#after maybe 3 years i'm finally finished writing the sougo and shimaru fic i always wanted to write

[bossladytae]

Fic: The Strongest Bonds Need No Words

Picking up a rock from behind him, Sougo threw it toward the river, watching it skip once. He would show them all by becoming the greatest swordsman they would ever witness, putting Hijikata to shame instead and earning Kondou’s praise once again. They would all regret underestimating him and treating him like a child. The hairs on his neck prickled to attention, and Sougo shot a glance to his left. There was a tall boy standing not too far from him, also facing the river in silence. He was one of the new recruits with thick, fiery orange hair. Saitou Shimaru, fourteen-years-old, bent down and picked up a rock and threw it across the surface of the water, the stone skipping four times before plopping into the water. Then, he looked at Sougo, with impassive yet sharp red eyes.

Summary: In the forest, long before the group of young men are ever known as the Shinsengumi, Shimaru teaches a pouting Sougo how to skip a rock on the water.

And so begins an unusual yet strong friendship.

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The link to AO3 is in the title if you are interested in reading.