Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ White Chrysanthemum ❯ White Chrysanthemum ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.

Oh no, another strange RK ficlet by Maaya! (You should run away, screaming now.)

Okita reminds me of Soujiro in more than one way, which leads me to really, really like the leader of the first Shinsengumi squad. Besides that, he is also really, strong, brave, graceful, joking and good-looking. (Okay, so I admit swooning over him in the OAV ~_^ Can you really blame me?)

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White Chrysanthemum - A ficlet in Okita Soushi's POV by Maaya

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It was a nice day. Sun kissed ground and water as well as leaves from the trees, casting reflections of light wherever you looked. For my sensitive eyes, used to operate and fight in darkness or weak light from small torches, it was painful. I had to squint through half-closed eyes when I stepped out of the boarding-house's merciful shadows.

I wasn't dressed in the betraying clothes of the Shinsengumi, but had changed into something less noticeable that made me look like just another person taking a walk on the busy streets. My sword would probably have betrayed who I was - if I had been wearing it will say.

It was dangerous not to have it with me, dangerous and risky, against the rules and forbidden. If anyone ever knew about it, I would probably loose my position as the leader of the first squad, but no-one did and no-one would ever get to know.

Besides, I have very, very normal looks and as long as I stay in public, away from alleys and other places where assassins could get at me, it wouldn't be much of a problem at all.

I walked skilfully through crowds of women selling flowers, men selling medicines and children playing games and told myself to relax for a while, but couldn't. Couldn't because I wasn't one of them, a normal person with normal jobs and duties. Even though I was the only one to see it, so was I standing out like a sore thumb in these surroundings.

"Mister, do you want to buy a flower?"

I'm ashamed to say the girl actually surprised me, but managed to hide it quite well. She was a head shorted than me, had black hair in a very normal, braided style, and a wide pair of brown eyes. She held a bucket with half withered yukimigiku flowers. [1]

"It has snowed recently, and I managed to get some of those before they died." She seemed to feel need to explain. "Not many people are interested in such flowers though. They want those that don't dry too quickly afterwards."

"They are rare then."

The girl smiled and nodded, happy to find a good argument to why people would actually buy those flowers. "They are, they are."

I smiled back and chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I'll take one then. How much?"

She looked vaguely surprised. "Only one?" Then she recovered and told me the price. While I searched for my money, she smiled politely and waited, then let me pick out whichever flower I wanted.

I took one of the freshest and studied it for a moment, before continuing down the street with it in my hand. It probably looked strange, me, a young man carrying one little star-formed white flower in my hand, but hoped they would assume I was going to give it to a girl or something.

I realized very soon after that that someone was watching me from behind, possibly following me. But I recognized the strong ki as friendly but cold and just stopped. "Hello, Saitou-san."

"Okita." He muttered. A normal person would take his tone as dignified and the words as a greeting. I, who know him too well, took it for what it was; grudging respect.

"What's with the sour face, Saitou-san?" I teased and laughed as he took in the flower in my hand with cool eyes. The eyes of a real hunter, the eyes of a wolf. "This?" A little wave with the flower. "You want it?"

If there's possible for Saitou to look surprised, then he did it right then. He eyed the flower, then me, then the flower again. He was quiet, so I laughed again, but it changed into a wet cough.

I hate the coughs. It's a sign of weakness and I am not weak. It's only when I strain the muscles in my stomach that I do it, but it usually end up with blood in my mouth before I manage to stop it.

Saitou waited calmly until I stopped. That's what I like about him. He's calm, cool and collected. Three Cs. I guess it's his letter.

"You were following me?" I asked when I was done, wiping my mouth carefully and hiding the blood that stuck to my sleeve in the motion.

"You were sneaking out. I followed to see you weren't a spy."

Directly to the point and honest, I guess. "What's your assessment?"

"Not spy."

"Why, thank you." I muttered, a little dryly. You can't expect me to be cheerful all the time, and I always get a little . . . morbid and sarcastic when I cough blood. You can't blame me, can you?

We walked in silence for a while, side by side. He was dressed as a civilian, just like me, but I guess we didn't quite fit in anyway, because some people looked at us suspiciously and kept their distance.

It was only when we began making our way back to the hotel that I realized I was still holding the yukimigiku flower in my hand. It was on the line between dry and alive now.

I grinned and held it out for Saitou. "Here. Give it to your girl . . . Tokio."

He was so taken by surprise that he actually accepted it, and I laughingly trotted into the house, leaving him to startled hold a white flower in his hand.

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The End

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[1] I read about those in a Vampire Princess Miyu manga, and have no idea if they actually exist. I made almost all the facts up, minus those that are in the manga.

Anyone more than me that think Saitou acts much less arrogant in the OAV than in the RK TV-series? I based this Saitou on the OAV-Saitou, but he turned out to be kind of like Trowa from Gundam Wing.

This was not intended as a shounen ai fic with love between Okita and Saitou, but it's up you to decide how to take it. I just simply thought that Okita and Saitou seemed to have potential to be good friends.

For those who don't know: Poor Okita has tuberculosis, and he died because of it. *sob*