#hakuokisecretsanta

[alicyana]

My Hakuoki secret santa for @emeraldraindragon I hope you like some girls going around to shopping in Christmas lights!!

[flower-dragon]

Dear @eliz1369!

This year, I was your Secret Santa. Trying my best, I drew something for you to celebrate this special occasion -Chizuru x Okita under(?) the mistletoe -  I do hope you like it!

I wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tagging: @hakuokisecretsanta (Thank you for hosting this event!)

[kurokiorya]

Hello, everyone! Time for Secret Santa prompt =D Merry Christmas, @nalufever, I do hope you like it. My prompt was “Saitou meditating” and it turned out to be a small story instead of a single picture.

Also tagging @hakuokisecretsanta (thanks for hosting the event!) and the ladies @eliz1369. @shell-senji, @hakuyamazakisensei, @impracticaldemon, @lescahiersdesable. Merry Christmas!

[monsterfisken]

A gift for @finrod-finwion! They wanted two people sharing an umbrella. I hope you like it!! Part of the @hakuokisecretsanta

[childofdemon]

Toshizo - Hakuoki Secret Santa Fic

For @hakuokisecretsanta

Hi @saitohajime, I’m your Secret Santa! I’m sorry this is so late, I had some technological problems that I had to get fixed before I could post this. 

Your prompt was “Hijikata or Souji interacting with cats bc they are totally cat people. My headcanon is that they kept the cat Souji found in one of the drama cds and it totally sleeps in Hijikata’s lap when he writes letters (or shitty poetry)”. I decided to do it with Souji (with Souma and Nomura from Shinkai thrown in because they’re amusing), with a bonus of Hijikata to make up for this being late. I really hope you like this!

On AO3 

Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy New Year!

-------

“Nee,”

Souma and Nomura froze in the midst of their argument, the faux-cheerful voice from behind them causing shivers to run down their spines as they hurriedly turned around.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Okita Souji, 1st Division Captain of the Shinsengumi and the two pages’ occasional tormen-, er, instructor, stood before them with narrowed eyes as he glanced down at the cat hanging by the scruff of its neck in Nomura’s tight grip.

“S-sir! This cat, it scattered the leaf piles we’d just finished sweeping, and stole our rag! We’re sorry, we’ll take it out of the headquarters right away!” Souma answered, straightening hurriedly while nudging Nomura to do the same. In Nomura’s grip, the cat let out a particularly loud and distressed yowl.

Okita’s eyes narrowed even further, the smirk on his face disappearing entirely. “Give him to me. You’re hurting him.”

Nomura blinked, and hurried to do as told, practically shoving the black cat at the Captain, who, in contrast, carefully placed it in the crook of his arm, gripping it gently to keep it from falling. The two pages could only watch in awe as it immediately stopped yowling, instead nudging Okita’s chest affectionately and starting to purr.

“Um, sir….?”

Okita looked back up, having given the cat a strangely fond look while taking it in his arms, and narrowed his eyes at them once more.

“Toshizo is my cat. You better make sure you don’t hurt him anymore.”

“B-but we didn’t mean to hurt it! We just captured it!” Nomura protested, making the Captain’s green eyed glare turn to him.

“Cat’s a small and fragile. You have to be careful with them, or you could injure or kill them”, Okita stated, his voice about as warm as a winter night. “I don’t care if it was purposeful or not; if you hurt Toshizo, I’ll kill you. Understood?”

“O-of course sir! We’ll be very careful, sir. We’re very sorry!” Souma hurried to assure, and bowed, trying his best to suppress the shiver running down his spine, as Nomura did the same. They both knew Okita’s reputation well enough to know that that was no empty threat. And it wasn’t like they had meant to hurt the cat; they had no idea cats were so fragile.

Apparently satisfied by their response, Okita turned to leave, the cat still in the crook of his arm, being petted by his other hand gently.

“...Um, Okita-taicho?” Souma asked, opening his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Hm?” Okita paused, turning slightly to look back at them.

“How do you know so much about cats? Beside having one, I mean.”

Okita smirked mischievously. “Back when we still lived at our old headquarters, there was once a cat that broke in and messed up the kitchen. Made us chase it all over the compound until I and Chizuru-chan finally found it. Chizuru-chan scolded me when I grabbed it too roughly, said I could have accidentally killed it.”

They blinked. “Yukimura-senpai did?”

