What makes history (Hijikata x OC)

Hijikata - Just a Man

All eyes turned to Kitsu, my own stormy pair included. Harada was the first to speak, but I drowned his voice with a mighty bellow.

"Are you out of your mind !"

She started, wide eyes fixed upon me. Silence settled in the room like a brewing storm as I tried to reign in my reaction, namely, quell the urge to knock her unconscious. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a long, nice inhale to ground myself.

"You're exhausted," I tried to reason. "Even more so than us."

What did she think she could accomplish ? The angry red line upon her face taunted me, pointing out how powerless I was. Disfigured, on my watch, because of my orders ! Why didn't she understand ? My chest constricted painfully, the ache from earlier resurfacing as thoughts wandered to the past few hours.

"But my blade is the only one that can take those cannons easily. If the corps can sneak me up there, I can reduce it to pieces in less than a minute."

Anger and disbelief mingled in my mind, and for the first time in ages, I found myself unable to respond. Fortunately, Saitō cut in before the argument could escalate.

"You'll never get up there with the strength you have left."

My heart lurched at the expression on Kitsu's face; a slap would have been less efficient than Saitō's brutal statement of the truth. She could not ignore that despite his incredible skills, our third captain had just failed at taking that blasted hill; he wasn't a Rasetsu. And neither was she, thank Amaterasu for small victories ! When her eyes turned to Kondō-san, my fists clenched. If he relented to her catlike plea... I sighed in relief when he shook his head at the silent demand.

Miffed, she turned to her closest ally. Sanan-san cocked his head aside and stood, dusting imaginary crumbs from his hakamas.

"You should have taken a nap if you wanted to go out tonight; Kitsu-chan."

I frowned.

Kitsu-chan ! Such familiarity, what is he playing at ?

The young woman gaped in disbelief as I watched a hint of dark humour sparkle in Sanan's grey eyes, seconded by a shade of sadistic satisfaction. Damn him, his former self would have appeased the situation without the need to be hurtful.

But my friend had changed. And despite the support he was providing by keeping Kitsu in line, I couldn't help but reprove his need to cut her down. Her jaw clenched and she steeled her spine, shedding the hurt like an aikidoka dodged an attack.

"That was plain cruel, Sanan-san."

I heard someone gasp in the room; no one called out Sanan on his shit. But after taking a hit from both Saitō and he, she still found the courage to do so. The Colonel bore holes into her, a smirk bloomed at the corner of his lips, sending shivers down my spine.

"Didn't you know ? I am a cruel man. Blame the Ochimizu, but it granted me more brute strength than you will ever have."

Exasperated, I was about to intervene but Sanan pinned me with a warning look.

"Bind her if need be."

Such words, delivered with unsettling smoothness ! I had inklings that, perhaps, Sanan-san felt some measure of jealousy for Kitsu's choice, when their minds connected so well. Yet, this crossed the line.

"Enough," I growled, unwilling to make a spectacle in front of the others. Too late. Kitsu stumbled upright and stormed out of the room with a huff. Dreading her recklessness, I scrambled to my feet to prevent her from jumping in the fray; my muscles screamed at the sudden move, and I ignored them.