Chapter Text
Waking up with no meows and purrs was something Toshirou had to get used to.
Having the Vice Chief raiding his office was something that, regrettably, became a normal occurrence.
"Well you had your time with To-chan that's already my payment you kusare tenpa!"
"Alright, fair enough, but give me back my wallet??!! Why should I be the one paying? I did your request, brat! Hand back my wallet, oi!" Gintoki and Kagura were more or less thrashing the living room the Yorozuya used as his office, with the older chasing the younger.
"Payment for your time with To-chan! I let you have the time, you stinky sugar freak!"
"Is that how your parents taught you how to speak to your elder?! Give me back my wallet! I'm telling your dad you have such a foul mouth! Give me back my wallet!"
"As if you can call for my papi! Hah!"
"Your other dad, brat! Or mommy, whatever the Yorozuya is to you--Give it back, you little shit!"
It's not an exaggeration that Sakata was a big influence on why Kagura's vocabulary had a disturbing amount of bad words and how she became adept at insulting people.
Toshirou tried his best to discipline her, with moderate success, granted, she only sometimes talked to Toshirou like this, polite and sweet in her own special way, he surmised. Kids.
Toshirou discreetly yawned and fixed himself while in his yukata. He stood against his door and he counted from one to three, breathed in, out, and finally turned the doorknob, it's too damn early to be angry.
Want to see the Vice-commander do a sick move? Sure. Here he was chasing after an agile yato girl who jumped around the room like a fucking rabbit. She ran towards the walls and doors before turning on the last second, tried to get Gintoki crashing against any one of them. But you see, the Vice Chief was just as fast, skidding on the floor to turn as well.
However, add the element of something like seeing Toshirou opening the door just after Kagura turned the corner, the kid blocking the view of the door momentarily, Gintoki who was not expecting the freaking path to be opened that he ended up forgetting to do a U-turn himself; long story short, Gintoki ended up crashing unto Toshirou.
Toshirou, despite his grogginess, was immediately alert once the perm was headed straight for him, he instinctively pushed his arms out, but Sakata's momentum was too fast so they ended up crashing on the floor.
Toshirou opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Sakata's flushed face, and discreetly he smelled something sweet emanating from the uniform, Sakata was a common sight in his life, the problem being that he's too close for comfort. There was a light blush to Sakata’s cheeks, so light compared to those russet eyes, and It's not just the fact that the Vice Chief had features that Toshirou didn't see before, it’s more the fact that Toshirou was under him that had him petrified from embarrassment
His arms ended up underneath the Vice commander's chest from failing to push him away earlier. He felt fast lub-dubs thumping on his skin and he had no clue if it was his or of the Vice Chief's.
Gintoki didn't come to his senses right away, rather, he froze a good three seconds just staring at those gun-metal blue that was so so close. Up close like this, he could see the way it had a glint in it, despite Gintoki's shadow casting over it. Like gemstones, sapphire came to mind.
"Ah!" He backed away immediately, stumbling, and not hitting any solid surface to stop his momentum. As such, Gintoki fell back and hit his head.
Kagura laughed in the background.
Toshirou grunted, he sat up and held the back of his head. "You two REALLY are the death of me."
"Kagura." Toshirou looked at her, Kagura's smug grin aimed at Sakata dissolved in seconds and she shyly looked back at her earth guardian.
"It's alright now To-chan," Kagura grinned and fanned the wallet to herself. "Permhead already paid me."
Toshirou ignored the indignant whine behind him, he stood up and approached her then held his palm out.
"Kagura come on, give it back." Toshirou gestured with his palm, Kagura pouted and Toshirou saw her initiating her puppy eyes attack, but after being exposed to it for so long he gained tolerance to it.
"How about some sukonbu, instead?" Toshirou offered, he took the wallet from her palm and combed her frazzled hair from all that running. "I’ll let you add it to the Tamago Kake Gohan too, we'll make it for breakfast, would you like that?"
Kagura's pout turned into a happy grin and she hugged Toshirou close.
"You're too nice To-chan!"
Toshirou shrugged and he threw the wallet at the Vice Chief, who was currently sitting up looking at them.
"Well you're already in here too long, you're a guest now." Toshirou slightly pushed her away and pointed to the kitchen.
"Join us for breakfast."
Gintoki watched the two father-daughter duo, well, sort of, right?
It both warmed and colded his heart, for some reason. Warm because, sure, yes, that kind of sight was always nice to watch, seeing the clear familial bond there. Cold because he realized there was the beginning of a desire for something inside his chest. This, Gintoki immediately pushed away. Not now. He'll think about it later, one day, maybe never.
The wallet plopped lamely only his curly silver mop and fell onto his lap. Gintoki blinked at Toshirou's invitation.
"You really are too nice, Yorozuya-san." Gintoki stood up, pocketing his wallet. Something told him that the content of his wallet was already raided but, ah well, what a damn brat. If Gintoki made another fuss about it, she'd say something like 'Payment for having breakfast with us' and to that Gintoki couldn't really argue.
"Pardon the intrusion~" Gintoki sat on the sofa, sprawled his arms over it, and leaned back as he stifled a yawn.
Toshirou, already tied in his tasuki, took a bite from Kagura's latest recipe.
"Well, it certainly tastes different."
"And...?" Kagura sniffed the bowl, a smug look on her face, "That perm better enjoy this, he should be on his hands and knees to get a taste of my cooking uh-huh." She grunted with her arms on her hips.
