SUGAR CONTENT; gintama oneshots

the seamstress - shinsuke takasugi

fantasy au!

(Y/N)'s tailor shop wasn't well-known, but it wasn't completely off the maps either. She had a steady flow of regular customers and made a living off fixing tears in clothes, making dresses for the less wealthy women in the town, and sewing quilts for the winter. Her days were spend alone, but not too lonely, as she spoke to her regulars and often listened to them tell her about the little town's current news.

Today, Tama, a waitress for one of the bars nearby, stopped in to pick up an apron she had dropped off the day before. As she counted out the coins she needed to pay with, she informed the seamstress of what was happening outside her shop.

"There has been talk that the wanted criminal from the capital is hiding out around here," Tama said, accepting the apron and holding it to her chest with both hands, "Would you like for me to stay the night here with you?"

"I'll be alright, Tama. Otose and Catherine probably need you more," (Y/N) reassured with a smile. Besides, she doubted any criminal would come wandering into her shop, and even if they did, the needles in the shop did not need to be used solely for sewing. 

Tama accepted her words, thanking her once more, before taking her leave. The door to the shop shut behind her, leaving the seamstress in silence once more. To ward off the overbearingness that a quiet shop could bring, (Y/N) hummed a gentle tune while she sewed together a tear in a young gentleman's pants. It was a tune she couldn't place, but had been stuck in her head for weeks now.

Between her humming and her work, she didn't even notice when another customer entered into her shop, the ringing of the bell over the door not even comprehending in her focused state. They made it all the way up to her desk in the back of the store and cleared their throat before she finally broke out of her focused trance, causing her to panic at the sudden noise and poke her finger with the needle. 

"I need you to fix something for me," the man said, instead of offering her assistance or asking if she was okay, like a normal person would.

(Y/N) looked up at the customer, holding her bleeding finger in her mouth, taking in the bandages wrapped around his left eye and the dark purple hair framing his scowling face. Her eyes drifted to his clothes, like they always did, appreciating the way his tunic had golden colored butterflies pattered along the sleeves. It would have been a very nice shirt, if not for the large tear at the bottom, showing partially bloodied bandages underneath. 

"Can you do it or not?" he asked, a hint of annoyance now in his tone.

Hurriedly grabbing a handkerchief and wrapping it around her wound, (Y/N) stood and accidently banged her knee against the top of her desk. Through her pain, she managed to say, "I can sew up your shirt. Which would you prefer, black or gold thread?"

She reached over and grabbed one of her display tunics, handing it to him for him to change into, not wanting him to have to stand around shirtless in her shop. 

As he accepted the spare clothing, he answered her. "Whichever is fine."

While he changed into the tunic, giving her the one she needed to fix, (Y/N) decided on black thread as not to upset the already present color scheme. She took a seat behind her desk, slightly unsure as to why she was giving this man who hadn't been the nicest to her such priority, but eventually shrugged it off as her own kind nature. Then, to her surprise, he pulled up one of the stools in front of her desk and sat there, watching her work.

Figuring it wouldn't hurt to make conversation, she said, "My name's (Y/N). What's yours?"

His eyes narrowed at her for a brief moment as if trying to discern whether or not it was a trick question, before answering. "Shinsuke Takasugi. I won't be in town long, so don't even bother telling anyone."

That was an odd thing to say, she thought, but shrugged it off as a quirk of his.

"I wanted to compliment on your shirt's design," (Y/N) said as she sewed, carefully and precisely, "Do you remember who made it?"

Takasugi smirked, "It's made from fabric I stole from the King."

Any other person would have taken that statement as a criminal act, but poor (Y/N) simply thought he meant it in a friendly way. Like how friends would 'steal' clothes from each other endearingly. Perhaps her mind was too muddled with needles and threads to see the whole picture, but her lack of reaction had the obvious criminal sitting before her interested in her. 

He stared at her for a while, as if assessing if she truly wasn't a threat to his presence in this town, before testing her with his words one last time. "I was thinking of staying here for the night, would that be alright?"

"Oh, sure. I have a guest room upstairs, you're welcomed to use it." (Y/N) said, still unaffected and all to trusting.

"Whenever I return to this town, I'll return here as well." Takasugi continued.

She smiled as she worked. "I don't mind at all! You can rely on me to be your own personal seamstress."

When she looked up at him this time, an all too honest grin on her face, Takasugi was forced to look away hurriedly. A blush rose on his face, hidden by his loose hair and bandages, one he was thankful she didn't see. By this time, she was all done stitching up his shirt, holding it up for him to see her professionally done work.

Although he hadn't planned on paying for it, he placed two gold coins on the desk between them, much more than the service was worth, before taking his finished tunic from her.

"I'll return here another time," Takasugi said despite her protests that he had paid too much, allowing the door to shut gently behind him.

Yes, they would definitely run into each other again.