Hakuouki. OkitaXChizuru

A/N: New story. New love. :) Bare with me and my ideas...Enjoy!


Fateful

Chapter 1: Prologue: Beginnings.


"I am telling you all that I'm fine." With conviction, Okita straightened his posture, flashed his trademark smile and puffed his chest. "There's no need to worry about me! If you have to worry, worry about that chump Hijikata over there." He pointed over to the dark haired man stretching on the ground a few feet away from them. Hijikata snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes into a glare.

"Hey." He grumbled, making Okita laugh. Hijikata stood up, slowly rotating his shoulder as he smirked slightly. "I'm not the one hacking up a lung every god damn time I take a breath." Okita stopped immediately, and grimaced, still shooting him a glare of his own.

"You're exaggerating, dude." He turned to look at Kondou, "I'm fine. Really." He thumped his chest emphatically. "Never been better, actually."

Once again, he heard Hijikata grumble off to his left and Okita rolled his eyes. Before Kondou could say anything, Okita quickly lifted his kendo stick and raised it towards his friend. With a thin smile he challenged, "Come on, Hijikata. Put your shinai where your mouth is."

Hijikata raised his eyebrows in silence and suddenly the practice room went quiet, as it normally did when two members decided to duel. Carefully and calculated, Hijikata raised his own kendo stick to meet Okita's.

"You see?" he glanced over at Kondou, "You know he wouldn't be taking me on if he knew anything was seriously wrong…" He smirked and Kondou just shook his head, a smile of his own gracing his face.

"Come on now, you two, is that anyway to treat each other?" he sighed dramatically and caused many of the members to laugh. The two didn't back down, but rather continued to stare at each other—silently daring the other to back down first.

"I manage to get one tap in within three minutes then you sit out this practice and get your ass to the doctors." Hijikata stared at Okita seriously for a moment and Okita stared at him blankly.

He really didn't think anyone had noticed or paid him much attention to his sudden condition, but he figured that if anyone would, it would be his nosy friend Hijikata. He knew was like a damn mother hen, always worrying over everyone—in not so many words.

Okita rolled his eyes and smiled broadly, "Hold you off for three minutes?" he scoffed and slid into his stance. "You must be really confident today, douche."

Hijikata smirked back, but his eyes didn't lose the tension and worry in them and suddenly Okita knew how this duel would end no matter how hard he fought back. And what was worse, he could feel the beginnings of a deep and throaty cough at the base of his throat.

Fuck.


Chizuru Yukimura held her diploma tightly in her hands and pushed back the urge to cry. She had worked so hard and endlessly for the moment when she'd walk across the stage and receive her beautifully embroidered paper saying she graduated. And sure, it was only for high school, but still.

It was a step forward.

The joy she felt couldn't be tied down, nor could it be contained. The moment she stepped off the stage, she ran to her waiting father and hugged him tightly. The tears she was holding back broke through and she laughed.

"I did it, father! I did it!" she cried over and over. Her father chuckled and patted her back with pride.

"Yes, you did my dearest daughter. But, let's not forget this is only the beginning." He pulled away and extended his arm towards the parking lot. "Now let's go, we have much to attend to."

Chizuru hesitated, glancing behind her at the many students that were gathering together for photos and congratulating each other. Even though she didn't have time for friends during high school and didn't know anyone in her graduating class despite their names, she still wanted to be part of the scene. Where it didn't matter if you talked or partied together, the giddiness of graduation had everyone saying good things to all.

"Where's Kaoru?" she asked, slowly following her father. She knew better than to ask for a bit more time since they had important dinners with even more important scholars. Scholars that would have a very powerful hand in her future and make sure she succeeded.

Her father didn't stop walking but instead, kept walking to their car. "He had his own important meeting to attend to. It's not like with you, darling. Kaoru is studying pre-law. That's a whole different spectrum and field than us." He paused long enough to thank their driver for opening their door and slid into the back. Chizuru did the same and scooted, taking her cap off and patting her hair down.

Chizuru frowned, she hadn't said but two words to her twin before they were whisked away, thrown on stage, given diplomas and sent on their merry ways. But Chizuru understood. That's what was to be expected and how things were going to be.

"Don't worry about him, Chizuru. He'll be fine." He patted her shoulder, "Just like you'll be. And don't be nervous, either. You'll make the Yukimura name proud."

Chizuru gave him a polite small smile and tilted her head back to look out the window at the rolling scenery. She was already feeling the sudden weight that next few years would bring.

Oh, my goodness.


a/n: Just a little start. Next chapter up soon.

I just love Okita. :) Thanks! R & R!