Special Fan-fic for Sougo's birthday!
Here you have it, enjoy~ヾ(＠^▽^＠)ﾉ ～Hirari

Wish

"I hope my love becomes mutual with the one I love"

The green bamboo leaves sway with the wind.
Many other coloured Tanzaku cards that are tied to the leaves also wavers amongst the sky.

"...there."
That was what I breathlessly murmur as I finish scrawling my words upon a pink, rectangle Tanzaku card.

Today is 7th of July. The day of the Tanabata.

The huge bamboo tree that is in the Shinsengumi headquarters had been put up by commander Kondo.
The Tanabata tree is decorated with multiple colourful Tanzaku cards, full of wishes of each Shinsengumi member.
Some of the wishes that I read aloud, makes me chuckle.

"I want to go to the Olympics through my badminton –Yamazaki Sagaru"

"Otae-san I LOVE YOU –Kondo Isao"

All are just like how they are, and it reminds me of how I like the Shinsengumi.
I am the only woman in the headquarters.
When I first came here, I had been a little nervous and lonely; but that kind of feeling had been long forgotten after the warm treatment I had gotten from everyone here.

"Pretty please!"
I tie my Tanzaku card in a relatively high position of the Tanabata tree and put my hands together to pray with my all.
It is already 10 at night.
Everybody had been writing their wishes at noon, but my wish is very embarrassing, so I had planned to quietly sneak upon it and tie mine at this time of night.

The stars seem to shine and scatter brightly across the night sky.

I wonder if Princess Ori and Hikoboshi were able to meet each other

I think about such things as I look up at the sky.

It's sad... but so beautiful.

To be able to see your love only once a year...
If it were me, I probably won't be able to stand it...
But because of that distance, the love as deep and their excitement of being able to meet at this date, seems very beautiful and impressing.

...omg, I'm starting to sound like a maiden in love.

Well... I am in love.

"Even just thinking that is embarrassing..." I murmur under my breath as I look up at the stars which are ever so bright.

"What are you doing at this time of the hour?"
From the sudden that voice that comes from behind...
...to that lazy voice that belongs to a certain someone, I can't stop the leaping heart of mine as I slowly force myself to turn around.

"Okita-san..."

He seems to just have just had a bath. He has dripping wet hair and is wearing a loose indoor wear nagashi.
Wearing a confused look, he stares at me while lightly drying his hair with the towel that sits on his shoulders.
Even this sight makes me gawk at him.

It's because of his slight tinged cheeks that you only get to see after he's taken a bath, and the lightly worn nagashi that shows a part of his bare chest.
I avert my gaze in embarrassment.

"Oh yea, I haven't written anything on this yet..."
Coming up right beside me in the garden, he takes a Tanzaku card in his hand from the Tanabata tree.

It is Yamazaki's Tanzaku card, and as Okita-san reads it, a small smirk appears upon his lips.
He then takes away the pen I had been holding.

"...?"

As I wonder what he's doing and stare into his hand and find that he is writing:

"Reject"

...on Yamazaki's Tanzaku card.

Okita-san... Yamazaki-san will be upset if you do that...I think as a forced wry smile plays upon my lips.

Yamazaki-san's Tanzaku card that had 'Reject' written in big letters, sways softly against the wind once again.

"Are you not intending to write one for yourself, Okita-san?" I ask as I stop Okita-san's hand that is now reaching out for Commander Kondo's Tanzaku card and instead, handing him a light blue Tanzaku card for himself.

He takes that card in his hand and stare at it for about 3 seconds before glancing towards me.

"...what about you?"

Meaning have I already written one for myself?

To the blunt question asked, I play a small smile and turn my face away.

"...that is a secret."

When I turn back with a broad smile, he stares at me dubiously.

But really... this is an answer I just can't tell.

"Whaat? That makes me more curious!" Okita-san says slightly pouting, annoyed.
He leans in towards me and bores his eyes into mine.
The wet hair that fall right before his huge eyes is just so hot that my cheeks flush involuntarily.

Jeez. I really wish he understands how enticing he can be...

I naturally turn my eyes away because just with his stare, my heart is about to flip out of my ribcage.
The summer wind is usually warm, but today is rather a cool breeze.

Okita-san's hair is wet and if he stays out too long, he's probably going to catch a cold, isn't he...

