Marriage is purposeless...without a ring.

[Author's Note: So I was taking a hiatus from writing fanfics for quite a long time, but this random idea came into my head and wouldn't leave until it was written. I think it's a biiiiit tough to keep the Gintama cast in character when it comes to anything romantic (or long winded like my other stuff), so hopefully I didn't butcher them too much? XD;;; This is GinXKagu centric, so be warned if the pairing isn't your style. Obviously standard copyright stuff apply 'cause I don't own any of these characters. Sob.]

"Wh--what is that, Anego?"

"Oh, this?" Otae smiled sweetly, pulling her hand up and showing off her incredibly expensive looking ring. "It's from Kondo-san."

"From that gorilla? Why?"

"Kagura-chan," the brunette sighed, "You came to our wedding too, remember? It wasn't that long ago. He gave me it in front of everyone."

"...oh." Kagura tilted her head, "Now that I think about it, maybe he did. I wasn't really paying attention 'cause I was busy eating."

"Kagura-chan," Otae said, still smiling sweetly, "You should pay close attention to things during important life events."

Kagura watched as the item shimmered on Otae's hand. The recently married young woman seemed surprisingly happy with the arrangement, even though Kagura didn't have a clue on why she'd actually end up with her gorilla stalker. Then again, she'd also heard that Otae was in charge of making Kondo's breakfast every morning. Maybe it was actually a test to see how much poison he could ingest before he finally gave up on life. That seemed to make a lot more sense somehow.

Kagura pursed her lips together as the ring sparkled. "...Anego, I want one of those too."

"Hm? A ring? When did you get interested in jewelry, Kagura-chan?"

"Well, um..." the girl looked sheepish, "I'm old enough to be a woman now, so I thought I should maybe start with that. Last time I put on makeup I got laughed at by Gin-chan and Shinpachi."

"O--oh... Yeah, Shin-chan told me about that..."

"Grr! I was just trying to do what every other woman does! Just 'cause I'm not pretty and refined like Anego doesn't mean that they should laugh, right?"

Otae patted her on the head. "Well, if it's about a ring, I think I know of a way that you can get one."

"R--really? How!?"

"Gin-chan," Kagura started after the two finished their dinner, "Can we get married?"

"...WHAAAAT?!" Gintoki slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. "What in the world are you talking about?!"

The girl pouted, "Anego said that I can get a ring if I got married with Gin-chan."

"A ring?"

"Yeah. Anego has a super pretty one. She said she got it from Gorilla. I want one too, Gin-chan. Can we get married?"

"Kagura, do you even know what you're asking?!"

"Yeah." She blinked several times and he banged his head against the wall.

"Marriage isn't about getting a ring! Argh, you're still too young to understand what it is!"

"Nuh-uh. Marriage is when two people sleep together under the same roof and eat the same food and take care of each other and argue and stuff. So we're basically married already!"

"Um, there's something vitally missing..."

"The ring?"

"Besides that!" He put a hand to his head. "Anyway! Can you cancel the 'sleep together' part? It makes me sound like a pedophile and it can be construed wrong!!"

"Why? We sleep together though."

"YOU SLEEP IN THE CLOSET."

"But it's the same room basically."

"Ugh, I don't have time for this." he sighed. "I have to go back out, so go ahead and take a bath and get to sleep before me. --and why are you already in your pjs?!"

Kagura looked down at her clothing, "I didn't do much today so I don't need a bath. Where are you going?"

"Tsukuyo wants my help to track down a man who's been stalking some of her girls. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"You're going somewhere with Tsukki?"

Gintoki turned to see his orange-haired companion pouting at him.

"Are you going to pretend to be a married couple again?"

He shuddered, instinctively touching the top of his head. He'd tried to suppress remembering that incident with Jiraia. Okay, so he'd tried to suppress most of it. Him landing in the middle of Tsukuyo's breasts was nice, but the punishment afterward had killed so many brain cells he couldn't be as happy as he'd liked.

"You haven't given her a ring, have you?"

The man hit Kagura on the head. "Stop fussing about that and go get ready for bed. Kids need to sleep early."

"Well, old men shouldn't be wandering out late at night," she countered, "Cause I heard what perverted old men do in brothels and love hotels."

"Who the hell is telling you those things?!"

"Yorozuya!" the two turned, seeing Tsukuyo at the doorway. "It's time."

"Right." Gintoki stepped forward. "I'll see you in the morning, Kagura."

The girl watched as the Yorozuya leader and Tsukuyo exited, the man extending a hand out toward the blond. Kagura frowned, looking down at her empty dinner plate and the mess left over. ::No way I'm staying here,:: she decided, hopping over the table. She tiptoed around a sleeping Sadaharu and clenched a fist before trailing after the two.

"I'm sorry to call you out so late at night, Gintoki," Tsukuyo said, twirling her pipe in one hand as they walked.