“Mmhm. Just about jumped down my throat.”

“Huh”, Souma said, a considering tone to his voice. He’d had no idea Yukimura-senpai had the courage to scold Okita, of all people. He rather doubted many people could do it. As expected of his senpai.

“...Say, Okita-taicho?” Nomura asked, both sounding and looking confused. “Why do you call the name ‘Toshizo’? Isn’t that Hijikata-san’s name?”

Okita’s smirk widened. “It is. Hijikata-san’s face when he heard Toshizo’s name was hilarious. It still annoys him. Also, Hajime-kun’s reaction was priceless. He still refuses to call Toshizo by name, it’s great fun. Chizuru-chan, Sano-san and the others insist on calling him ‘Tokkun’ though. Spoil-sports.”

The two pages stared at him, and came to the abrupt conclusion that really, they should have expected that answer. It fitted everything they’d learned about the Captain’s mischievous personality during the short time they’d been with the Shinsengumi so far. They shouldn’t be surprised.

“...Right”, is all Nomura could bring himself to say to that, somewhat regretting having asked.

Toshizo, having apparently recognized his name, let out a soft meow and butted his head against Okita’s chest, making the man grin and scratch him behind the ears, even as he turned around again and started walking off, having apparently decided that their conversation was over.

Once he thought the captain was a safe distance away, Nomura turned to Souma and complained:

“Geez, why is he that gentle with the cat when he’s so rough with us?”

“Because I actually like Toshizo”, Okita replied back while continuing to walk away, turning his head just enough to smirk back at them.

“Ack!” Nomura yelped. “Sorry sir!”

Okita let out a laugh even as he walked around the corner, the sound echoing even after he’d disappeared from sight.

Souma sighed. “You know, Nomura, one of these days you really should learn to keep your mouth shut.”

“Shut up.”

------

Bonus:

Hijikata sat at his table in his lantern-lit room, writing letters, when he heard a soft meow from the door. Glancing back, he saw Souji’s cat - Toshizo, although he resolutely called it Tokkun like almost everyone else except Souji himself - standing in the open crack of the door, watching him with its green eyes.

As soon as he noticed it, the cat walked over to him, nudging his hand demandingly. Hijikata chuckled with reluctant amusement.

“You know, Souji’s going to come looking for you and accuse me of ‘stealing’ you when he notices that you’re gone”, he commented wryly, even as he lowered his hand to scratch the cat behind the ears.

The cat purred and butted his hand, completely ignoring his words, before jumping up on his lap and curling up with a soft meow.

“Honestly, you’re as stubborn as your owner. Damn fur-ball”, Hijikata said with a sigh, tone filled with fondness despite the words.

He then returned to his writing, occasionally using his free hand to pet the cat sleeping in his lap, making absolutely no move to get it to move.

After all, it wasn’t the first, or the last, time that this happened.

---

There we go! I hope you liked this! Also I hope this at least somewhat matches what you wanted. At least it has a cat?

[hidetheremote]

Ninja vs. Samurai vs. Sake

Merry Christmas to the very awesome @hakuyamazakisensei! I’m sorry this was a bit late, but I wanted to give you a great ending. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I had fun writing it! You have been so good to me and you deserve the very best! Here is my @hakuokisecretsanta gift exchange!

Word Count ~ 2,800!!

YAMAZAKI

Yamazaki woke up with the worst gift in the world: a hangover rendering him useless. He had no idea how he ended up in his room—naked—covered in a thick blanket, splayed across his futon. His hakama was in his hand, a sopping wet mess. What the fuck happened last night? He shut his eyes tightly—one, because the fucking sun hated him right now, shining down with a vengeance—and two, because he needed to recollect what had happened last night.

He turned to his side and inhaled deeply. His eyes flew open, crinkling his nose, a familiar scent tickling him. “Lavender.”

Holy shit, it was all coming back to him. Did he win his bet? Had he finally confessed to Chizuru? He was completely naked, his clothes scattered around his room.

Memories rewound back in his mind, step by step, muddled in a blur. He stretched his body, feeling the aches around his hips and legs.

After a few minutes of staring up to his ceiling, he realized he knew shit about last night. Nothing at all.

He turned to his side, blinking rapidly to adjust his eyes to the bright light that beamed at him directly. Why did the sun hate him so much today? He winced and pulled his hand in to block his face. He felt soft cotton between his fingers and sniffed in a familiar scent: lavender. He jolted awake, sitting up straight in his futon.

