Gintama Oneshots

Regrets: Spicy Rice Crackers

It confused the newer recruits, but that was fine. They didn't have to know, and Kondo made no move to explain.

Sougo was always a bit more dangerous to be around in those few days. The violence he targeted at Hijikata became even worse, and his usual attempts at killing the vice chief, well, they were just normal greetings for anyone now. Civilians, he rest or the Shinsengumi, other law enforcement...nobody was safe. It was just better to give the sadist his space.

This, everyone knew, wasn't just a random violent spree. There was a reason, a good and  painful one. So they respectfully and fearfully gave him his space. Only Kondo was safe, and offered the captain support.

But what about the vice chief? He was a demon, yeah, but even then...He was being insanely strict and sometimes even short tempered. Like everyone else, he avoided Sougo...but not out of fear and respect. It almost seemed like guilt, the way he wouldn't even look at him.

He was even stricter with himself, never failing to complete any of his paperwork, making sure the Shinsengumi he loved ran smoothly. (Save for the occasional destruction to property and such, but that was more on the job stuff.) But in those handful of days? He was constantly distracted. Unsigned papers and unchecked proposals piled up.

His eyes were cold like steel, the new recruits thought. They were cold, focused...He only ever seemed to face the future and never dwell on the past. So why did he seem distracted so often now? Why did he stare off, eyes glazed over, like he was watching something else in another time, in another place?

And why were there rumors of him sneaking out at night, a bag of crackers in his hand only for him to return with bloodshot eyes as red as those crackers were?

Kondo just smiled a small smile when they asked, keeping his best friend's secrets. The answer was clear enough, but it was still Toshi's secret. He'd treat it as such, and help him out however he could in the days around Mitsuba's death anniversary.

Except for doing the paperwork.