Title: Because Pictures Fade Just As Memories Do

Requested by: Asperger Hero (Guest)

Characters: Shimura Tae, Sakata Gintoki, Kagura (mentioned), Shimura Shinpachi (mentioned)

Setting: Post-Silver Soul Arc (Kabuki District)

Genre: Angst (with a happy ending)

Type: One-shot

Rating: K

Status: Complete

Word Count: 953

Summary: Sometimes, she was afraid that without those pictures, she would forget his face.

It was one of those things she had done so impulsively, really, but she couldn't find it in her to regret a thing.

She took this polaroid picture quite some time ago, in one of Odd Jobs' many missions where she'd chosen to tag along. Back then, their aid was requested by some pin-up model girl who was so full of herself that she always assumed every single man within the vicinity desired her, and truth be told, while Otae hated the model's guts with a passion, a simple jab to the size of former's chest had been enough fuel to provoke her to join in the bodyguard duty.

After surviving through a day and finally receiving their pay, the model was so grateful for their assistance that they ended up being gifted with an instant camera—which was to be expected, for the model, Haruka, was just that self-absorbed and narcissistic Otae knew that particular camera was just one of a collection of very many.

But that didn't make her three companions appreciate the gift any less.

As soon as they entered their Odd Jobs office, the three fought for the possession of the Polaroid camera and since, each had their own idea in mind on what to capture, none of them yielded. She, on the other hand, hadn't exactly been a very big fan of the model so she only glared at them and huffed indignantly for being ignored.

Stop it, she had told them off then. Certainly, all three of you can take turns and take pictures. If none of you are going to step back, then I will take the first turn!

She grabbed the camera from their hands (how they all managed to have a hold on it somewhat was beyond her) and stared at it dumbly, uncertain as to what was so special about it. Swallowing back her reluctance to use anything that was touched by the pin-up girl, she grinned at the camera and heard the familiar click!

She could still remember the memory as fresh as yesterday. How the three scooted closer behind her to take a peek at the result, the image that was immediately printed out of the small object she held in her hands. She grinned proudly at the same Polaroid picture that was still, somehow tucked safely on her drawer before her eyes darted off to another Polaroid picture of herself.

Except in this shot, she was not alone.

She took pictures with each of the three, but this particular image now held a much more special place in her heart considering the recent events in Kabuki District, or was it Edo? Maybe, even Earth as a planet.

She reached out to it and in an instant, she was already lost in the memory lane.

Sakata Gintoki, the silver-haired man with a perm, was a man she had always held in high regards, although she hardly ever expressed it honestly.

At first, she thought he was not setting a proper example for her younger brother to take after at all, in no way was the war veteran a good role model to her Shin-chan. He was jobless, perverted, addicted to sweets, and with all honesty, a complete doofus with an unhealthy obsession for anything remotely related to that weather reporter, Ketsuno Ana.

A few volumes, both blu-ray DVD and manga, into his messed up world later, though, and she had finally caught a glimpse of who was really underneath all his indifferent facade, a sight that truly intrigued her.

"As much as you try to pretend not to care," she told the Gin in the picture, frowning at the way his stoic face remained unaffected by it all, "you know you actually have the biggest of hearts. Shin-chan's still waiting for your return, Gin-san. A lot has happened and I'm not sure it's going to be easy to fill you in if more stuff goes on, so please do us all a favor and come back as soon as you can."

She paused to look at the Polaroid picture one last time before setting it back down inside the drawer and closing it with finality, swearing to never open again until the man did as she told, not like he actually heard her plea but at this particular moment, reason eluded her. So she just stood back up and walked to exit the Shimura residence and walked to Snack Smile, where she worked as a cabaret.

It wouldn't be many months later when he decided to finally show up but when he did, she was glad that he looked just the same as he had in that photo, stupid and nonchalant, because if she were being honest with herself, she wasn't sure she could have resisted opening that drawer any longer.

Because if she did, somehow, manage to, slowly but certainly, she might have started to forget his face, his smirk and his gaze and his perm and every single memory etched in her head of all the times they had spent together, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Welcome back, Gin-san," Otae said out loud, clutching the photo, along with the rest of the Polaroid pictures with Yorozuya, to her chest before walking into their office. "You, too, Kagura-chan." While the young lady missed the words for she was too busy counting dead sadist bodies to relax as a part of a new skincare routine, it did not go unnoticed by the famed White Demon who only chuckled in reply.

"Eh, you're really weird, Gorilla woman."

Needless to say, one permed samurai almost got sent to a hospital.

A/N: With all honesty, I don't ship GinTae all that much, since I'm a die-hard KonTae shipper, but a request is a request and who am I to turn down one. I was taken aback by the "Polaroid" theme, though. I did not expect that. Hope you enjoyed the story. I tried, I really did, but I wanted to keep it as close to canon as possible. Sorry for taking too long to upload, I didn't even realize there was a new comment until a couple days ago.