"Ah, it's just part of our job. Don't worry about it." he glanced toward her, his gaze catching the scar on her face. He had to admit that she was an incredible beauty. Her scars did nothing to detract from her. If anything, they accentuated her stunning looks. He shook his head, remembering that he was here to help and not to ogle. "More importantly, what's the deal this time? It must be pretty big if it brings you out of Yoshiwara and up here."

"Some man has been harassing my people," she stated, just a tad hastily.

"Yeah, you said that already. Something about how he's stalking your girls?" he sighed, "I'm surprised that Hinowa didn't send a message for me to go to you." ::This isn't some set up again, right?:: he wondered to himself with glance aside, ::This doesn't involve alcohol, does it??::

Tsukuyo either didn't notice his sudden reluctance or pretended she didn't care. "He's a big man, so he shouldn't be tough to find. It's just that I'm not sure how strong he is. If my women have been having trouble trying to avoid him, I'm guessing he's an incredible brute." She frowned, tapping her pipe a few times. "He left Yoshiwara after leaving a mess at one of our...houses. We need to take him back so he can get a proper understanding of what happens when people act dangerously there. Running away without repercussions will spread rumors."

"I...see." Gintoki knew well enough that even after Yoshiwara lost Hosen, there was a lot of turmoil they had to deal with. It was unfortunate, but he'd assumed Tsukuyo was more than capable of taking care of her end of town. "So, you have an idea of where the guy might be hiding?"

"I doubt he's hiding," the blond said. "Being an outsider, he's probably assumed now that he's out of Yoshiwara he won't have to worry. This is just about the time he should be coming out to hunt for unsuspecting women."

The man narrowed his eyes. It wasn't that there weren't perverts around town--nevermind that he was one of them--but they usually were discreet enough or stupid enough to get caught by the equally stupid Shinsengumi. Although he had to admit the Shinsengumi was beginning to get a lot better at their job. Maybe because of a certain high-strung young woman who was whipping their leader in shape in the form of fried eggs ::aka dark matter:: every morning.

The two stopped in the middle of an alleyway lined up with black garbage bags. It reminded Gintoki that it was trash day, and he hoped that he hadn't tossed his JUMP in the wrong bag again. When Tsukuyo made no attempts to leave the spot, Gintoki lifted an eyebrow. "He picks up women in an alleyway like this? He sure doesn't have any style."

"Gintoki," Tsukuyo stated, taking a step away.

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you this now, while I still have the courage."

"...huh?" he frowned, catching the seriousness of her tone. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while now."

"...yeah?"

"I... think I may be in love with you."

Gintoki went silent, caught off guard. The blond was glancing back and forth slowly, half-nervous and half-keeping her guard up in case something happened.

It took a moment for her words to sink in. Tsukuyo, in love with him? Sure, Jiraia had helpfully implied it a few times, but Gintoki had obliviously assumed it was his mistake. Well, the samurai had to admit, he had felt an attraction toward Tsukuyo even back when they had first met. Never mind that she had ended up stabbing him with several kunai then. And several incidents later. He shifted his gaze toward her, flinching when he saw that she had spun back to analyze his face. She gripped the pipe between her teeth, assumedly waiting for his response.

The man would be immensely honored to have her as his woman, he decided. She was beautiful, strong, busty--err, smart--...she was everything he could ever hope for.

But...

"...sorry," Gintoki responded, turning slightly away. "I appreciate the thought, but...I can't reciprocate your feelings."

Tsukuyo nodded slowly. "I had a feeling you'd say that. We live in two different worlds."

"That's not what I mean."

"Mm." she took in a deep breath, letting out a puff of smoke before commenting, "I understand. You have other people who are counting on you. It'd be tough to settle down like that."

"Isn't that the same for you, though?"

"That's true. I'm still Hinowa's protector, and I plan to be for life. Even if her son is by her side. You, on the other hand..."

"There's someone I need to protect, too." he found himself saying, "She's physically strong enough to protect herself, but she's still a kid... I have to watch over her."

Tsukuyo smiled faintly, "I don't know about that."

"Huh?"

"You're talking about Kagura, aren't you? She's not a kid anymore. ...well, I guess you're like her father, in a way. Parents always see their children as kids...no matter how old they are."

Gintoki made a face, "I'd never want that brat as my kid."

Tsuyuko simply laughed.

Opposite from them in the alleyway, Kagura was so intent on trying to catch bits of the conversation that she didn't notice when a big burly man crept up behind her. When the man cleared his throat, she whirled around, still crouched out of sight from the others. "W--what do you want?" she hissed, eyes narrowing, "I'm busy and I don't have time to deal with weirdos like you!"

The man wasn't fazed. Instead, he shot her a big million dollar smile and flashed several gold teeth. "I was just curious what a pretty woman like you was doing here. Say, why don't you come with me?" He extended his hand out and grabbed her arm, "I'll make sure to make it worth your while."

Kagura took an irritated breath and then pulled her arm away, giving the man a mighty swing kick in the face. "I said I'm busy!"