In his hands was a pink kimono top. Only one person wore pink.

He cradled his face in his palm, sighing deeply. He felt a pinch in his heart, like something utterly regrettable happened last night.

He adjusted himself into seiza and took a long breath in. He waited a minute, feeling quite better. He smacked his lips quietly, swirling his tongue inside. He took a hard swallow, coating his dry throat and finally tasting a hint of sake in his mouth.

Sake. He had one too many bottles of sake, that he remembered.

He continued to meditate, letting the silence ring in his ears. A flash of Yamazaki’s face popped in his mind and he opened his eyes, breaking the concentration he had.

Yes, last night’s memories trickled in his head like drops of water rippling in a calm lake. He wasn’t clear of everything, but he remembered bits of pieces that happened.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling sharply. He vowed to never drink with Yamazaki again.

He darted his eyes back to the pink kimono. Oh, shit. Did he win the bet? Had he finally confessed to Chizuru?

His heart raced suddenly and he grasped his chest, feeling quite uneasy about himself.

He stood up slowly, slightly adjusting the scarf around his neck and walked out of his room like any normal day.

He needed to find Chizuru… and Yamazaki.

YAMAZAKI AND SAITO

Yamazaki rushed over to the courtyard, dressed in his black ninja garb. He looked menacing, like he was ready for battle. He had no choice, really, since his green kimono and black hakama were still wet.

Saito strolled over toward Yamazaki, meeting him right in the middle.

“Good morning, Susumu-kun,” Saito started, nodding at the ninja, “we need to talk about what happened last night.”

Yamazaki had his hands up, legs locked in a fighting position. He wasn’t going to kick Saito’s ass—Can he defeat him in hand-to-hand combat, he wondered—but his muscles tensed. He couldn’t help himself—the ninja outfit was throwing him off.

“Yes, Saito-san, we need to talk. And find Chizuru.”

There was a minute of awkward silence and both reserved men averted their gazes.

“Let’s make one thing clear right now,” Saito said, tone serious as ever. “We will never drink alone again.”

Yamazaki nodded, his purple eyes meeting stern blue ones. “I concur.”

Saito relaxed his face, pouting his lips slightly. “I immensely enjoyed my time last night, and thank you again for the invitation,” he said, clearing his throat, “but we certainly bring out the worst in each other.”

Yamazaki nodded again, and a hint of a smile tugged on his lips. “Yes, we certainly do.” He paused for a few seconds, his smile growing like he had remembered something amusing. “Although, a little competition is good for one’s health.”

“Indeed, Susumu-kun.” Saito’s face brightened and he couldn’t stifle the smirk escaping him. “But last night was not healthy at all.”

Yamazaki chuckled, his muscles relaxing as he dropped his hands to his sides. “I won, by the way. I managed to drink every last drop.”

Saito’s eyes flew open, both eyebrows raised in shock. “Quite the contrary, brother. It was I who had finished the last bottle.”

Yamazaki closed the distance between them and leaned in. “I woke up without my clothes, Saito-san. The scent of lavender all over my body. I’m quite sure something indecent happened to me last night.”

Saito shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear that, though what you’re implying is far from the truth.” Saito reached into his sleeve and pulled out the pink kimono top. “This here is evidence that my confession was accepted.”

“This makes no sense. That is probably someone else’s clothing.”

“But her signature perfume…”

Yamazaki snatched the top from Saito’s hand and took a long whiff of the article of clothing. “Indeed, this is the same lavender.”

They glared at each other, unflinching.

“We need to talk to Chizuru now!” they said at the same time.

CHIZURU

Chizuru rolled her futon, humming a pretty tune. It was a beautiful morning and her stomach grumbled for some breakfast.

She slid her door open and nearly had a heart attack.

“Saito-san! Yamazaki-san!” she screamed.

The two men rushed into her room and slid the door closed for privacy.

Chizuru’s heart was still racing. She sat down in the middle of her room, staring blankly at the two men in front of her.

“Chizuru-chan, how was your sleep last night?” Saito asked casually.

Yamazaki pinched his chin, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Wait, wait. Hold on for a second,” he interrupted. He pointed at Chizuru, and narrowed his eyes at Saito.

“Saito-san, she’s wearing her pink kimono top.”

Chizuru blinked rapidly, darting her eyes back and forth toward each man.

