a coward? Where was that damn Sadist and why was he hiding? Making her mind up, Kagura quickly closed her umbrella and started running towards the direction of the ShinSenGumi base.

So what if she bit him because of some stupid mating ritual anyways?

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"So she bit him because of some stupid mating ritual and now he's dying?" Gin asked.

"That's… pretty much the gist of it," Yamazaki said nervously.

"That kid, though? Seriously? She chose him?" Gin picked at his ear. "Man, slim pickings, huh?"

"Shut up!" Hijikata snapped. "We explained it to you now tell us where that girl is!"

Gin's eyes narrowed. "That girl has a name."

Shinpachi and Yamazaki nervously darted their eyes between the two. They were all seated in Yorozuya's office, Kondou included. Shinpachi and Gintoki were getting ready for their second tea party gig, much to their embarrassment, when Hijikata stormed into the room with Kondou and Yamazaki in tow. Apparently Okita had been sickly ill for the past few days and the only explanation was because of Kagura. Typical.

"Well how do you know it's her fault anyways," Gintoki inquired. "Kagura is going through heat, yeah, but the last time I remembered you weren't the expert on Yato customs."

"It doesn't matter how I know if it's true!" Hijikata argued. "Look, I don't want to arrest her if that's what you're worried about, I just need to—"

"To what? Take her in for testing? Examine her blood and treat her like an animal?" Gintoki was getting angry, something quite rare for Shinpachi to witness. "Stay away from her."

"We never said that," Kondou insisted. "I understand she's like a sister to you but it is important that she comes with us."

"At least someone is acting like her real brother…" Yamazaki murmured.

Hijikata immediately elbowed Yamazaki but Gintoki had already caught on. He demanded, "What did he mean by that?"

"It's not important."

"To hell it is!"

"Listen!" Hijikata roared. "Sougo is like a younger brother to us, similar to how you feel about the girl—Kagura. We don't want to hurt her, we just want Sougo to be cured."

"Gin san, let's not be unreasonable. Okita has been there for us, too," Shinpachi whispered.

Gintoki's eye twitched. "Yeah, him and his smug face."

"Can't really argue with him there," Yamazaki said.

Kondou looked at Yamazaki. "Why did you come, again?"

"Look, you can come with us," Hijikata said. "Does that sound fair?"

Groaning in response, Gintoki pinched his nose and in a tired voice, responded, "Even so, I don't even know where she is."

"HOW CAN YOU NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE SHE IS?"

"Kagura chan often goes out a lot," Shinpachi explained. "Especially these days, we always just assume she's hanging out with friends."

"Well, she is at that age…" Kondou said and sighed. "Very well, let's all look for her. The ShinSenGumi is willing to pay you, of course, for your cooperation."

Gintoki paused. "Save your money, let's just find her and get it over with."

Shinpachi looked at Gintoki. "Gin san…"

"After this is over of course, we can discuss payment."

"I KNEW YOU WERE BEING TOO NICE."

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It was so hot.

His body was burning yet how was he shivering? Okita struggled to find a comfortable position on the ground. Hijikata had him tucked into bed by subordinates but it was just too hot. Okita tossed and turned until he was facing the ceiling again. Huh, watermarks here too. Was there leaking everywhere in the base?

Still in the interrogation room, Okita turned over so that he could see the monitor. Try as they might, Hijikata could not trace the call back to wherever Kamui was. Even if they did, Kamui was right that there would be no way of reaching him in time. They were truly left on their own at this point.

Thoughts swam in Okita's head again. She had wanted him. Kagura wanted him. The romance between him and the girl was never given any serious consideration. In the back of his mind, Okita had always known he was … attracted to her, but never felt any impulse to act on it. What he respected most of Kagura was the lack of need. They never had to express any affection towards each other because they just knew. Okita supposed he was appreciative towards that because it made their bond low maintenance and the last thing Okita wanted was an awkward confession followed by the mundane life of courtship.

Okita laughed, despite himself. Kagura had taken things into her own hands and initiated what would be the inevitable romance. He should've known "conventional" would be in no way part of that. Okita had wondered why he was even surprised. At least he'll never be bored with Kagura as a wife.

