Blossoms

Chapter Ten

"Somethings up with Hijikata," Saito mused over the pot of boiling vegetables as Okita sat on the stool suppose to be peeling the carrots but instead was balancing them upon the knife. "I suppose, but wouldn't you be slightly out of it if your wife and child were taking somewhere that you didn't even know by a man that had threatened to kidnap her years ago?" Okita replies, unamused by the current topic of conversation. "I wonder how Chizuru and our little fighter is," sighs Harada, overhearing the pairs conversation. "Poor Chizuru, all this isn't good for her, it could make her really ill you know," Harada adds, his usual smile hidden under a melancholic expression. "I miss them, the whole headquarters being boringly quiet since they've been away," exasperate Shinpachi joining in on the conversation. "It's been 3 weeks," adds Saito, carefully watching the pot. "And? Do you all not remember the time Chizuru left with Hijikata before they got married and we cried?" Added a teary eyed Shinpachi as he threw an arm over Harada. "Rephrase that. We all didn't cry. It was only you, Harada, Heisuke, Kondo, Okita and Yamazaki cried. I did not cry," replied Saito, his expressionless face focused on the boiling veg. "Okay, for a start, I didn't cry," spoke a now interested Okita,"you really cried, you left and sobbed your little heart out, Saito." "I'll end you," growled Saito as he held a carrot to Okitas neck, laughter filling the kitchen. "Well I can admit that I cried," chimed Heiskue as he arrived into the room, taking the carrots from Okita. "I could not even look at the blossoms because I always thought I'd see Chizuru there then when I didn't, I'd ball my eyes out," Harada sang in a dramatised voice, acting as though he was being hurt by those memories of when Chizuru left with Hijikata. The couple had been waiting a month or two for the house to be made ready and when they received news it was, Chizuru squealed all over the headquarters as she hugged her fiancé, racing off to their small squashed room piling everything into their bags. Chizurus squeals of happiness were so loud that the Shinsengumi men thought Hijikata was killing her only to find Hijikata resting against a door frame laughing at Chizurus frustration of being unable to fit her last pair of countless shoes in her bag. Chizurus language grew foul as she couldn't get her belongings into the bag, firing her hatred to her laughing fiancé, flinging a shoe his way as he watched her struggling.
The group  smiled, even Saito as they reminisced on Chizuru and her antics.
"Hey," added Heiskue, "Remember when Chizuru cried at Hijikata when he got her a new sword?" "Oh yeah, most women cry over flowers or romantic gestures but she cries at a new blade in her hip," laughs Okita. The couple were just about to be married and, as an early wedding present, Hijikata got a swift blade especially crafted by a skilled swordsman using the finest titanium and steel blend to make for the swiftest cuts when sliced through the air, making that iconic sword sound effect. He presented it to her in gold box detailed with jewels tied with a large red ribbon, Senhimes doing ofcourse. At first, Chizuru didn't quite know what it was or what it could be but, when she pulled the ends of the red ribbon and saw the swords case, she lowered her head, confusing Hijikata when he saw tear droplets growing on the ground, he thought she would have liked it. He soon got his answer when she lifted her head, eyes gushing with tears as she Looked at him. Hijikata was not the only confused man but so were the others who wanted to be there to see her reaction. They were soon surprised when she threw herself to her fiancé sobbing that it was the best gift she ever had, besides Lalia who wasn't even in existence yet. She cried even more when she unsheathed the sword, admiring its 'sparkle' when the light hit it, women. Ever since then, she's called her sword Sparkle and even Lalia refers to her mothers gem as Sparky.
"Oh," Yamazaki starts as he enters the somewhat overcrowded kitchen,"How could you all forget the time we found out the pair were dating?" Hijikata being the demon vice commander thought it only right that their relationship was kept secret from the nosey men so they would meet up in the town, Chizuru dressed as a female whilst Hijikata remained the same. At the time, the men had never really seen Chizuru as girly and as dolled up as she was when she was dating Hijikata resulting in them not realising it was her when they stalked Hijikata to a small restaurant where he joined a table with a ridiculously attractive brunette woman that looked like an absolute princess. She wore a grey dress with white lace paired with grey heels, her hair fastened in a curly up do as her makeup was flawless. The Shinsengumi men gawked for a moment until they realised that she was the reason Hijikata was being friendlier to them. The men decided that when Hijikata parts with her, they would go talk to her and thank her for doing whatever she does that makes him a happy men. The mystery gang waited for an hour or so when Hijikata kissed the woman, hugging her then parting with a content expression, returning to the Headquarters. The woman remained sat at the top, adjusting her hair slightly when she noticed the group of men that she recognised all too well, getting up of her feet and walking quickly, grabbing the scarf around her neck and disgusting her face with it. Shinpachi and Harada called after the woman saying they meant no harm but Chizuru          Quickened her step for fear their cover would be blown. It was Yanazakis ninja likeness that stopped her in her tracks as he stood infront on her,him slightly shorter as she wore her high heels. He recognised her in 0.1 seconds but decide to say nothing as he thought the idea of them being a couple was ridiculously cute and didn't need meddling Shinsengumi men. He let Chizuru go and told the men he told her that they thanked her so they wouldn't pursue her. Their curiosity in her, however, made them continue following them, finally catching on that the mystery Woman was Chizuru as they seem Chizuru leave wearing the same exact heels as the woman, not to mention that Hijikata gave the woman a hair accessory that  Chizuru mysteriously had when she returned from 'Senhimes'. They were over thrilled with the couple but messed with them, saying that Hijikata had a tramp in the town that always earned glares from chizuru or that Hijikata will never find an attractive girl resulting in being dug in the head by a pissed Hijikata and Chizuru.