Love For A Samurai [Gintama: Gintoki x Reader]

The Red Light District

Unaware of your ties to Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura walked with the two of you, entering the land of eternal night: The Red Light District. It was shady enough as it was— in the figurative sense; the icing on the cake was the roof that loomed above it, enclosing it from any hint of sky. No sun in the day, no stars in the night, just a dark, dreary metal covering.

Being a bit nervous to be back in such a place, you disguised yourself as a man with the help of some of Shinpachi's clothes— since he was about your size— glasses with the lenses popped out included. You were still a bit shaken to be in the land of your living nightmares once again after all those years. Your heart beat fast, but you continued taking deep breaths to calm yourself, along with repeating your main objective over and over in your head:

I'm doing this for my son. Taro has to be around here somewhere, I just know it!

"Oi," Gin cut in, glancing around "this place is pretty big, do you have an idea of where we should look first?"

You barley heard the Samurai's question, you were too busy getting distracted and overwhelmed by the bustling in the streets around you. Courtezans were sprinkled around, all luring in customers to their brothels with their alluring, yukata clad bodies. Their faces might have seemed happy and full of lust and mystery, but you knew that the mystery was actually tragedy, the smiles in their spirits were turned upside down, all the while the lust was just to appease the employers.

"L/N-chan," Kagura tugged on your sleeve to gain your attention.

"What?" you turned from the sudden touch "Oh, yeah, I-I think I know just where to look first".

A bit reluctant at first, you escorted your three helpers through the bustling roads, which gradually got more and more clear the farther you strayed from the center of the district. Soon, virtually no one was around, and you were just a few blocks from the edge of the city.

You stood and displayed the location "This is it, this was where I worked".

"This is a whore house?" Kagura questioned "But it's all boarded up!"

Indeed it was, and it was falling apart. Not to mention it looked more like an eroded bath house than a building that courtezans resided in.

You too noticed the obvious signs, and you began to panic "No, no, this can't be," with a plop, you fell to your knees, staring at the building before you "T-this was the last place he could be. My Taro, where could he-?"

Gin wanted to say something to hopefully make you more hopeful, but he found himself at a loss for words. Seeing you helplessly fall to the ground, worrying over a son that he didn't know he had until today: he didn't know what to say, for he didn't know what to feel.

"Hold on a second," Shinpachi had noticed that the front door had a piece of parchment nailed to it. He quickly jogged over, and tore it right off.

It read: Laughing Ladies has been relocated.

"'Laughing Ladies'?" Kagura cracked a smile, not being able to hold in a small chuckle.

"Yes, that was the name of the place!" you feel your face getting red hot— it was an embarrassing name, after all, but you quickly move on to the next subject "Is there a new address written on there too?"