Wincing, Okita curled up as a sharp pain washed over him.

That's if I even survive.

A wave of dizziness hit Okita just done and he felt his head lull back against the concrete floor. The fever dreams were beginning again. He felt his vision fade in and out between black and orange. If Okita could focus long enough, pale skin would come into view along side with blue eyes so deep he could drown in them forever.

"What's happened to you?" She asked. The vision looked concerned. "Hey, Sadist!"

She was here again, or was she? Okita couldn't be so sure anymore. Instead of answering, he reached up to grab her small wrist and pulled her close to his body. The vision made a scream as she tripped over him. Giving her no recovery time, Okita caged her with his arms and rolled over, successfully trapping her in his arm.

"Hey! You bastard!"

The visions never spoke to him like this before. But Okita was too drunk with sickness to dwell on it. Instead, he buried his face into that sweet smelling hair of hers. Such a shame it was currently being tied up into those two annoying buns. He would've loved to feel how smooth that silky-looking hair really was.

God, her scent was absolutely intoxicating! The good thing about her hair being pulled up was her neck being exposed. Okita took advantage of this by kissing up and down the nape, making sure to take nips and bites as a little taste of revenge of the effect she was having on him.

The hallucination had now gone completely still in his arms, yet it seemed her breathing had become increasingly shallow. Beneath wine-colored eyes, Okita regarded her.

"You're in heat, aren't you?" Okita inquired, still thinking this was a dream. "Does that mean your senses are as heightened as mine are right now?"

She went completely quiet.

"You knew?"

Okita pulled her close and the way that she gasped confirmed that she had felt his erection press firmly against her backside. He let one hand crawl up her shirt, taking care to fell the smooth skin beneath his fingertips while the other one took pleasure in going down her pants.

He felt her breasts first. He extended with hand so that his pointer finger and thumb could rub against her pert nipples, making them hard. She moaned in response and threw her head back to him. After that he brought his hand up and stuffed it in her mouth. The vision didn't need any hints and began sucking and biting at his fingers. Okita took delight when he felt a sharp pain from her bites.

The violent pain was gone now and replaced with a deliriously fueled lust. As she licked and bit at his hand, Okita used his other one began rubbing against her clit. The juicy flesh felt delicious beneath his rough fingers. He invaded and rubbed against her, making sure to grind his own hips against her backside as well.

When she was ready, Okita slowly eased a finger deep within her. She mewed and e could feel her tongue swirl around his fingers in response. Okita growled and buried his head at the nap of her neck. He ground against her back and bit down on her skin. As one finger began pumping in and out of her, he used his thumb to rub her clit, making her writhe and against him. The movement against his protruding cock drove him crazy.

She came, shaking and crying against him. In a rare form of affection, Okita rubbed his whole palm against her cunt, prolonging the orgasm, while the other stroke her head.

The girl turned around then, her blue eyes dilated with open desire.

His breath was hot in her ear. "I knew."

Kagura didn't waste a second, high from her heat and drunk off her lust, she pulled Okita down and kissed him hard.

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Outside, Hijikata observed the trail of unconscious men.

"Damn, what happened here?" Yamazaki asked.

"I've seen this level of destruction before," Hijikata said. "When one Yato decided to invade my base to attack every single male."

"Hey, hey…" Gintoki warned.

Hijikata looked around. "Let's check up on Sougo."

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To be continued.

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IIIII AAAMMMM SOOOO SORRRYYYYY

It's been four years since I started this fic? I always hated it when authors left a cliffhanger… I have become what I've always feared…

I am always surprised when I still get favorites and reviews for this fic and eventually that's what pushed me to update it.

It has been a while since I've watched Gintama (I wanna catch up!) so some characters may seem OOC, but it is a fanfiction, after all!

My writing style has probably changed a little back then. As I was looking back and forth between this chapter and the first, I realized that this one probably has a more serious tone to it. Oh well! I've written some horror stories since then so that's probably why.

I do have this fic mapped out so I'm actually hoping to finish it. I don't think it should be too long…

Anyways, thank you for the support! It's because of all of your reviews and love that I was able to update this.

Until next time~