For a long time neither of you made a sound. He was still gaping at you with an emotion you couldn't decipher.

"_____...," he uttered and glared at you. Intensify of his gaze made you flinch. "Get out."

"What...? What are you talking about?"

"It's none of your business, my illness or not," he said coldly. You shirked under his glare.

"How can you say that? I- I came here for you!"

"I don't need your pity!"

"I'm not pitying you!"

"Then what? You just came here out of goodness of your heart? Stop joking around!" he yelled at you. You felt anger boiling inside you. He didn't understand at all.

"I'm not giving up on you!" you burst out meeting his gaze.

"Not giving up on me? Ridiculous. I'm a fucking walking corpse, what can you do? You fool!" he laughed in your face. You slapped him without thinking. He touched his cheek and looked at you surprised. You felt new tears spilling from your eyes.

"Don't say things like this..." you shrank on the floor. Both of you knew that the situation was hopeless. No words could heal his tuberculosis and the same way no words could comfort you right now. He mimicked your movement and for next, long minutes nobody spoke a word.

"Hey... where did you take that haori from?" he spoke minutes later. Probably just to change the atmosphere. The air around you were so tense.

"Ah, you left it once and I forgot to give it back," you answered after a while. You heard his weak laugh and smiled a little too.

"Who knew such weak disguise would work."

"I certainly hoped it would."

"Coming with a visit and no sweets? You're cruel... Still, I'm surprised."

***

Kondou walked through the corridor. He wanted to see if the papers he gave Okuda reached Okita.

"I couldn't bring sweets with me, idiot. Give me some credit, will you? Since I came here this morning nobody noticed. "

"I did."

Kondou heard two voices, first one, he was sure he heard before. He realized that it belonged to the Okuda boy he met at the dojo. It sounded higher a few octaves, maybe a little hoarse. Second, the laughing one, was Okita's. His laugh was little strained though. Kondou wondered, why in the world they were talking with a such familiarity.

"So who did you met on your way?"

"Wakahisa-san and Kondou-san. And few other members."

"Huh? I can understand Kondou-san, he didn't recognize Chizuru. But Wakahisa? He met you a few times, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I was worried too, but it seems I repelled him with my remark about liking only men," the voice laughed, no giggled. In the dojo before, Kondou had this hunch that the boy might like men in that sense. 

The voice proceeded with narrating how he slipped into compound with patrol unnoticed, how he met Wakahisa who ordered him to clean the dojo. He talked about the meeting with Kondou, though left most of their conversation out, the commander noticed. Then, how by some blessing he got to carry papers to Okita. "Really, I'm going to bless Kondou-san every day. Anyway, nobody noticed anything."

"Quite a plan, but I'm not that surprised that they didn't."

"How come?"

"Most of these guys didn't see a woman for months," Kondou stood more and more confused. Woman? Was it possible? He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop, but the conversation was greatly confusing him. Was this possible that this boy was in fact a woman?

"You just don't want to admit that my disguise was perfect," she snorted.

"Well, ______, how do you plan to sneak out," a pause. "Oh~ you don't have a plan."

"I-I'll figure something out! And move your face away!"

______? Kondou thought that this name sounded somehow familiar. After some thinking he realized that it was a name of that sweet shop's owner Okita mentioned few times. Then it all made sense! To fool him that easily. He face-palmed. The boy did look feminine and a whole time they were talking he seemed nervous. He decided that she was determined woman. And totally in love with Okita, that's for sure. He recognized that lonely look on her face back at the dojo.

He wondered about Souji though, what he felt for her? Sure, sometimes he came back from patrols more spirited and in better mood than usual. When asked, he waved off the question saying he got some sweets. Once he got back with silky scarf and without haori, he smiled softly with mysterious look. Kondou knew Okita had some female friend in the town, he met her few years back, even before the Shinsengumi was formed. Hijikata once scolded Souji for misleading her and himself. Well, Kondou decided, without doubt that woman had a special place in Okita's heart. Kondou was happy, that there was somebody worrying about Okita beside him. This guy was lonely and secretive for so long.
Kondou left the corridor, smiling. On his way he met very pissed Wakahisa.