Saito gasped and took out the pink top he had this morning. “Quite an interesting development here.”

Chizuru snatched the clothing from his hands, her face flushed completely red. “This is mine!”

“Aha, so it is yours,” Saito chirped, craning his neck toward Yamazaki and smiling.

“No, no. I do not concede, I do not concede,” Yamazaki insisted, shaking his head fervently. “I was naked in her scent!”

Chizuru watched the two men bicker. Both politely taking turns, arguing some point she could not understand.

“Excuse me,” Chizuru raised her voice. “What is going on here?”

Saito and Yamazaki stared at each other, each one gesturing for the other to go ahead and explain.

“Please, I insist you go first.”

“No, thank you. After you.”

“Enough!” Chizuru yelled. “Someone explain something right now!”

The two men jumped back in surprise. Saito cleared his throat, while Yamazaki ran his fingers through his hair.

“Where were you last night, Chizuru? And please, do not be shy with your words. Yamazaki and I have an understanding…” Saito trailed.

“In my room. Where else would I be?”

“But where were you before you were in your room?” Yamazaki asked, emphasizing each word in a patronizing manner.

“I was at the well washing my clothes.”

The two men exchanged confusing looks.

“By the way, Saito-san, thank you for bringing me my laundry.”

“You’re welcome, Chizuru-chan,” Saito replied, sighing deeply. “Sorry for disturbing you. Yamazaki and I will let ourselves out.”

The two men stood up, glanced at each other and silently left the room.

YAMAZAKI AND SAITO

Saito kept his gaze on the ground, his mind working overtime.

Yamazaki exhaled loudly, earning Saito’s attention. “Sir, I’m not sure how to process all of this.”

Saito hummed, nodding softly. “I conclude nothing illicit happened to either of us. Let’s chalk this up to a drunken night and pray no one got hurt along the way.”

Yamazaki sighed, shaking his head. “Yes, sir.”

“Let me reiterate: we will never drink together alone again.”

The left-handed samurai and ninja parted ways, walking in opposite directions.

YAMAZAKI AND SAITO (LAST NIGHT)

Yamazaki enjoyed the weight of the coins in his pocket. He smiled brightly through the streets of Kyoto and wondered how he was going to enjoy the extra money he had made from recent missions.

He passed by the red light district and his heart skipped a beat with excitement. He deserved a good night out, he thought.

Saito and the rest of his men patrolled the streets with ease. The sun was setting and it was time to go back to headquarters. They passed by a tea house where Saito recognized one of his comrades.

Yamazaki sipped his tea and stared out the window, watching the scattering people walk by. He recognized the familiar blue and white haoris and caught Saito’s glance.

They waved at each other, acknowledging one another. Saito poked his head in the window, curious why the young ninja was alone.

“We are heading back to headquarters, Susumu-kun,” Saito started, sniffing the richness of the tea. It was blooming jasmine tea, quite the expensive taste for a humble man like Yamazaki. “Would you like to join us on our way back?”

Yamazaki shook his head lightly, placing the tea cup down in front of him. “Actually, I was heading over to a restaurant and enjoy a nice meal and some sake.”

Saito nodded. “Very well, then, enjoy your night but keep the curfew in mind.” He turned around, ready to leave back with his men.

“Wait, sir,” Yamazaki shouted, his voice unusually raised.

Saito craned his neck back, flashing a confused look on his face.

“Would you like to join me?” Yamazaki inquired. He was usually alone, celebrating by himself. But today was different and he always believed that he and Saito were quite similar in demeanor. This could be a fun night, he thought.

They walked side by side in the quiet streets of Kyoto. They passed by several tea houses and restaurants, and Saito was beginning to feel suspicious of where they were heading.

“I heard that place serves delicious fish, Susumu-kun. Maybe we should stop there,” Saito said softly, pointing to a lively restaurant.

Yamazaki shook his head, a hint of smile on his face. “No, sir. My coins will treat us for more.”

Saito knew the paths in the city very well. They were walking toward the red light district, and he wondered for a moment if accepting Yamazaki’s invitation would be regrettable. But he was a hardworking captain, and if Yamazaki insisted on treating them both out, well… it would be rude not to accept.

“Two bottles for now, please,” Yamazaki ordered, blushing at the pretty geisha.

“This is quite an extravagant room, Susumu-kun,” Saito said, his tone cheery and playful. “I’m very honored you wanted to share your earnings with me.”