Toshi saw right through her honestly.
She tried really hard, much harder when she made a meal for herself, despite the constant back and forth between her and the Vice Chief she's already endeared to him. The need to impress someone was obvious, like trying to impress a big brother
Toshirou knows that feeling well.
"He would, free is free." Toshirou put their meals in a tray, a big bowl of Tamago Kake Gohan for kagura, and an extra small portion of it for Sakata, which was an already a generous amount from the yato. Toshirou simply prepared a sunny side up and grilled mackerel for himself and the Vice Chief. And of course, he can’t forget his kewpie mayo bottle that was still lounging in the fridge.
On the side, Kagura looked at him, thoughtful.
"Ne, To-chan." Kagura whispered before they left the kitchen. Toshirou glanced at her.
"Do you like the permhead?"
"Eh?" Toshirou almost dropped the tray, did she really say that sentence? "What's with that question?" Toshirou sighed and proceeded to the door.
Kagura shrugged, she followed after him with a cheeky smile on her lips.
He was not a morning person, really, seriously. Why he came here early at the break of dawn was something that Gintoki wanted to know as well. He guessed it had something to do with the China girl saying "Come early before Toshi wakes up, you might even catch him in his mayo pajamas."
Either that or from the fact that he didn't sleep the entire time last night. Ditching a workday and then being found out by Okita was just the worst. Yes, Gintoki already isn't a good Vice-chief role model, it doesn't help that his first division captain was also following in his footsteps like a baby duckling, geh. The captain did something 'outrageous' that day in public and left Gintoki dealing with reports and shit. Gintoki seldoms touching on the reports but Okita blackmailed his outings with the Yorozuya boss to Matsudaira so the Vice-chief ended up working on the entire stack. One thing after another, he ended up working on the his overdued reports and cases as well.
He didn't get a shut-eye.
The white noise of two people bickering in the kitchen lulled Gintoki into dozing off on the sofa. He folded his arms across his chest and slowly drifted off to sleep. The scent of breakfast made him dream of eggs.
A heavy feeling settled on Toshirou's chest upon seeing the Vice Chief fast asleep on his couch.
He didn't notice it before earlier, well how can he with all that ruckus? but now he took note of the tired bags under Sakata's eyes, his slightly pale pallor, and this tiredness that wafted off him, Sakata was like a thread spun too many times, and a little more it will snap if left alone.
Toshirou would've thought of him as incompetent cop obviously not suited for the job, a bad role model to his subordinates and he even considered looking at Shinsengumi auditing office just to see how they managed their funds under Sakata's management.
Kondo-san was another matter.
Now he notices these tiny things, subtle things, little by little wormed its way to his mind, oh, it should alarm how he knows the Vice Chief so well, even if he can be an annoying stalker from time to time.
He saw Gintoki lightly snore.
Oh. How the mighty have fallen.
"Kagura, get him a blanket."
"Eh? Why? You're not turning him to a freeloader now aren't you To-chan?" Kagura pouted as she ate Gintoki's share of her food.
Toshirou rolled his eyes and settled the plates on the table.
"Now you're just being mean without reason," Toshirou grumbled. "A guest is a guest. 'Sides," Toshirou slightly pushed her towards the washroom, where the fresh laundry was. "You wouldn't want your teammate to lose to Sadist, won't you?"
"Hmm," Kagura pretended to consider, "Fine." She shrugged and went to the washroom.
Not like she decided to stay in there and watch over To- chan, who knows what would happen if she left him alone with the perm? The sugar freak would do horrible things to him!
Yes, that was precisely what she thought as she peeked from behind the washitsu, grinned as Toshirou approached the sleeping Vice Chief.
"Hey."
That sounded too soft than he intended.
Toshirou had clients, tired and overworked, too often he's not just a Yorozuya in a general sense, the community of Kabukicho somehow were convinced of Toshirou’s services and many would look to him for advice.
Toshirou frankly felt inadequate despite all that praise, not experienced enough in life and all that, but they insisted that they felt safe with him, and Toshirou can't deny their faces of relief when their weariness eased once they sat inside his office.
Would it be really an honor for the Vice commander of the police force to consider this a place he can go to? Just to escape from all his woes? This tiny establishment?
The first time they met was literally just for five minutes, and Toshirou can honestly say he didn't expect their... bond... to grow this much.
With the Shinsengumi as well, having encountered each other too many times Toshirou can honestly say he can name every single one. Okita can be a brat but he knows how much Kagura enjoyed having someone of her equal on earth. Kondo can be a nuisance most of the time but Toshirou knew there was more to that, you just don’t get that high position without your subordinates respecting you.
The Shinsengumi was most likely looking for the Vice commander right now. Sakata needs to wake up.
But, even the most indomitable leaders need their rest.
Toshirou silently stood next to that tired policeman, seeing the Vice Chief at his most vulnerable, defenseless, not even taking a weapon with him, to have this unwritten trust.
A slight smile emerged from Toshirou's lips as he brushed aside that mop of hair, exposing the forehead with subtle creases from stress.
Honorable civil servants deserve their own rewards, even shitty ones like this.
He leaned down and kissed that forehead, it smelt of gunpowder, rust, and steel, and something lurking underneath. Toshirou softly fixed Sakata's hair, not yet realizing the impact of what he had done, mostly because he was worried that he disturbed him in his sleep.
"Consider that my payment. Gintoki."