***

The atmosphere between you and Okita certainly improved. You smiled at him. But the truth was, you really didn't have a plan how to get out of the compound. You didn't think of anything besides, how to actually sneak in.

"You'll have to sleep in the barracks," Okita faked serious tone. Realization hit you and you looked at him horrified. "Who knows what will happened? They will surely discover that you are a woman."

"No," you wailed noticing his amusement. You played along. You clutched his kimono. "You won't let them do that, will you Souji-san?"

"You're trespasser, what stops me from just kicking you out of my room?"

He shook his head. A little smirk played on his lips.

"Captain!" you two heard shuffle of forcefully opening doors. "Is that boy-...!" before you stood Wakahisa, slowly turning red. His mouth was wide open as he tried to utter a single phrase. He pointed a finger at you. "Y-you! How dare you...! To the captain nonetheless!"

You blinked. You were expecting many things, something along the lines of trespassing. You sneaked a glance at Okita. He masked surprise quickly with a smirk.

"Shameless flirting with captain...!" he raged. You blinked once again before realization hit you. You still sat clutching Okita's kimono and he was sneaking arm around your waist. You went scarlet red. The man moved and yanked your arm. He made deep bow towards Okita. "I'm terribly sorry for this boy's behavior, I'll-..."

"Boy? Wakahisa, are you blind?" Okita laughed. He also stood up and tugged on your ponytail and a headband. Your hair flew over your shoulder and you stood nervously between the two man. Okita's laugh echoed as Wakahisa stared at you.

"_-_-______-san!?" he finally recognized you. "I thought...! I mean- but!"

"Ah, sorry for deceiving you, Wakahisa-san," you laughed nervously. You didn't have a heart to point to him, that you were surprised that he didn't see through your disguise. The guy now looked petrified.

"If you let a woman into compound, who knows? Maybe next time you'll bring an enemy along?" Okita pointed out. You rolled your eyes while Wakahisa was apologizing. Okita was such a jerk sometimes.

After a while he calmed down. He bowed to you and vanished as quickly as he came.

"Well, that was..."

"Amusing?" Okita suggested.

"At some point. Do you let anyone just burst in here?"

"No, he must've been really pissed at you."

"I guess," you couldn't help but laugh at hilarity of the situation. It surely resolved some still lasting tension between you and Okita. Only now you noticed that in fact the sun was already setting down. Cleaning the dojo took you more time than you thought. In addition, you didn't know how to sneak out of here unnoticed. At least you met Okita and made peace with him.

Okita closed the shoji doors and you sat in the content silence. After some time you heard noises from the outside.

"What's happening?" you frowned. Okita was just as clueless as you. He caught one of the men who run through the corridor.

"We're under attack!" he said and disappeared.

"Attack...?" you mumbled. Smile lit Okita's face. He put a hand on his katana. "Don't tell me, you think about fighting?"

"And why not? You heard him and I don't intend to sit there and do nothing," he sneered at you. Then he started coughing. You supported him. His whole body trembled. He wiped his mouth. You were painfully reminded of his illness.

"Why not!? For goodness' sake! You can't fight in such state!" you glared at him.

"Get out of my way," you tried to push you away.

"Yes, ______, you should just let him go," new voice interjected. You turned to the source of the voice. You recognized that face. Okita pushed you behind him. You could see glare on his face. "He's dying anyway. Throw him away and chose me."

"K-kaoru-chan?"you asked unsure. That voice and face belonged to her, even if her hair was cut. Instead of rich kimono, now she wore boy's clothing. "What in the world-?"

"What do you want, kid?" Okita said. He put his hand on the katana, ready to attack.

"Don't you remember me, ______?" Kaoru ignored Okita and looked straight at you. You blinked confused. "The little boy you used to play with long time ago? Back in Fujinomiya?"