The burly man toppled over, blood squirting from his nose. Still irritated, Kagura gave him a punch in the gut as an afterthought. His fall knocked over one trash can, which hit the next until Kagura found herself standing up with her hiding place completely toppled over. She turned, sweatdropping as she saw Tsukuyo and Gintoki looking straight at her. The blond was vaguely amused and Gintoki looked like he had just ingested something miserable.

"Kagura," Tsukuyo said, making her way toward the girl, "Why are you here?"

"Um, well," Kagura started, her eyes darting back and forth to find something to make an excuse with, "I was just harassed by this big guy, so..."

"Oh," the blond widened violet eyes, looking at the KOed man. "This is the man that we were trying to find. Yorozuya, you're very good at your job."

Gintoki snapped to his senses and ran up to them, his gaze immediately going to the fallen figure. "Wait, wait, this is just some generic guy, isn't it?" he gestured down at the man, who in all amounts looked very pathetic and random. "He might as well have had a 'I am a generic random' flag stuck on his face! --And wait he DOES have a 'I am a generic random' flag stuck on his face!"

"Nuh-uh," Kagura started, "Look, it says 'I am a generic pervert,' not 'I am a generic random.'"

"Same difference! Who the hell put that there!? It was you, wasn't it!? It must have been you!"

Kagura shook her head several times, pointing at a kunai that held the note to the man's forehead.

Gintoki turned on Tsukuyo, "YOU?!"

Tsukuyo calmly walked over to the figure, peeling the suction cup kunai off and ripping the paper up. "Anyway, Yorozuya, thanks for a job well done."

"No problem, Tsukki!" Kagura said with a clap of her hands. "Gin-chan, it looks like your job is done. Let's go home."

Gintoki stood looking quite ill. "Um, wait, doesn't this seem like a big set up? You said that your girls had a bit of trouble dealing with him...this guy couldn't punch his way out of a wet paper bag!"

Tsukuyo simply tilted her head. "Either way, she's right. Your job is done. I'll take this guy back with me."

The silver-haired man put a hand to his head. "Okay, okay, I'll let it slide this time, but! Tsukuyo!"

She blinked, "Hm?"

Gintoki pointed straight at her. "When you want to talk, just call me out to talk next time instead of making up some elaborate excuse. Alright?"

Tsukuyo lifted an eyebrow. After a puff on her pipe, she nodded, a faint smile crossing her face. "Understood, Gintoki."

"Good." the man stayed still for a moment, and then spun around, "Wait, Kagura-chan, how long were you hiding here?"

"Um, I wasn't hiding--" Kagura started, getting cut off when Gintoki started to shake her.

"Did you hear what we were talking about?! Did you listen in on a private conversation??!"

"N--n--no," she managed to say in between shakes, "I couldn't hear anything 'cause these trash cans were in the way."

"Thank God for trash cans!" he released her and breathed a sigh of relief. "Anyway, Tsukuyo. Are you really taking this generic guy back with you?"

"Don't worry about it," Tsukuyo responded, stepping up to the burly man and kicking him once. "He's out of it."

"Even still, you're planning on carrying that huge guy all alone? He might be generic and random, but he still looks heavy."

"Who said I was alone?" she shrugged, then called out, "You can come out now!"

Gintoki gaped as a handful of females with shinobi face masks jumped out of seemingly nowhere.

"You see?" Tsukuyo said.

"--OY then there were other people listening to our conversation!!"

"Did I say there weren't?"

Gintoki put a hand to his head. ::Should have known it was strange for her to wander out of Yoshiwara alone... But ah... my pride... my poor poor pride...::

"Anyways, you should head back." the woman reminded with a nudge, "Your partner in crime came here with her pajamas on. You don't want her getting sick, do you?"

The silver-haired samurai slowly lowered his gaze to Kagura, who was indeed still in her PJs. As if on cue, a strong gust of wind nearly swept him off of his feet. "I guess we'll see you later, then," he said to the blond, who nodded her response before turning to her group of female fighters. With a sigh, Gintoki grabbed Kagura's arm and started dragging her with him.

"Gin-chan, Gin-chan," Kagura started, pointing at the KOed man, "That guy called me a pretty woman."

"Oh really," Gintoki said drily, "And for that, you punched him out of his wits."

"I only kicked him once," she said, "He was a big weakling."

::That and you're impossibly strong,:: he thought to himself with a sigh. He raised an eyebrow when his dragging suddenly stopped working. Releasing her arm he called, "Kagura, we need to get home. Aren't you cold wearing that?"

"Actually," the girl said, trotting to his side, "I was so busy trying to listen in on your conversation that I didn't notice until now."

"SO YOU WERE EAVESDROPPING AFTER ALL!"

"Nuh-uh, I tried, but I couldn't hear much--"

"The intent is the same!" He frowned as the girl started to shiver. "Couldn't you at least put on your normal outfit before coming here?"

"You left without giving me much time to change."

"Why do you blame it on me?"

Kagura didn't respond, shivering as she walked a few paces behind him. With an exaggerated sigh, Gintoki finally turned toward her, pulling his white and blue robe off. When he started to wrap it around Kagura, the girl blinked up. "What are you doing, Gin-chan?"

