Kids Will Be Kids by kingfishers_game

Chapter 7: If You're Going to Look at Someone's Innermost Thoughts and Secrets,

Be Prepared to Find out They're Talking Shit About You

When Kamui came to the prisoners' room to take Kagura to train early the next morning, he expected her to be sleeping when he entered. He did not expect her to be sleeping snuggled up to the Shinsengumi captain.

Sougo'd heard the door open, but he didn't bother look up from the book he was reading. At some point Kagura had pushed up to his side like a puppy seeking warmth, and his arm was numb from enduring the kid's weight all night (not to mention her forceful—borderline violent—tossing and turning), but he had been reluctant to wake her. Anyway, he'd found some pretty interesting reading material.

You really fucked this up, space criminal, Sougo thought. She's scared of you now.

Kamui's smile exposed a narrow strip of white teeth. "Kagura's still sleeping?"

"She was pretty tired when she came back last night." Sougo's voice was even. Unaffected. "She calls me a sadist, but you're even worse than I am, aren't you? Most people would hold back for a kid, but I guess that's the difference between earth policemen and space criminals."

"She'll be fine by now. We heal quickly," Kamui replied.

Sure enough, the small injuries that had marked Kagura's skin last night were gone. Yato healing abilities were no joke.

Sougo wouldn't say no to some of those right now. His arm was still fractured from his fight with Kamui back before they'd gotten on this goddamn pirate ship. It would take another few days to heal enough to fight with.

Kamui reached forward to shake Kagura awake but Sougo caught his wrist before he could touch her, ignoring the stab of pain from bending his injured arm. Kamui's eyes flicked up to meet his.

Sougo's voice was low and serious. "I don't know if you actually want to help her or not, but either way I'm the difficult type. It's my nature to cause trouble for guys like you. Whatever you're trying to do with her, I plan on getting in your way."

Kamui extricated his wrist from Sougo's grip none-too-gently. "Like I said, for now I'm just giving her a ride to Oukoku."

"Since when did the 7th division become a chauffeur service? I have a hard time believing you're going to just drop us off on Oukoku and fly away."

Kamui's smile widened. Abuto would tell him to stop talking, to keep his plans quiet. Why, though? What could they do, an injured Earthling and a young child? What threat could they possibly pose?

"Kagura is better off as she is now," he said.

What? Sougo thought.

"I have no use for the person she's become in the past ten years," Kamui continued. "When we get to Oukoku, I'll make sure she can never go back to the person she was before. I'll make her into a real Yato. If she starts over from here, as a child, she might actually be worth fighting in a decade or so. Oh, and you...I guess I'll hand you over to Shinsuke when we meet up."

Kamui picked up Kagura and flicked her forehead. She woke with a growl of protest but went silent as soon as when she saw the wolfish grin on her brother's face. "Let's go train, Kagura."

"Wait." Sougo got to his feet to block Kamui's path.

A shadow fell over Kamui's face. He put Kagura down and told her to go back to the training gym and listen to Abuto's instructions. She scampered off, relieved to be away from the suffocating atmosphere—though not before sparing a concerned look for the two of them.