Yamazaki beamed, an expression not usually shared with anyone. “Please, the pleasure is mine. I’ve always respected you and I think we both deserve a good time.”

When the bottles arrived, the two men dismissed the geisha, admitting they cannot be themselves around women.

“We will call for you when we need more sake,” Yamazaki ordered, flashing the woman a grin. The woman batted her eyes and bowed before scooting back outside. Yamazaki let out a frustrated sigh, his heart pounding in his chest.

It didn’t take many sake shots for the two to become glib. As the evening wore down, so did their guarded walls.

“I like to use my left hand, obviously, but when I use my right hand, it feels like a different person.” Saito’s cheeks warmed into a blush.

“I don’t close my eyes when I grip my… sword.” Yamazaki snorted at the last word. He giggled uncontrollably as he took another sip of sake.

The room echoed in chuckles. They stacked the empty cups and bottles on a tray ordered more from the geisha.

“Shimada snores so loudly in his room, sometimes I contemplate killing him in his sleep.”

“Oh, dear. That is quite a confession,” Saito said, pouring himself another cup. “There are two captains I wish to decapitate from time to time, though I will miss them dearly if I did.”

“I think I’m in love with Chizuru,” Yamazaki blurted, slamming the delicate cup on his tray. His face was completely red.

Saito narrowed his eyes, lips thin in a straight line. There was a few minutes of silence, both still and frozen, waiting for the other to make a move.

Saito poured himself another cup, fingers trembling and nervous. He sipped the liquid slowly, then gulped hard.

“I am in love with her as well,” Saito confessed, a flicker of red in his dark blue eyes.

The geisha returned with two more bottles. “Have you made your feelings known, Susumu-kun?” Saito asked cautiously. It was the most personal question he had asked tonight, and he was prepared to answer if Yamazaki posed the same question to him.

The young ninja shook his head. “I don’t have courage to tell her. Also, I don’t think she shares the same feelings as me.”

“I think tonight’s the night one of us shall reveal our true feelings to her,” Saito said, raising a cup to his comrade. “Whoever shall finish every drop of sake, he will go into Chizuru’s room tonight and confess his love to her.”

Yamazaki raised an eyebrow, confused as ever. “What good will a confession do if she doesn’t reciprocate?”

“Young man, we will feel more at ease when it happens.”

“Or worse because she will never look at us the same way.”

Saito sighed, shaking his head. The sake was finally hitting him, and he wasn’t quite sure what he was saying anymore. “Nevertheless, the bet stands. First one to finish their bottle wins.”

The two clinked their cups together and drank until their bellies ached.

They stumbled out of the restaurant, clinging to one another. Yamazaki’s pockets were now empty, but he was full of elation, no regrets at all—for now.

“I won, I get to confess.”

“No, no. It was I who finished every drop!”

“I don’t think so.”

They giggled in the dark, their laughter brightening the streets of Kyoto. They continued to argue, hiccuping in between sentences, and falling over the other as they made their way back home.

They walked into the headquarters, shushing each other and not at all stealthy as they expected.

They reached the well, eyeing a line of laundry next to it.

“Is… Is that Chizuru-chan’s clothes?” Yamazaki asked, squinting his eyes because his vision was blurry. He moved in to take a closer look but fell inside a wooden tub—still filled with water and soap.

Saito laughed hard, covering his mouth so the noise was muffled. He helped his soaking wet comrade up and sniffed him.

“You smell like a woman,” he teased, splashing the water in his hands. “You can’t go to Chizuru drenched.”

Saito eyed the line of laundry hanging above the well, darting his eyes to each article of clothing and randomly picked one. “Here, you should change into this.”

Yamazaki groaned and shook the water out like a dog coming out of a puddle. “No, I’ll change into my own clothes, thank you.” He walked away from Saito, wobbling toward his room.

“What am I going to do with this?” Saito shouted, clasping to the kimono top in his hand. He took a whiff of it, his eyes fluttering to a close as he enjoyed the scent.

“You go confess, sir,” Yamazaki replied, walking backwards and waving good-bye to the equally drunk samurai. “I’m rooting for you!”

Saito’s lips curled into a smile. He waved back to Yamazaki, burying his face into his scarf.

“Goodness, I reek of sake,” he muttered. He walked toward Chizuru’s room, but turned back the other way, shaking his head. “No, let me change first.”