Love is both a Plus and Minus

One Shot

[This story references episodes 228-229]

"Gintoki?"

At the sound of (Y/N)'s voice, Gintoki slowly peeled his eyes from the Jump book he was reading and looked up.

That day, she had randomly decided to clean out the drawer by his desk when she found a small handheld gaming console, buried beneath piles of random papers and other miscellaneous items. She held it up to show him. "What's this? I didn't know you played video games."

He gazed at the device, not registering where it had come from or why he had it. Without bothering trying to remember, however, he turned his attention back towards the book in his hands. "Eh, I dunno. Maybe it's Shinpachi's," he answered half-heartedly with a yawn.

"Hmm...I wonder if it still has battery," (Y/N) wondered, pressing the power button. To her surprise, the device lit up and pink hearts began to fill the small screen. She read the words that appeared.

Love...Choris?

A dating sim? Maybe this did belong to Shinpachi? Or maybe...she glanced at the figure sprawled out on the couch. She snickered silently to herself, trying to imagine Gintoki giving his all trying to woo the heart of a 2D love interest. Using the attached stylus, she pressed the Enter button on the screen. 

Suddenly, a young woman appeared. She was wearing a stereotypical restaurant worker outfit, with long brown hair, side-parted bangs, light grayish brown eyes, and...was that the body of a boy strapped onto her back? (Y/N) stared at her. This woman...didn't she kind of look like her? Well, maybe not exactly, but there were definitely some distinct similarities...Before (Y/N) could process anything else, the 2D person frowned and began to rebuke her.

"How could you just leave me at the hotel like that!? You said I was yours—"

Huh? Hotel?

"—I mean, it's not like that made me happy or anything, and it's not like I really wanted to go with you, but—"

...A tsundere?

"That's like, not helping, okay?" The apparently not-so-dead boy on the woman's back randomly chimed in.

Right after the woman began to rant, something went off in Gintoki's head and he shot straight up from the couch. "Holy shit!" he yelled, suddenly remembering why he had that gaming device. He scrambled over to where (Y/N) was standing with her mouth open, snatched the console from her hand, and turned it off as fast as he could.

"...What the hell was that?"

"Uhh...well, it's a long story...haha..." Gintoki began with an awkward laugh. "You see, Shinpachi was playing this game, but then totally started to think that his pretend girlfriend was a real person, and so—"

"So... just like you?" (Y/N) interrupted, smirking at him. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"WHAT!? No—I mean, yes! But I had no choice—" Gintoki stumbled over his words as she began to giggle. "I SAID IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! THE GORILLA SAID THAT TO SAVE SHINPACHI I HAD TO ENTER THIS TOURNAMENT AND MAKE P*KO MY IDEAL WOMAN AND—"

(Y/N) doubled over with laugher.

Gintoki stopped mid-ramble and glared at her.

"Oh man, I wish I had been introduced earlier in the series," she said, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes. "Ideal woman, huh?" She looked at Gintoki, who went slightly red in the face.

"What are you—"

"Doesn't she kinda look like me?"

Gintoki gaped at her, struggling to find a retort. Finally, he let out an irritated huff, shouldering past her to throw the device back into the drawer it came from. "Don't get too cocky now, ugly," he scoffed as he ventured back to the couch to pick back up whatever he was reading.

"Gin~"

"Shut up, ugly."

(Y/N) walked over to where he was and plopped down to lie next to him, wrapping her arms around his torso. Gintoki didn't move, ignoring her attempt to cuddle. "You're still gonna keep P*ko around even though I'm here now?"

"Hell no. I'm gonna sell that console ASAP for some good money. We could use more of that around here."

"So you can go play pachinko and buy more parfaits?"

He hummed. "You know Gintoki-kun so well, don't you, now?" He shifted slightly so he could wrap one of his arms around (Y/N)'s shoulder while she moved to rest her head on his chest.

"Say," she asked, "did you want me be more of a tsundere? I don't know how that character trope really works in real life, but maybe I could ask P*ko for some tips—"

"Say one more thing about that hellish game and I'm throwing you out."

(Y/N) sniggered, wrapping her arms more tightly around Gintoki and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck, satisfied that she got a tease out of him.