"We have a job to do tomorrow. You can't get sick. This should be alright until we get back."

"...I don't like it, it smells like an old man."

"Don't complain! I can't do anything about that!"

The two continued their walk, Kagura pouting as she adjusted the robe over her. "This thing isn't very warm at all," she concluded.

"S--se--seriously, don't complain!"

Kagura tilted her head, looking toward the man. "Gin-chan... are you cold now?"

"W--w--w---why would y--y--you say something l--l--like that!? I'm perfectly f--f--f--fine!" he stammered through gritted teeth, "W--w--w--we're almost th--th--there anyway!"

The girl frowned, trying to judge the distance between where they were and where they lived. She extended one hand toward Gintoki, who looked at it in confusion. "Here," she said, her voice muffled through a part of the robe she had wrapped around her mouth, "You can at least warm a hand like this."

Gintoki seemed about to refuse but finally gave in when another gust of wind sent a basket flying by in front of them. He reached over, taking the girl's hand while looking in the opposite direction. ::At least it's late enough that no one in their right mind would be wandering around here to see this.:: He stopped mid-step when he felt his side suddenly grow warm. Kagura had stepped close enough to snuggle up against him, a strange ghostly figure wrapped up in his kimono. "O--oy, Kagura?"

"Hm?" she lifted bright blue eyes up at him. Her body was soft and comfortable beside him, but Gintoki couldn't relax one bit.

"Um, c--can you unwrap that so I can see your face," he said quietly, "I--I--It looks like I'm walking around with a ghost connected to me. Not that I'm scared! But, but, but, you know, other people might get scared if they see this."

Kagura looked confused but did what she was told, purposely breathing heavily so she could see the white puffs of air in front of her. As they walked, she pressed up against the man, more so to warm herself than to warm him. The robe he'd let her borrow wasn't as cold as she implied earlier, thanks to how his body heat was still slightly retained in it. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd wanted to keep the cloth over her face so it was easier to take in his scent. She still called it an old man's smell, but to her it was calming. After actually smelling Gintoki as an old man due to the unfortunate Tamatebako, it was incredibly welcoming. She giggled to herself as she remembered the incident. Gintoki'd gotten even shorter than herself!

Without noticing, she was getting so close to the man that he was having difficulties walking straight. He attempted to steer her in the correct direction, but she was walking sideways now, both arms clasped around his right one. "Kagura-chan," he started, confused by her giggling. "We're back. You can let go now."

The girl did so, releasing him with reluctance. As they entered, Kagura peeled off the samurai's robe and handed it to him with a big smile. "Thank you, Gin-chan," she said softly.

Gintoki blinked and then grinned, pushing her in the direction of the bathroom. "Kids shouldn't be awake at this time of night. Go take your bath and get some sleep."

As he watched her run off, he smiled faintly to himself. ::She's finally learning some manners. I knew I was a good influence...::

His thoughts faded suddenly as he felt a sharp pain and his surroundings go dark.

"SADAHARU, THAT HURTS! STOP TRYING TO BITE MY HEAD, STUPID DOG!"

Gintoki stretched out as far as he could in the tub, letting out a loud yawn. Kagura had gotten out moments before, changing into a second matching pair of pajamas. He'd left her in the room, hoping she'd get herself to sleep before he was out of the tub.

"Ah, today was a mess," he muttered to himself. First Otose had screamed at him about his rent payments, which he really thought she should give up because he'd never have the money to fork over anyway, and then she'd even sent Catherine after him. After avoiding the elderly cat-woman for a good long while, he'd had to scour the house for his latest issue of JUMP that Shinpachi had misplaced when cleaning. Then there was the whole incident with Kagura, no thanks to Otae, and then Tsukuyo. He was seriously beginning to regret turning her down. He shook his head. ::Might have been the chance of a lifetime...:: He doubted that someone of her caliber would ever approach him again.

"My life is a mess," he concluded, dropping down so his chin was under water.

Gintoki blew bubbles in the water as he let his mind wander. Amused, he took a particularly deep breath to see how long he could last, when his mind decided to flash back to Kagura smushing herself against him to keep warm. The man coughed, sitting up so he was half way out of the tub. ::Why does that unnecessary imagery come up??:: he glanced down toward the arm she had clung on. ::'Can we get married?'... That immature brat. What kind of question is that?::

He hesitantly touched his arm. ::...some day even that kid is going to get married. Some day I'm going to get back home and not have someone here with me.:: he shook his head, ::It'll be a while before she leaves. She's going to be taken care of for a long time. That darn brat.:: He found himself half-grinning with the thought.

"Hey, Gin-chan!"

The grin dropped and he muttered a "speak of the devil," before calling out, "What?"

"I left my shoes in the bathroom. I'm gonna come in and get them now."

"H--huh?" Gintoki splashed instinctively, "What do you mean you're going to come and get them?"

"I'm opening the door."

"WAIT! Wait wait wait, I'm still in the tub!"

