Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ bleed the sky ❯ bleed the sky ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I've been playing around with this ideal in my head, and after discussing it with my boyfriend, I decoded to try it... Note: This story is not supposed to be yaoi. However, given the characters, they seem to take on yaoi qualities on their own...

(author's note: 'boyfriend' has, somewhat regrettably, become 'ex-boyfriend'. Sniffle. Sob. Onwards!).

~+~

He stared straight ahead, watching the rain.

The serving woman stepped up, almost hesitantly. "Fujita-san? Would you like for me to close the window?"

"Leave it."

"But, Fujita-san... The rain..." Her hands twisted the fabric of her apron, seeming quite distressed by the thought of the man getting wet. Or perhaps only distress over the condition of the wooden table and cloth floor pillow after he'd gone.

"Leave it."

"...hai, Fujita-san..." She resigned herself to a damp corner and a nice tip.

He lit the cigarette slowly. "I hate the rain."

~+~

It's taken much too long
To get it right

~+~

He continued to stare out into the rain, watching the shadows lengthen as the light dimmed. Storm clouds rumbled low on the horizon. The strike would be postponed until a clearer night.

"Okami! Okami Mibu-sama!"

A hand touched his shoulder. In an instant, he held the man against the wall, wakazatchi at his throat.

"Okami-sama! Okami-sama!!" The man cried again.

Recognizing his own man, he released him.

"Yes, Fujita. What is it?"

The informant swallowed his fear quickly. "Okami-sama, there is a ... person... to see you in the dojo!"

"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"He claims to be the captain of the first unit, sir."

~+~

He slid open the door, pausing to shake water from his clothing and hair. Then, he stopped, to stare at the boy.

He was young, with a sweet, porcelain face, and wide, dark green eyes. Dark brown hair curled around his face like a woman's, but it was pulled up behind his head into a smooth topknot. He wore the dress of the Shinsengumi, and the headband of a captain.

The boy smiled. He could not have been more than seventeen years old. "You are the one called Okami Mibu. Saitou Hajime."

"I am. And you are...?"

The boy nearly flushed with happiness. "I am Okita. Okita Soushi."

~+~

Would it be so wrong
To maybe find someone
A Miracle...

~+~

"Okita..."

Tokio paused, pouring the tea carefully. "The women speak very highly of him."

"Do they?" Saitou murmured. "Yes. He seems worthy of his rank."

"You approve of him?" She said quietly.

"He is an excellent fighter. His technique is flawless. What reason is there to seek a fault?"

"He kills coldly, with no remorse."

"And this has made him strong." He admonished sternly.

"This does not quarrel with your own philosophy?"

"Okita is not evil." He snapped, standing. "I am finished, thank you. ...Perhaps you should discover more womanly things to speak of."

The geisha blushed, kneeling to open the door. "Yes. Forgive me, it was not my place. ...Good night."

~+~

And all you really need
Is everything you could never be

~+~

They made their move at nightfall.

Saitou slid out of the shadows, eyes on the lit house before him. The dew and the rain of the previous day had made the earth soft, hiding his footfalls. The guards were prowling at the edge of the porch. The Isshinshishi would not expect an assault this soon after the rains...

"So the wolf of Mibu chooses the flank." A voice commented from his left.

He spun, and his katana caught against answered steel. Okita smiled, and drew back.

"My apologies. I did not mean to startle you."

"Go back to your own men, Okita. The wolf of Mibu hunts alone."

"Ah." Okita answered, and withdrew, melting into the darkness as ghostlike as he had come.

The lantern across the field spluttered and went out.

The signal given, Saitou sprang forward...

~+~

Saitou snarled as he ran another man through. Two more swept him, and he spun. His wakazatchi sliced one across the stomach, and he clipped the other with his katana, steel meeting the thin flesh of his throat.

He swallowed an outcry as a blade pierced him below his right shoulder. Coming to bear, he finished the man with the wounded throat, momentarily loosing his grip on his sword.

~+~

And so you'd give it all
For a Miracle...

~+~

Suddenly, he heard a clash of steel behind him, and only then remembering how shallow the other man's wound had been.

Whirling, he killed the man who had stabbed him, and saw what had saved his life.

The third man's blade was locked up, pinned between Okita's katana and wakazatchi. He held one hand on his wounded stomach, the other tugging on his katana, in a futile effort to free it. Okita smiled, and kicked the wounded man. Then, he drove his wakazatchi into his throat.

