Of Sleep, Shampoo and Warmth

Chapter 1

He didn't know how but all of a sudden China was a common occurrence to him every day like his Shinsengumi uniforms and his red eye mask. They have been dating each other for a good 8 months now but he didn't expect to be one of those couples who see each other every day. But apparently Edo wasn't big enough for the two of them. And probably because Kagura every now and then made herself at home in his sleeping quarters.

The first time she came, he almost killed her for real, mistaking his girlfriend for an infiltrator. To be fair, the captain was asleep just like most Shinsengumi members were at that time of the hour when he heard his shōji slid open discreetly. His killer instincts kicked in and he didn't think twice to unsheathe his sword and jam it towards the unknown figure before his eye adjusted to see the familiar girl. Well, Kagura was Kagura and she dodged his attack as easy as breathing.

"China, what the- I could've killed you." He hissed at her, trying to keep his volume as minimum as possible.

"Please, I've heard you said that since I was 14." She slid the shōji close and proceeded to make her way into his futon.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping."

"No you're not. Go back home China."

"..."

This shitty brat ignored me.

"China, you're not supposed to even be here."

"Shut up and just go to sleep."

"You're using my futon."

"Then get in here." He stared at her for a good 5 seconds before his mind started thinking that he had a long day tomorrow and he really needed to be asleep at the moment. So, he joined her. Kagura snuggled towards his chest and he nuzzled his nose on top of her head, sniffing the sweet scent of her shampoo. His eyes got heavier and his mind was ready to doze back to sleep but something didn't feel right. And he knew it wasn't him. It was her.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

Kagura didn't say anything at first and Okita almost thought that he was wrong about her not being asleep.

"I miss Mami."

Ah, that's why. He thought to himself. He knew the feeling all too well. Every now and then he won't be able to fall asleep with images of his dearest sister uninvitingly appeared in his mind. On worse days, he couldn't even bare to look at his Vice Chief's face and went patrol around Edo just to get his mind off things.

Okita tightened his hold on her slightly.

"What was she like?" He was genuinely curious. Kagura barely spoke of her, maybe it still hurts. He wouldn't know. But he won't blame her, because he himself spoke so little of Mitsuba to the Yato girl.

"She's really pretty. Lean and tall. Her voice is soothing. Calm like the waves. Her eyes are beautiful. They're not blue like mine, they're more like turquoise.

"She's scary when she gets mad but she's always loving. She knew when Kamui got himself into trouble and would always tend to his wounds. She-"

Kagura stopped and Okita began to rub her hair. For the life of him, he was exhausted and in desperate need of sleep, but the least he could do for her right now was listen. Took Kagura a while to compose herself before speaking again. She finally exhausted herself to sleep and Okita listened until her breathings evened out before falling asleep himself. That was probably 4 months ago.

He was working on some backlogged paperwork and decided to do it in his own room. Sitting on the floor with a low desk laid out in front of him, he did his work. Ears plugged with headphones to help time fly by. By the time he was finished, it was 2 in the morning and he decided to put extra laxative in Hijikata's mayonnaise tomorrow morning for making him do extra work that night. Figured he could put the files back in tomorrow, he turned around to make his futon, only to see it already being made and a familiar vermilion head poking from the kakebuton, sound asleep.

When did she-?

Okita Sougo was undoubtedly a talented samurai and his senses are always sensitive to everything surrounding him. He would've known someone had entered his room even if he were asleep. So how did she get in without him noticing? A question he asked himself over and over again as he changed out of his uniform before joining his girlfriend in his futon.

He sniffed her hair again and a gush of emotions flooded his mind. His muscles relaxed and almost like magic his eyes closed by itself, feeling content being wrapped by her warmth. And in that exact moment he knew, it wasn't her. It was him.

He didn't realize when Kagura got in not because she was getting better at sneaking into a place. Rather, he stopped detecting her presence as a threat that when she got in, he didn't need to react. Her presence was welcomed, even though he won't admit that but his body reacted that way. And that was 2 months ago.

Okita was sleeping soundly in his room again, when he jolted slightly after he felt something pushed his side. Her familiar shampoo scent calmed him down as he continued to snuggle against her while absorbing the warmth she emitted.

Warmth of a soul that he hasn't felt for a very long while but a feeling he didn't knew he missed so badly.