Sorry if I get any of the characters wrong, I've only seen a few episodes.

… … … …

"This is SO boring, why can't we do anything today Souji?" Tetsu asked.

The older warrior sat to the right of him, with his ever-present piggy-pet, Saizou. "It's just too hot to do anything today, puppy."

"Stop your whining you little brat." Hijikata scolded as he walked up the small stairs.

Souji looked at his vice-ccommander, and then to the young teen next to him, "Tetsu, why don't you go run to the shrine and back? I would like to talk to Hijikata-san for a moment."

Hehehe…! Tetsu laughed evilly in his mind, Hijikata can't refuse anything Souji tells him to do, he's gonna get in trouble!!

"And please take Saizou with you!" Souji added as Tetsu hopped off of the porch.

With this thought on his mind, Tetsu didn't mind running out to the tree and then back to the porch with a pig. But he did wonder why the older man always gave into Souji.

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"I 'huf' don't see why 'huf' I had to take 'huf' you with me." Tetsu mumbled as he plopped himself down onto one of the shrine's steps.

Saizou just looked at him, as though he thought the human should know why his master wanted the pig to go. For someone who was unfamiliar with the pig, they might think that he was mad at them, but Tetsu knew better.

For the record, it was a beautiful day. No humidity, no clouds. The grass was green and there was a breeze that just brought everything together.

After sitting for a moment to regain his composer and calm his heartbeat, Tetsu sighed, got up and looked at Saizou.

"You ready to go back?" He asked.

"Oink!"

"Alright," He said as he picked up the pig, "let's go!" And sprinted down the shady, tree-covered path back to the dojo.

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(Back at the Dojo…)

"I don't see why you give him such a hard time." Souji said to his companion.

"If he wants to be in the shinsengumi, he needs to start acting like it." He answered.

"But still, he needs to have some sort of childhood." The younger one said as he dropped his head onto Hijikata's broad shoulder. "Don't you think?"

"Souji…" Hijikata started softly, but he didn't know what else to say. He knew that Souji cared for Tetsu, and didn't want him to end up the same way.

There was a numb silence between the two for a moment, before Souji's body wracking coughs broke it.

Hijikata moved to look at his captain.

"I thought you said you were taking your medicine." He said, the softness gone from his voice.

"I am. But sometimes some stragglers find their way up and out." He said with a smile. "It's nothing to worry about, Toshi, really."

Hijikata's dark eyes softened at the younger man's cheery smile. "Alright, just don't 'forget' like last time."

"I won't." Souji smiled and repositioned himself against his koi's side, and then said, after a comfortable silence, "So, will you be nicer to Tetsu?" It was said with a giggle, because both knew Souji had won…………again.

Hijikata Toshizou chuckled at him and didn't resist when he felt familiar slender fingers sliding up his neck and jaw to pull him down for a kiss.

"……………..AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Thud!

"Do you think we scared him?" Souji asked, still leaning close to Hijikata.

"Not too badly, I think." He answered and resumed his personal inspection of Souji's mouth.

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I hope I did OK. Thanks for reading!!