"Very sorry to interrupt, Saitou-san, but you appeared to need assistance."

Saitou's eyes narrowed, and he launched himself into a first form Gatoutsu. Okita caught his breath, and stumbled backwards, as Saitou impaled the Isshin behind him.

~+~

Is there a trace
Inside his face
Of a lonely Miracle...

~+~

Okita swallowed hard, staring up at Saitou. The lunge had knocked the taller man into him, and they had fallen to the floor, the third captain atop the first.

Now, the other man peered down at him, their faces nearly touching, as though he searched for something deep within Okita's emerald depths.

Slowly, Saitou stood, pulling Okita to his feet with him. "Let us go." He commanded.

Just then, the signal to withdraw sounded, marking this as another Shinsengumi victory.

"...Of course, Saitou-san!"

~+~

And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely Miracle...

~+~

"Saitou-san?"

Okita knelt beside the other man's futon.

They had returned to the safehouse dojo, and Okita had readily given up his room for the wounded. He had set up his futon in Saitou's room, and was now attempting to engage the older man in conversation.

"Saitou-san? ... Are you awake?"

He watched the other man's back for a few moments. With each breath, the muscles in his back and shoulders shifted. Free of it' topknot, his long hair splayed around him, shinning silver in the thin moonlight.

"...I... I just... I wished to thank you for saving my life tonight."

He waited for a reply. When none was received, he lay down upon the futon, and closed his eyes.

"...Good night, Hajime-kun..."

~+~

Saitou lay still, eyes open, and watched the empty air in front of him. He heard Okita's breath as it evened out, signifying sleep.

Slowly, he turned to look at him.

Okita lay curled to one side. His wavy brown hair fell half in his face, and his mouth was open slightly. He coughed a little, breathing deeply.

Cautiously, almost gently, Saitou brushed the hair from the younger man's cheek.

"And I thank you, as well. ...Sleep well, Okita... ...- kun ."

~+~

You never really know
What it is
Not until it goes

~+~

"Goodbye, Saitou-san!" Okita said cheerfully.

"Okita, do not call me that." He ordered, for the fourth time in the hour.

"Of course, Saitou-san!" Okita agreed. His laugh was silvery in the crisp morning air.

Saitou regarded him coolly. "You are a valuable asset to the Shinsengumi, Okita. Try and remain alive until we meet again."

"And you the same." He replied.

~+~

That night, Saitou lay awake.

He found sleep fleeting. The room seemed too quiet and uneasy, without the sound of Okita's deep, even breathing...

"Hmph." He muttered, rolling over.

~+~

And if it comes again
It's a Miracle...

~+~

Saitou bowed deeply from the shoulders. "Commander Kondo..."

"Ah, Saitou-taichou. It is good to see you once more. I trust your journey to Kyoto was... uneventful?"

"One man. It was quite embarrassing, really."

"Ah. You thoughts?"

"Isshin. He spoke of an assassin."

"He spoke to you?"

"He was motivated."

"Ah. Yes. So I see. We know of the assassin here. They say he strikes without warning, as quietly as the shadow of death, and as quickly as the lightening splits the sky."

"Even shadows can fall prey to wolves."

"Yes. And wolves do so love to hunt within the storm..."

The door behind them slid open, scraping slightly on it's runner.

"You wished to see me, Kondo-sa----"

Saitou froze.

"Saitou-san!!"

He turned very slowly to face him. "Okita."

~+~

But what you miss is love
In everything below and up above

~+~

Saitou poured himself another bowl of sake. Okita smiled, and poured himself more tea.

"Why do you not enjoy the sake?" Saitou inquired politely.

"I... It irritates my throat." Okita said quietly.

Saitou glanced up as two men entered. "I see. ...Tomorrow, we break the meeting of Katsura and Miyabe."

"Yes."

"I will take the rear push. Will you lead the sweep?"

"Of course, Saitou-san."

They both recalled the last fateful meeting, and the nightmare that had followed. The scent of ashes still lingered in the air.

~+~

"...Saitou-san?" Okita asked.

"Hmm?"

"What will you do at the close of this rebellion?"

"..." Saitou paused. It was an issue he had not yet considered. "... In Tokyo, I keep a geisha. ... ...I suppose I will take her to my family home in Yamagato..."

"Ah. You will wed."

"Perhaps."

"I... I have no family. I have no home, nor a woman. ... ... I suppose, I shall continue to protect people. Perhaps as... Perhaps as a policeman!"

