Nightime
"Mmm! Nee-san, your curry is the best! Gin-chan definitely needs to learn from you!" Kagura said as she finished the food that was on her plate. "Huh? What are you talking about? I'm the one who taught her to make curry" Gintoki said as he gobbled up the ones in his. "I don't quite remember you teaching me anything. You men always left most of the work to me back in the days. Difficult times" i sighed feigning tiredness to which Gintoki choked on his food. "Anyways, Shin-chan you have barely touched the food. Do you not like it..?" i asked nervously. He sniffled before looking at me. "Nee-san, i can't remember the last time i had proper food. This is so good" he said and then continued eating. "Glad you like it" i ruffled his hair before taking some curry onto my plate. Damn, there's lot of mosquitoes in here.. i think i brought the repellent i thought before standing up and going inside the tent.
"Where did i keep it?" i mumbled as i went through my bags. Since i didn't found in mine, i searched inside the Yorozuya's ones. I heard a bit of commotion on the outside but i ignored it. "There bags are full of snacks. Nothing important.. How would they have hunted beetles if i didn't bring the necessary items?!" i whispered a bit frustratedly. I again went back to my bag and took things out of it. "Finally" i sighed in relief as i found the lotion and then rubbed it on my limbs. I kept back everything as it was before and stepped out of the tent. "What the hell happened here?" i said out loud causing the 3 who were fighting to stop. They turned towards me and flinched under my stare before breaking up. "Shinpachi did it", "Mosquitoes", "I'm sorry", "Don't lie!" all these were thrown at me as a reply. I'm soo done with them. I didn't even have a single spoon. They haven't seen an adult Yato when they're hungry, have they? my stomach growled in response. "Whatever, I'm going to bed"
I took out the sleeping bag from my bag and laid it on the floor. After applying some more mosquitoes repellent lotion, i got inside the bag and zipped it up. After a few minutes, i heard the tent move hinting the Yorozuya have come inside. They made a bit of noise as they prepared to sleep until at one point it was dead quite. I guess i should sleep as well to calm myself. I don't need to worry about their hunger atm i thought before drifting off to sleep. I was woken from my sleep by loud noises that came from outside. I stirred a bit in the bag and then looked around for Yorozuya. They aren't here.. i sighed in defeat before getting up. What are they doing? i thought as i pulled the tent curtain slightly. Wait.. why are the Shinsengumi here?
"You know, it's terrible to have a BBQ in a place like this" Kagura started talking and then she put two fingers in her mouth. Is she doing what I'm thinking.. ? "Oih, what do you think you're doing? Stop doing t-" Hijikata's words were interrupted by Kagura intentionally puking on top of the BBQ stand. All of it is covered in her puke.. poor Shinsengumi people i thought as i watched them run away from the place. Only Hijikata and Sougo stayed behind. Sougo stared at Kagura as if they were in a battle while Hijikata looked around. Once his eyes fell on me they were averted instantly. And at the same time my stomach grumbled. This seemed to have attracted both Gintoki's and Hijikata's attention as both of their heads whipped in my direction.
"You didn't eat anything?" suddenly a worried Hijikata was right beside me. "No.. i couldn't" i answered and my stomach grumbled more. FUCK STOP. "Here have this!" a puke filled BBQ stick was held in front of my face by none other than Gintoki. snap. "YOU HAVE IT BOKE!" i shoved the food inside his mouth to which he gagged and coughed it all out. "Come with me" Hijikata said in a low voice as he pulled on my hand slightly. "No, it's alright. Your food was also wasted. You guys have it" i smiled at him. "There's more than enough for us. Come" i didn't get a chance to speak as I was pulled by the wrist. "Hijikata-kun, you really don't-" "Toshirou. Or Toshi" he said without looking at me. "Heh?" i replied in confusion. "Don't call me by my last name anymore" even if there was no bright light, the moonlight made it pretty clear to me that his ears were slightly red. "Oi Sougo, let's go" and just like that both Sougo and I were pulled by him.
"Let me make the curry. This is the least i could do" i said to Kondo-san who gladly accepted my help. "Yah, i can't believe I'd get to have your delicious curry again Hanae-san. I was really planning on going to the restaurant tomorrow" Yamazaki said washing his hands. "Oh yes, i don't see you often anymore. There was this time when you came almost daily. And i felt so happy everytime you said 'surprise me'" i chuckled slightly while cutting the vegetables. "Yeah, those were the good times in my life.. until a certain person became assigned to a higher position" he said cutting the vegetables along with me while glaring at Hijikata's back. "Hmm? Did you say something?" he turned around to face us two causing Yamazaki to freak out. "Get out of the way and help the boys with the table" Yamazaki was jerked away from me and his position was taken by Hijikata. "You know i could do it by myself. You-" "I don't have to i know. But i want to so shut up and let me do it" he took the bowl from me and started slicing the veggies.
Food was soon done and all of them helped with the arrangement. I watched as the Shinsengumi members interacted with each other as if they were a one big family which made my eyes a bit watery. "Come join us Hanae-chan!" Kondo-san waved at me. "Y-Yes, coming" i thought I'd serve them and then eat at a corner but.. "This is also nice" i said to myself but it wasn't unheard by Hijikata. "What is?" he peeked at my face like a child, his eyebrows narrowed in worry as his eyes searched for something in mine while he sat beside me. "No, nothing" i smudged the crease between his eyebrows with my thumb "Also, where's Sougo?"
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To be continued.