"In Fujinomya?" you repeated. You desperately searched your memory. You didn't want to think back about your childhood. But twisted look on Kaoru's face made you think hard. Then it struck. Could it be? Your only friend? Was he that boy of Nagumo family?

"So you do remember now," he smiled at you. "I searched for you for a long time, _____."

You shivered at his twisted smile. You clung to Okita's kimono. You gulped waiting for his next words.

"You know," he began. "At first I was angry at you. Not only you left me for that rich boy and then you ran away."

"Left you?" you frowned.

"For Yoshida!" he spat. But next second his face came back to the calm expression. You slowly started to understand what the boy meant. Afterall, Yoshida was...

"He was my fiancé!" you said.

"We understood each other, you and me. You weren't a boy, I wasn't a girl like our parents wanted. You remember that? We were perfect together!"

You trembled looking into his insane eyes.

"Kaoru... you were like a brother to me, nothing more," you said slowly shaking your head.

"Hey, I don't care about your pathetic love story," Okita interrupted and glared at the boy. "Are you the one who's attacking? Then I'll kill you."

Kaoru laughed at his threat. His voice made you shudder.

"Kazama is attacking my dear twin sister. I don't care what happens to her," the boy looked at you. He held out his hand. "_____, come with me."

You shook you head. You were afraid of him and you couldn't believe he deceived you like this. He frowned.

"Well, I was going to ask nicely, but it seems I have to make more radical measures," he said. He unsheathed his katana and directed it at Okita.

"My cuts will be far less painful than those Kanzaki-san did to Kimiko."

"What?" you asked with a cold shiver on your body. "How do you know about Kimiko?"

He laughed at you. Your blood ran cold.

"Answer me!"

"Isn't it obvious? I made Kanzaki kill her," he laughed at your distraught expression. He lunged at Okita. They clashed their katanas. Okita's blow sent Kaoru away, but the boy was quicker. He swung again and again with inhuman force. They exchanged few more powerful blows till Okita fell down.

"You made him kill her...?" you looked at him with hatred in eyes. "How could you?"

"She was just an obstruction."

He was looking at you with amused expression. You unsheathed your own katana.

"How could you?!" you screamed and swung at him. He easily deflected your weak blow and looked coldly at you. You fell on your knees.

"How dare you?" he asked. Cold glare made you shiver even more.

"Get away from her!" you heard Okita shout. Again his blow was countered and he was sent flying.

"Souji-san!" you cried. You felt a sting in your left hand. Sudden pain shook your whole body. Kaoru's katana pierced your hand nailing it to the floor. Your face twisted as you screamed with agony.

"Bad girl," Kaoru said. Then his face lit up with a smile. From a pocked he took flask with some liquid in it. He ripped katana out of your hand making you wail even more. The blood spilled on the floor. He turned to the panting Shinsengumi who once again tried to kill him. "Okita, do you know what this is?"

"Where did you get that?" Okita gaped at him.

"If you want to protect her you need more power. In your sorry state even swinging a sword wears you out," you didn't know what Kaoru was talking about but smile on his face was making it clear. He shouldn't be trusted. " The Water of life can help you with your illness too."

You looked between them. Okita's eyes went wide. He held out his hand in slow motion. Kaoru, still 

smiling gave him the flask.

"No, don't!" you shouted. You knew it would bring only troubles. "Souji-san, please...!"

"Shut up!" he turned to you.

"You don't have to go such lengths!"

"I'm not doing this for you! If this way I can be useful to Kondou-san, then I'll even became the Fury!" he drank the liquid in one gulp.

"Souji-san!" you cried. He curled up in pain and screamed. Your hand hurt like a hell, but you still tried to stand up. You ignored dizziness and nausea. You stumbled towards him. You noticed Kaoru leaving. You turned to him. "Why!?"

"Because you care about him," with a last insane laugh he disappeared.

The last thing you remember was glowing red eyes and white hair.

~~*~~

Yeah, arguineg-teasing-arguing again... Only Reader-chan and Okita can live like this!