"That's okay, I just need to get my shoes."

"How is that okay? You can wait until I'm out before you come in!"

"You don't have to worry, Gin-chan," Kagura announced, right next to the doorway, "There's nothing on you that I haven't seen before, anyway."

"W--w--what? No, Kagura, there's something called a man's pride that makes it not a good idea for you to come in right now--" The door swung open and Gintoki sank further into the water. "Aren't you listening!?"

"If you mean your -----, then I've already seen it. It was a boxy screwdriver."

"That was way back when you were turned into a driver! That's not how it is normally, okay? That's not!" he shook his head, letting out a loud sigh, "Oy oy...Now I'm getting confused on the boke and tsukkomi roles here. Where's Shinpachi when you need him...??"

Back at the Shimura household:

Shinpachi: Achoo!

Kagura skittered in, grabbing her shoes. She slowed down, turning and looking at the man whose hair could barely be seen over the water. He'd wrapped his arms around his legs and was trying his best to look discreet.

"Gin-chan, since I'm already here, I can wash your back."

"GET OUT ALREADY!"

The man found himself trudging back to his room after the bath, feeling entirely too drained for words. He was greeted with Kagura exclaiming, "Gin-chan, I want a ring."

"Gaaaaah! We don't have the money to buy any rings! Why don't you just make a plastic one?"

"That's not the same! I want a ring that sparkles all pretty like! Like the one Anego has!"

Gintoki rolled his eyes, pulling his futon out.

"Ne, Gin-chan."

"Argh. What now?"

"Anego said that there's something more important you get when you get married."

"Why do you have to talk about marriage so much today!? Ugh!"

"Gin-chan, are you listening?"

"Y--yeah...? What kind of messed up logic did she give you this time?"

"She said the more important thing I could get is..." she paused, then added quietly, "...Gin-chan..."

"...what?"

".............yeah." the girl finished with a tilt of her head.

"Um... EH, WHAT, YOU MEAN ME?!"

Kagura nodded several times, wide-eyed. Gintoki made a face. "Uh, Kagura, let me get this straight. I'm not planning on being anyone's--" he raised his hands before she could say anything, "--now don't get me wrong, um, hm, let's see... I mean, would you want to be owned by that Shinsengumi Sadist?"

"No way!" the girl shifted her gaze to the floor, "B--but, if I was Gin-chan's...maybe I wouldn't mind..."

Gintoki's jaw dropped half-way. ::Oy, this girl's going insane. What the hell did you teach her, Otae!? More like...:: he pushed his jaw back up, ::Why do I feel warm? It's the not the implication, I swear it's not. I'm not a pedophile, I swear I'm not...:: his gaze swept over the girl, taking in her soft, faintly pink expression. Before his face could go bright red, he covered it with both hands and shook his head to clear his thoughts. ::I'm just lonely. Yeah. That's it. I haven't had a woman in years, and I just turned down Tsukuyo...::

The man attempted a different approach, pulling his hands from his face back to his side. "Kagura-chan," he spoke softly, "It's getting late. You're just tired. We have to work tomorrow, so get some rest, okay?"

"Gin-chan..."

"Go get in your futon, okay?"

"Gin-chan, I love you."

"....HUH? --and wait, why are you in the mood all on your own??" Gintoki leaned over and waved a hand over the girl's glazed face. "Oyyyy! There's something like reading the atmosphere of the moment... did you forget that already!? Seriously, SHINPACHI WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU HERE WHEN I NEED YOU."

Shinpachi: Achoo! ...I wonder if I'm catching a cold... No, I think it's just because I'm still getting over Aneue getting married to Kondo-san...Whyyyyy!????

"Gin-chan--"

"Okay! Wait! Time out!" Gintoki slid forward, slamming a hand over the girl's mouth. "Time out, time out! We're going to sleep now. It's late, and we have to wake up early. You just think about what you've been saying and we'll figure this out later."

He watched as Kagura shifted her gaze up toward him, her eyes pleading. He was hoping that she was getting calmer because she didn't just raise her hand up and pull his arm away from her mouth. Slowly, he moved his hand away.

"Alright?" he tried.

"Okay."

Gintoki breathed a sigh of relief as the girl started walking toward the closet. To his confusion, she opened it and started dragging her futon out. He blinked and watched as she dropped the futon next to him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to sleep."

Gintoki went silent as the girl crawled into the futon and pulled up her pillow. As she shut her eyes, he sighed and lay back in his own, rolling over so he wouldn't have to see her. After several moments of silence, he turned to look. Kagura was on her back, both eyes shut. The man watched the blanket rise and fall with her breath and rolled back away.

The second time he turned back he gave an irritated sigh and sat up. ::Okay, no. This isn't happening.:: he put a hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat going several paces faster than normal. ::I've lived with her for years already. She's slept out here before. Really, she's just a little kid.:: he took the few steps to where she was sleeping and leaned, brushing a strand of hair from her face. ::...she really has grown from when I first met her, though.::

"Gin-chan...."