Saitou laughed, surprised. "A Shinsengumi Captain? As a lowly policeman? That is unthinkable, Okita, even for you!"

Okita smiled, embarrassed. "You think so?"

~+~

And could he bring it all?
A Miracle...

~+~

Saitou put one hand on his slender shoulder. "Okita... Why do you cough?"

He did not meet his gaze. "It's nothing."

"Okita..."

Suddenly, he began to cough once more. As always, he doubled over, and turned away.

Watching him closely, Saitou felt his eyes widen. He could not believe what it was that he saw. "Okita!!"

Shame, now, in those dark green eyes, as Okita quickly wiped the blood on his yukata sleeve. "It's nothing."

But Saitou knew that it was, indeed, something. The true shadow of death. A silent struggle, with a merciless killer... "Tuberculosis."

Okita flushed. "It's nothing."

~+~

Is there a trace
Inside his face
Of a lonely Miracle...

~+~

Okita slid forward, down the sloping roof, nearly loosing his balance.

He was jarred to a stop as his katana met the flesh of the Isshin guard.

Annoyed, he spat out the blood, as it sprayed into his face.

He spun to parry another attack, coughing raggedly. Angrily, now, he wiped the resulting blood from his lips.

He leapt into the street below.

~+~

The katana shimmered in the low light, and the man stumbled back, overturning a stack of water barrels.

Grimly, the man spun to face the remaining men, ignoring the dull ache in his face.

~+~

The Shinsengumi men balked.

"Dark red hair!"

"A cross-shaped scar!"

"It's---"

"Hitokiri Battousai..." Okita said, stepping up. The men parted as he slowly made his way forward.

The redheaded assassin wrinkled his nose slightly. This boy smelled of lingering death.

~+~

And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely Miracle...

~+~

Okita nodded, and the boy made a similar reply.

Taking a deep breath to ease his aching lungs, Okita raised his katana.

The two met in a clash of steel. The assassin's battoujitsu left him open on the side, forcing him to slide forward in what was almost a model of the Gatoutsu stance. The boy-killer somersaulted up, over Okita's head, landing on his feet, behind him.

He slid back, and lunged. Okita sidestepped, and braced his hilt with both hands, as he shuddered from the force of the blow. He spun past him in a circle, and stabbed at him, forcing the other man to leap back.

The redhead moved, and suddenly, Okita cleaved air. He whirled too quickly, and caught the blade as it arched for his throat. Surprise widened the other's eyes as he flew past him, nearly stumbling.

Okita coughed wildly as his lungs screamed against this abuse. Controlling the rattling coughs, he turned to face the Battousai once more.

"Okita..." A clear voice called from behind him.

He turned to see the wolf of Mibu, hunting with his smile on.

"Saitou-san?!"

"I am very sensitive to the smell of blood, boy." Saitou chided lightly. Then, his voice was darker; "You cannot defeat him in your current condition."

Almost relieved, Okita stared at him numbly, as Saitou passed him.

Saitou's eyes opened, amber gleaming in the twilight, and he smirked. The boy-killer sheathed his blade, falling into the quick-draw attack, as Saitou assumed Gatoutsu's first form.

"Let's go!" He growled, lunging. With an inarticulate battle cry, the assassin sprang into the attack.

Okita collapsed against a nearby wall, and began to cough violently...

~+~

All you wanted was a...
All you needed was a...
Miracle, a Miracle...

~+~

"You should never have interfered!!"

"Okita---"

"It was my battle! I met him first, and I challenged him!! Why did I let you interfere?!"

"Okita!" Saitou cried, grabbing the younger man by the shoulders.

He flinched as pain shot through his injured side. "I interfered because the Battousai would have killed you!"

Okita pulled away. "Perhaps that was what I wanted him to do!! You have denied me a warrior's death, Saitou Hajime!! Now I must waste away, like a coward, like an old man!!"

He wrenched free of Saitou's grip, and stood there, chest heaving, as he stared up at the sky. "...Have I grown so weak?" He whispered softly.

"What was that?"

~+~

And all you wanted was a...
All you needed was a...
Miracle, a Miracle...

~+~

"Am I so pathetic that you must protect me? Am I like a woman now to you?! Frail? Pathetic? Defenseless? An obligation?!"

Saitou reached out, and caught him by the back of the head, fingers threading into the dark brown mass, made coarse by rain, sun, and blood. He pulled him close, so that their foreheads were almost touching. "No. That is not it. That is not it at all."