"Quickly write up your wish and let's head back inside or else you'll catch a cold," I call out as I power-walk into the headquarters first.

"Yea..." Okita-san mumbles as he never takes his eyes off his Tanzaku card like he's engaging himself in a staring competition with it.

Can't count on Okita-san writing anything but sadistic thoughts...I think with a chuckle as I glance back at his back.

Today is 8th July.
The gleaming hot sun smiles at us.

"Good morning."
The person I see first this morning, is Hijikata-san.

"...mornin'," the slightly still dozy Hijikata-san greets back.
I assume that he is off work today as I observe him in his black nagashi, who stops his feet before the garden that has the bamboo tree planted.

"Oh, right. Yesterday was Tanabata, wasn't it..."

"Hadn't you written anything on the Tanzaku card?" I had asked and got a response of, "do I seem like a person would actually write something down?"

To be truthful, I cannot imagine Hijikata-san write a wish upon a card. It was so out of his character.

"Well that's true," I say with a chuckle, to which Hijikata-san joins before heading towards the hall.
The Tanzaku cards dance along with the wind, which had been since last night.

Oh yea... I wonder what Okita-san had written.

Last night, after Okita-san had written his wish, he hadn't told me what he had written down.

"It's a secret"

I don't know if he had imitated me or not, but he had tied his Tanzaku card way up high upon the Tanabata tree.

I'm reeeeally curious.

Right now I'm supposed to be hanging the washing... but...

...just a peek!

I step out into the garden and go on my tippy toes, trying to reach out and find Okita-san's Tanzaku card.

"Ummmm...oh, there!"
Just looking at his writing...
Just looking at his name...
Just that... and my heart skips a beat.

I stay rooted to the ground as I can't take my eyes off the light blue Tanzaku card that dances along with the wind.

"I wish my love becomes mutual with the one I love"

It is a wish that doesn't suit him at all.

It's almost exactly the same as mine...

I feel my heart constrict just a little bit.

"What are you doing, slacking off the washing?"
Letting out a small gasp, I turn around towards the source of voice.
An unusual sight of Okita-san, awake and wearing his uniform at this hour.

Jeez, it's the 8th and he hasn't even taken a day off work.

"Okita-san," I smile softly and say his name, to which I gain a facial expression that makes my heart constrict in excitement.
I avert my gaze from not being able to endure such a cute expression.

"...did you read it?" Okita-san asks looking a bit grim as he scratches his head.
I give him a bright smile.
As if he read my thoughts from that, he folds his arms and walks up to me and stands beside me.

"Your wish, I hope it comes true."
Naturally, my eyes turn into a downcast.
I see Okita-san glancing towards me, who had quietly said those words, within my vision.

"...well, that's up to you."

I raise my head towards those quietly said words.
As I stare at him blankly, blinking my eyes, I see his side on face slightly flushing.

"Ah...um, O-Okita-san?"

"...what?"

"...H-happy Birthday."

Without much thought put into it, I bluntly blurt out those words.

What kind of timing was that!
I am SUCH an IDIOT!

Look, see? Okita-san doesn't know what kind of face expression to put!

"Well, thanks. ...Ever heard of the word 'timing'?"

"Um, yes...well, yes of course, um..."
Sliding his gaze to the side, Okita-san scratches his cheek with an index finger and then sighs deeply.

And well... me?
Words that come out from my mouth, makes no sense and from the frantic panic I have, my eyes start to water.

It... depends on me... which means that, um, uh...

"To put it simply, what do you actually mean?"
I am not really a smart person so if he doesn't tell me properly, I can't fully understand.
Forcing a wry smile, I look into his face with an unbelievably unstable emotional heart and mind.

To that, he takes one glance towards me before saying the words.

"...It means I love you."

It wasn't his usual lazy voice, but words that had been said really fast.
But I hadn't missed a word he said.
It was because I had been able to hear the words that I had been longing to hear for so long, right now.
The two wishes that had been written on Tanabata had just become reality right now.

Was Princess Ori and Hikoboshi able to see each other?
I will believe in him who believes in the word 'destiny', forever

"Really. Okita-san. Happy Birthday."

"...yea."

My cheeks flush red when he gives me a genuinely warm smile that I now know, that it is only meant for me.

I hope it was an okay story.ヾ(＠^▽^＠)ﾉ
Happy Birthday Sougo!
I will always love you! Lol.

Thank you very much for reading