Gintoki sprang back, raising his arms up defensively. "Um, Kagura-chan, were you awake? I didn't notice--" he trailed off, noticing the girl was just mumbling in her sleep. ::Geez... of course she's sleeping. What am I doing?::

Hesitantly he stepped forward again, taking a seat next to her and looking down cautiously.

'Gin-chan, I love you,' she had said. He frowned. ::It was just the moment,:: he decided to believe, ::It didn't mean anything...right?:: His mind whirled.

::If my heart goes any faster, I'm going to have a heart attack and die! Calm down, calm down, Gintoki.:: his eyes swept over her form again and he felt a pang in his chest that started to make him paranoid. ::I'm really going to have a heart attack! This is going to be the end of Gin-chan! WHY!? Why do I meet such a lame end!? More like, why the hell is it that Kagura's words affected me more than Tsukuyo's?!:: he willed himself to think of the blond but she wouldn't come to his rescue in his thoughts. For some reason his brain decided to flash back to the different moods of Kagura instead. He punched several thought bubbles away from him and started rocking back and forth. ::I'm possessed! That's what it is, I'm possessed...!::

Several moments of silence passed and he finally leaned, grabbing the girl along with her futon. With a mighty swing, he tossed both into the closet and slammed the door shut, putting his back against the door and breathing heavily.

::There's something seriously wrong with me,:: he tried to convince himself, ::This is Kagura, Kagura the annoying brat. She's older or whatever but she's still the same Kagura...::

He slid down until he was sitting against the door, putting a hand back to his chest. ::Stupid heartbeat! Go back to normal. Go back to normal so I can sleep. Go back to...::

The man let out a sigh for what he thought was the millionth time that day. "Why'd she have to say something stupid like getting married," he muttered to himself, "If she didn't mention that, I wouldn't..."

::Wouldn't...what?:: the voice in his mind asked, ::Wouldn't have seen her as a woman?::

"Yeah, that's it. I don't want to see her as a woman... I can't..."

Gintoki hung his head, frowning. ::It's only because I just turned down Tsukuyo,:: he wanted to believe, but he also knew, ::No, I turned her down because of Kagura...::

His mind flashed to a few moments earlier. 'Thank you, Gin-chan,' she had said, her bright blue eyes shining with-- ::No, they weren't shining at all, they were just normal, normal kid eyes!:: he slammed his head back several times against the door.

On his seventh go, the door slid open and Gintoki felt himself falling backwards. Saving himself and spinning around with his mouth wide open, he found Kagura sitting up and blinking confusedly. "What's wrong with you, Gin-chan?"

"ME? What's wrong with YOU!!??? There's nothing wrong with me at all! At ALL!" his last few words squeaked and he coughed several times to try cover it. Putting on a serious face, he continued, "Don't mind me, just go back to sleep."

Kagura blinked again, then started to crawl out of the closet.

"Oy, what are you doing!? I said go to sleep!"

"I don't wanna sleep in here," she complained, "You said way back when that you can't expect an adult to sleep in here. I'm an adult now so I can sleep where Gin-chan sleeps."

"What kind of super memory do you have!?" he sighed, "Okay, fine. Fine. In that case, I'll sleep in the living room."

"Huh, why?"

"Because it's not normal for a grown man and a woman to sleep in the same room, that's why! Sadaharu can sleep here with you." Gintoki stormed to his futon, picking it up and grabbing a hold of his pillow. "Go to sleep. Goodnight."

As he turned to walk out, he found that no matter how many steps he took, he was still the same distance away from the door.

"HEY." he glanced down, noticing Kagura's hand on his sleeve, "Let go!"

"I don't wanna."

::.....how strong is this girl?:: Gintoki struggled for a moment more before slamming the covers onto the floor. "Okay, okay! You win, I just want to get some sleep."

"You mean that?"

The man nodded, using his foot to adjust his futon back in place as Kagura kept her death grip on him. "So you can let go already."

When she did, he nearly toppled over onto the futon. Saving himself, he shuffled the futon as far away as possible from the girl.

Once he finally got settled in, he pulled his covers up to his chin. He shut his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but he couldn't. It felt as though something was boring a hole through his back. He rolled over, facefaulting when he saw Kagura staring at him with huge eyes. "What?" he asked as she sat up, "Go to sleep."

"It's cold."

"That's 'cause you're not fully in bed. You'll get warm eventually."

She made no move to settle down. "It's cold."

"You fell asleep perfectly fine just a few minutes ago!"

"But now I'm cold," she whined, "Warm me up, Gin-chan."

"We don't have a heater here!" he sighed, looking at her pleading gaze. ::Okay, whatever. She's just a kid, just deal with it.::

With that thought firmly in mind, he stood and started pulling his futon closer to hers. Once they were connected, he took a seat next to her. "Lay down."

Kagura shook her head. "I want a hug first."

"...a WHAT!?"

"Gin-chan was warm when we were outside, so Gin-chan should be warmer in here." she spread her arms out. "Hug."

