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After the students of Shouka Sonjuku cleaned the room, many of them were getting their futons and blankets out and started preparing for another night. Everybody was busy arranging their beds to either be close to their friends or have a good spot in the crowded room. The red light of the sunset flooded the busy and noisy room accompanied by the loud chirping of the cicadas. Gintoki was lazily sitting on the floor picking his nose while Katsura finished arranging his blanket and pillow.
“Oi, Zura”, Gintoki said while getting up and walking over to him, “share your futon with me.”
“It’s not Zura, it’s Katsura”, Katsura replied, “and you have your own futon. Stop picking your nose and make your bed already.”
“One of the new kids accidently slept on mine and peed on it and we’re short on spare futons right now. Come on, Zura, Shouyou said I should ask one of you to share.”
“It’s not Zura, it’s Katsura.”, a testing look, ”Fine, but don’t take up too much space and don’t push me from my own futon. I have seen what happens when you and Takasugi sleep in close proximity.
“You’re not Takasugi”, Gintoki snorted, “so you won’t end up with my feet in your face-”
“Be careful that I don’t shove my feet into your face!” Takasugi shouted while throwing his pillow in Gintoki’s direction. Before the two of them could start a full-blown pillow fight, Shouyou snatched the pillow from Gintoki’s hand and told the two troublemakers to quickly get into their futons with his usual kind smile.
After Shouyou left the students of Shouka Sonjuku to sleep, the sun had gone down and the room was dipped into a dim light. Katsura and Gintoki were both lying on their futon facing the same direction. After some trouble where Katsura’s hair kept getting in Gintoki’s face, Katsura tossing and turning to avoid Gintoki messing up his hair, and a few attacks from Takasugi’s feet, they were finally able to doze off. The last thing Gintoki saw before falling asleep were Katsura’s dark lashes and his calm and peaceful sleeping face.
---
The students of Shouka Sonjuku went to war for Shouyou a few years later, leaving the protection and security of the school under the pine tree behind. The evenings and nights have changed since then. A room full of futons and laughing and bickering children was replaced by a camp full of injured and exhausted soldiers, and futons were nowhere to be seen.
Katsura was taking care of his own injuries under the red light of the setting sun.
“Oi, Zura, do you need help? You better hurry with patching up, the sun will be down in 10 minutes”, Gintoki said while sitting down next to him. He grabbed the cloth to help Katsura clean the cuts and bruises on his arms and shoulders.
“It’s not Zura, it’s Katsura”, he replied while letting Gintoki tug gently over the injuries, “I had to patch up the seriously wounded first, I only have a few scratches.”
“And because you regularly take care of our seriously injured you should know how bad infected wounds can be”, Gintoki smacked Katsura’s head only to get Katsura’s elbow shoved into his stomach in return, “Ouch! I’m trying to clean your wounds here, stop hurting poor Gin-san! Is that how you say thank you?!”
He was done with cleaning the wounds when the sun was almost completely down. He pushed the bowl of water with the cloth inside away, still remaining seated. A moment of silence.
Katsura turned around to look Gintoki into his eyes. “I would ask you to share futons again but evidently we cannot afford this kind of luxury in a war.” A puzzled look on Gintoki’s face, then a soft laugh, “You still remember we shared futons this one night? I only recall Takasugi kicked me a few times and you didn’t sleep with your eyes open back then.”
“I remember that Sensei didn’t wash futons the next day”, Katsura said with a teasing smile on his lips. “Oh, really?”, Gintoki yawned, “Then it must’ve been a few days later.”
As Katsura and Gintoki lay down next to each other on what would have been the same futon, the camp fell asleep on a sultry summer day during the Joui war. The last thing Katsura saw before falling asleep were Gintoki’s white lashes and a soft frown on his face.
---
The students of Shouka Sonjuku were neither sharing a room, nor a camp amidst the battlefield anymore. The war has been over for ten years.
Sadaharu yawns as the red of the setting sun after yet another sultry summer day fills the room at the Yorozuya. Gintoki and the kids had been on an exhausting job today, and Shinpachi went home quickly after. Kagura was already dozing on the couch and Gintoki couldn’t bring himself to get up and bring her to bed.
A sudden ring of the doorbell. Gintoki leaned backwards over the couch, yawning. “Yorozuya Gin-chan is closed for today, come back tomor-”
The door slid open and Katsura entered the hallway. “Good evening, Gintoki.” he said while he closed the door behind him and put off his sandals. A tired wave from Gintoki “Ah, Zura, what brings you over tonight?”, another yawn, “did you lose your pet or something?”
“It’s not Zura, it’s Katsura. And no, I left Elizabeth at home and came to see how you, Leader, and Sadaharu-dono are doing”, he entered the room and sat right besides Gintoki on the couch, “But you all seem to do fine, albeit a bit exhausted and already in your pyjamas. How about joining the Joui rebels-”
A quick punch hit Katsura’s arm. “How often do I have to tell you I’m an upstanding citizen now!!! I want nothing to do with terrorists, you stupid wig!”
“It’s not stupid wig, it’s Katsura.” he whispered elbowing back, “Quit yelling, you’re waking up Leader.”
Gintoki went over to the other couch where the sleeping Kagura moved just slightly and picked her up. He turned around, Kagura in his arms and nodded in the direction of the closet where she usually sleeps and Katsura quietly opened it. As Gintoki put Kagura in her bed and softly covered her with the blanket, Katsura disappeared into Gintoki’s room.
Gintoki entered his room shortly after, finding Katsura laying on his futon. “Share your futon with me.”
A soft chuckle, “Don’t you have your own futon in your joui rebel hideout? Don’t tell me a new recruit peed on it. Zura, you should pick better recruits next time.”
Gintoki joined Katsura on his futon, putting his head on the pillow Katsura’s head was already resting on, looking into his brown eyes, a tender smile on his lips.
The last thing Gintoki saw before falling asleep were the black strands framing Katsura’s face.