Awkwardly, he pressed a light kiss to the top of Okita's head. "I protect you because I care for you."

Okita flushed. "You... You mean you..."

"I care for you." Saitou repeated, releasing him, and drawing back.

"Oh... Saitou-san!!" Okita cried, leaning forward, in an awkward embrace.

Slowly, Saitou brought one arm up to lay across his shoulders. "Okita... Okita... -kun..." He said softly.

Scattered tears slid down Okita's cheeks, and he coughed.

~+~

Is there a trace
Inside his face
Of a lonely Miracle...

~+~

They stared at the field in silence.

The scarlet banner of the Isshinshishi fluttered everywhere.

A light rain began to fall.

The war was over.

The rebellion had won.

Okita spoke first.

"...What will become of us now?"

"Most likely, they will hunt us. The Shinsengumi are too famous, and too feared to leave many of us left alive."

"What kind of lives can we hope to live now?"

"I do not know. ... ...This era cannot last. The spirit of the Bakumatsu will take too long to fade from men's minds and hearts. They cannot play this charade for long."

Okita nodded thoughtfully. " Meiji ..."

Saitou shook his head. "There is no room for warriors in an era of peace."

"And so, no room for peace in the hearts of warriors..."

"Ah."

"Truthfully... I welcome the change. All of it... It turns my stomach..." He smiled faintly. "I have grown very sensitive to the scent of blood... I---"

Suddenly, Okita was overcome with a coughing fit. He paled, and clutched at his chest as he fell to his knees. Blood, brighter than Saitou had ever seen spilled over his lips, and he gasped for air.

~+~

And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely Miracle...

~+~

"Okita!" Saitou cried, dropping down beside him. He lowered the younger man gently, resting his head on his lap. "Okita!!"

"... ...Saitou... -san... ...I... ...I can't... I..."

"Shh! Don't talk! Don't talk! ... I'll just... a... a doctor..." Saitou realized he was coming close to babbling. Okita's skin was growing cold.

Slowly, he lifted one bloodied hand towards Saitou's face. It missed, and came to land at his throat. Raindrops slid off of Saitou's bangs, splashing Okita in the face. He closed one eye reflexively, and then opened it.

"...No... It's too late... I'm sorry... Hajime... -kun... I... ...I care for you."

The hand dropped slowly, into the mud, and the dark green eyes slid shut.

"Okita? Okita! Okita!!---"

~+~

It's taken so long
To get it right
Would it be so wrong?
To maybe find someone

~+~

He ground the cigarette into the table. For a moment, he watched, fascinated, as the ash made a ring around the butt. Too quickly, the embers died out, and he let the spent paper fall to the floor.

Outside, the rain splashed into a small puddle, forming at the base of the window.

He could remember Okita's arm as it splashed into the dirty water. He flinched slightly, recalling how it had sloshed around the pale skin, splattering him in the face.

He could feel the cooling warmth of that skin ,pressed against his throat.

And while he could barely recall the soft, light voice, the words themselves had been permanently etched into his memory... And burned into his heart.

"...Hajime... -kun... I... ...I care for you."

~+~

A Miracle...

~+~

He bowed his head. "And I, I believe perhaps that I loved you, Okita-kun..."

Slowly, he stood. Dropping a note on the table, he brushed imagined dirt from his policeman's uniform. And then, he stepped out, into the rain...

~+~

A Miracle.

~+~

Owari.
Written 05/15/02
Revised 07/29/02
Final 03/05/04
...


...

The song is "Miracle", by Vertical Horizon.

The poem is one I wrote back around the end of May. I was rereading this story, and decided that it didn't give enough of Okita's point of view, and the poem evolved from that. My defense is that I really like Okita, and I believe that he and his relationship with Saitou are two of the most underplayed elements in Rurouni Kenshin's entirety.

Not really yaoi, just a short, sweet friendship piece. Well, maybe not so short, but you get the point.

The fight scene between Battousai and Okita, and all of the lines used within it, came directly from the OVA, Samurai X: Betrayal.

I messed with the time frame and stuff here, I know. The way I wrote it, Saitou first meets Okita in Tokyo, and they attack a rebel hideout together. Later, when Saitou comes to Kyoto, Okita is already there, and they renew their acquaintance. This is around the time Battousai is meeting Tomoe. Time passes, and after Tomoe's death, Okita fights Battousai, and withdraws, leaving the battle to Saitou. And all of this is one big flashback for Saitou.