"For God's sake, you're not a baby. Ugh, just this once, okay?" with a resigned shake of his head, he scooted a little, reaching over to loosely put an arm around her. She immediately pushed forward, burying her face in his chest.

"I knew it," she said, her voice muffled, "Gin-chan's super warm!"

"--Okay, so is that enough? Can I let go now? This is weird. This is just plain weird!"

Her response was a tight squeeze that nearly knocked the breath out of him. When he managed to compose himself, he glanced down toward the girl. Kagura had her eyes shut, a very faint smile on her face. He found it a bit strange that she was taking deep inhales, and tried to ignore it. Eventually her breathing began to slow, and he had a feeling she was getting sleepy.

Gazing down at her, he was starting to feel quite uncomfortable. She was settled in a nice position, fitting into his arms like she belonged there, but if she moved ever so slightly, he could see the top of her curves pressing against his chest. He gulped, looking away. Unfortunately since he had noticed, he could feel her soft presence against him more than he had before.

"...Kagura...?"

"Mm?"

"...were you serious when you said you loved me?"

Kagura paused, looking up toward him. He had his gaze diverted elsewhere, his hair covering his eyes, trying not to look as anxious as he felt. She knew better from hearing the soft tapping of his heartbeat next to her ear. "Yep," she said softly. "I've always loved Gin-chan."

"Err, well, I don't mean like that," he stammered, for once glad for his hair that blocked his expression, "I mean--"

"Yep," she repeated loudly, overriding his words, "I love you, Gin-chan. I wanna stay with you forever."

Gintoki lifted his hand up, putting it to the girl's cheek. She was surprisingly warm and he realized that she was blushing furiously. He wished she wasn't, because it made him do the same. She hadn't needed to be warmed at all. She'd tricked him into the hug. He wanted to feel annoyed, but he couldn't.

"Kagura," he spoke, "You and Shinpachi've always been a part of the Sakata family..." ::I'd always been looking outside for women and I completely ignored how there was a perfectly good one by my side.:: "And um... well..." ::No, not ignored... purposely tried to avoid thinking about.:: He leaned in, feeling her wide eyes engulf him. "What I want to say is..."

"...is...?"

Gintoki paused an inch from the girl's face, his mind blanking. ::Wait, what was I going to say? Wait, what was I doing?::

When she slowly closed her eyes, he made up for it by widening his. ::K--Kagura-chan, can you not do that? T--T--the light from the other room on your face, it's making you--:: he gulped, eyes darting frantically back and forth. He finally moved enough so his lips were barely hovering over hers. The lighting and the scenario made her angelic...and beautiful. 'Beautiful', not a word he'd ever expected to be able to use on her.

"Gin-chan?" the girl spoke, opening her eyes half-way. "What were you saying...?"

::Shoot, I lost my train of thought,:: he realized. Scooting all of his panic aside, he spoke, "Close your eyes, Kagura."

She obeyed.

::Okay, that's a good start,:: his mind said and he pushed it aside again, willing himself to drop part of his resistance. For years he had kept up a sort of barrier between him and the girl, not wanting to cross into dangerous territory. It took surprisingly little effort to negate it. Unfortunately, he hadn't been expecting that, and he effectively lost all control over his thought process.

The moment he let his guard down, a wave of emotion slammed into him, leaving him breathless. He was so close to the girl that he could feel soft puffs of air on his lips. Gintoki lifted his other hand to cup Kagura's face.

"Gin-chan?"

"Don't speak," he commanded, surprising himself with his voice's thick steadiness. He looked down toward her, shifting so his lips would brush against hers.

Like a switch, he felt his body react toward the temptation and desperately tried to reign himself back in, dropping both hands from her face and biting hard on his lower lip. Just when he thought he'd won, his guard shattered, feeling Kagura pull him down on top of her. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and he surrendered, leaning in for a full kiss.

After he moved his head to gasp for air, Kagura licked her lips, looking confusedly at him. "Gin-chan," she said, "You taste like blood."

Gintoki lifted a hand up to his mouth and realized he'd bitten a nice cut through his lip. "Eh...uh...well...sorry."

The girl giggled, "That's okay. It's sweet too. Maybe because you eat too much sugar for an old man."

"That's one thing you don't harass me about, brat," he muttered, giving her an affectionate nuzzle.

Kagura let out a contented mumble, releasing her hold on him so her arms hung loose by her side. Gintoki propped himself up on his hands and knees over her, tentatively leaning to brush his lips against her neck. A wave of longing swept through him a third time and he instinctively dug his nails in the flooring, biting back a frustrated cry.

"Gin-chan," Kagura spoke, wide eyed at his pained expression, "Gin-chan, what's wrong?"

"N--n--nothing."

"Gin-chan?"

"Yeah, what is it?" he inhaled a sharp breath, letting it hiss out of his teeth.

"Do you love me?"

"--Kagura," the man started, then dropped his body over hers. "K--Kagura...if I didn't love you, do you think I would be here now?"

Kagura shifted slightly, adjusting so that she was completely underneath the man. His body was warm and heavy in a comforting way, and she timidly lifted a hand to his cheek like he had to hers earlier. She watched his expression in amusement, seeing his collected face shift in and out of seriousness. "I dunno," she said, knowing full well but wanting to push his buttons.

For some reason the phrase seemed to push a dangerous one and he suddenly grabbed her arm, forcing it down to her side.

"You don't know? Then--"

Kagura could barely get a gasp out before she found him pressing his lips against her. The last time he had been gentle, but this time there was force in it. He breathed into her, "What about now?"

The girl turned to catch her breath, feeling her face burning. The coppery taste of blood lingered and it heightened her senses in an oddly pleasant way. She was about to speak but he took over again, this time slipping his tongue in to explore her mouth.

"I love you."

His soft words rang like music to her ears. ::Gin-chan actually loves me?:: she wondered through his blissful touch. When he repeated the phrase into her ear, she felt her temperature rise dangerously. ::Gin-chan, Gin-chan...:: her mind chanted as she watched the man's eyes open, staring directly into hers. Seeing him so closely affirmed her attraction toward him. When he was serious, he looked incredibly handsome, and right now, he was laying on top of her, directing that serious gaze at her alone. She pushed up slightly and he obliged her with a softer kiss, tentative and gentle.

He adjusted his grip on her, still keeping both of her arms pinned to her side. His mind was getting fuzzy, too far gone in the moment. He found himself whispering her name several times, nipping her shoulder gently. She mewled a response and he forced himself to move back, releasing one of her arms. He'd realized how he truly felt about her and it was beginning to frighten him. He was barely able to control himself now, and he'd have to deal with sleeping in the same room as her from then on. He'd have to slam his urges back away like a monster in a cage. He was vaguely grateful that he'd learned to fake a poker face when he really truly needed it.

Kagura blinked when he pulled back and commented, "Gin-chan, your ----- is poking my leg."

"........"

Gintoki hit her on the forehead. "Why do you have to say such disgusting things!?" he sighed, slowly coming back to his senses. He was both grateful and disappointed. "Look, you ruined the mood. I told you I love you, so we can call it a day now. We need to sleep."

"How much do you love me, Gin-chan?"

"Huh? Uh, well..." he frowned, "You're maybe about... second place after my parfaits."

Kagura shifted her leg in a dangerous placement that made Gintoki immediately spill out, "No! You're equal to my parfaits! I love you the same amount as I love parfaits and strawberry milk!"

She loosened the tension in her leg, to his relief. "But..." the girl frowned, watching as Gintoki slowly propped back to his hands and knees. She grabbed one arm, disturbing his balance and nearly toppling him.

"Hey, what are you doing!?"

Kagura yanked on his arm, guiding his hand to her chest. "I know I'm nowhere near Tsukki or Anego yet, but I'm a woman too, see."

She was happily affirmed when the man not-so-gracefully attempted to hide a nosebleed with his sleeve.

"Gin-chan," she said, "Are we going to start dating now?" When he didn't respond, she added, "Am I your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever!" he exclaimed, tugging at his arm, "Just let me go!"

The girl released her hold on him and he reeled back, ending up sitting on her stomach. She blinked up at him. "Gin-chan, your ----- is--"

"NO. Don't say anything more about that!" he said, "It's just proof that I love you, Kagura. It's saying that I want you, okay?!"

"You... want me...?"

"Arrgghh! Why did this conversation turn so nasty all of a sudden?! Yes, I want you. I admit it, I'm done! Let's sleep!!"

"If you want me," Kagura spoke, her eyes half-lidded, "Why don't you take me?"

Gintoki felt his jaw drop. ::Shinpachi, you and I are seriously going to stop letting Kagura-chan walk around with Otae on her own. She's teaching her dangerous things and I don't think Kagura knows how dangerous they are...!:: He cleared his throat dramatically and shook his head. This was a good time for his poker face. "Kagura-chan," he began, "I can't do anything more. That's for after marriage, when you want to be a parent."

"After marriage..." she echoed. She squeezed her eyes shut and then reopened them. Gintoki was glad that they were normal again. The longing haze had vanished from her expression. It made it easier for him to reign in his own emotion. "Gin-chan," she said quietly, "Some day will we get married? Some day will you claim me? All of me?"

::Is this the kind of thing someone her age should be asking?:: Gintoki took in a deep breath, standing up and starting toward his futon. "...yeah," he finally said. "Some day."

"Soon?"

"Maybe." he lay down, shutting his eyes as he adjusted his pillow.

"So, Gin-chan..."

"What is it?"

"I'm your girlfriend now, right? And we're getting married some day, right?"

"...yeah, I guess so."

Kagura rolled over, poking him in the back so he'd turn toward her. He raised an eyebrow as she blinked at him. "If that's the case you can give me a ring in advance, right?"

Gintoki stared at her, the words floating around in his head for a while before he finally exclaimed, "IN THE END YOUR GOAL WAS JUST THE RING!?!?"

--The End--