rating / general
genre / ParallelWorld!AU, fluff, romance
summary /
imagine a world where time had been bent, where everything was suddenly the opposite. where Nobume is innocent.
_________________
The world swirled like a black hole, and colors whirled like a kaleidoscope. Woah, it was amazing, rainbows after rainbows and no matter how complicated it all was, it was pretty and it didn't make Nobume dizzy.
She didn't feel lightheaded, she only felt..different.
That wasn't exactly a good thing, because she didn't know she was no longer herself after the magic had happened.
_____
"A kidnapper is on the loose," Hijikata ordered with a fire, "catch him before he victims another."
The officers he was talking to didn't have to hear anything else. Their response was immediate; running off to search and ask witnesses, spreading positions and looking for evidence.
"Worked up again, devil-san?" Okita's sleepy voice rang as he leaned on the Japanese sliding doors of the headquarters. "It's morning, can you slow down?"
"Morning my butt. It's 10 minutes until noon, lazy ass. It's about time you get fired for going up late," Hijikata retorted, slamming a stack of paper on his table. He had no idea what they were, but as long as they're important, they're going to be on his desk and no one will touch them.
"You know Gori-san will never do that," Okita smirked, slipping his jacket on sluggishly.
"Then I will do it for him," Hijikata couldn't help but laugh at his genius comeback, and stood straight to emphasize his feeling.
Okita snickered, rushing off towards the exit. "I'll someday steal that position of yours," he grumbled, annoyed, "but first I'll catch this kidnapper to show who's the real lazy ass here."
"Let's see if you can," the superior laughed like the devil he was as he caught sight of Okita running to arrest the crook to prove himself.
_
Okita had been walking for two hours already, he believed he had explored the whole district with all the steps he had taken.
He was sweaty since it was 2PM and the sun was the hottest during this hour, torturing Okita with its extreme heat. He could handle just as much yet he's feeling he's going to die of thirst. He needed a shower or some sort, forgetting that he had woken up and immediately started the chase with this damned kidnapper.
He hadn't seen any fellow officers, and that was convenient for him, since he was selfish and he wanted to catch the kidnapper himself. Though help wouldn't be so bad, he took back.
It would be nice if a random cloud came passing by and dropped so much rain, but that thought was quickly dismissed because of the clear summer sky.
Okita grunted and stopped by at a stall to buy a bottle of water and just pour it all on himself. He must be fresh if he wanted to look for the kidnapper for the next two hours.
He did just that, grabbing the bottle and just letting the water flow like a spout. The chill met his face and hair so freshness took him by surprise, making him sigh in content.
"Pay," the vendor demanded quietly, not really bothered by the scene Okita just made because it was already usual for people to do that out of nowhere.
He looked at him with spite, but soon turned his stare looked at the vendor suspiciously, because he looked too familiar for his own good.
_
Nobume's legs were shaky and her eyes were open but she didn't feel alive, so she was unconsciously conscious, if that even made sense. She was unaware of her surroundings, and she didn't know where she was. All she felt was the extreme heat of the sun and all she saw was that yellow ball of light up in the sky.
"W-what is going on?" Nobume blinked, sluggishly walking and taking every step without ease.
"Raise your hands, and slowly come with me, you asshole," she heard a voice that seemed near but far away. She couldn't pay attention to anything, all her five senses were blocked and bothered so it was futile trying to understand the occurrences around her.
Things and colors blurred even more, in one moment the speed of the whirls increased. Then it suddenly, all at once, stopped.
Suddenly, Nobume found it difficult to breath.
"A-ah!" She struggled, air not passing through her lungs. "Ah!"
She found a vice grip around her neck, cutting off her respiration, successfully rendering her breathless.
"Get away, you rotten officer," then the kidnapper laughed like no tomorrow, cackling loudly against Nobume's ear.
When Okita was about to sheath his sword, he dismissed the thought, seeing that there was no reason to worry when he caught sight of the victim ensnared by the crook.
"That's a Mimawarigumi officer, if you didn't know. Mimawarigumi is known to be the second force of the Kabuki-district, so I'm not sure if you want her to be your next victim," he proudly stated, chuckling at the man's stupidity.
It would be nice and awfully convenient if Nobume retained her badass sword skills and agility, her well-known sword style killing people in a blink, however that's the problem. She didn't.
"What? Let go of me!" She whined with a high-pitched voice, battling out of the kidnapper's vice grip.
"She's an officer? She doesn't act like one," the male chuckled, marveling at how innocent the female before him acted like.
Okita was left confused, seeing the actions of a usually cold and ruthless girl turn into someone completely different. What was going on?
"Shit, what the hell happened to her?" This time, Okita unsheathed his sword without hesitation. He knew there was something wrong with the girl he once knew, and now didn't seem to know her anymore.
She was so different. He knew exactly why.
He handled his sword between his fingers and aimed for the man's arm that was suffocating Nobume. He then threw, letting it slash air and hit the target squarely.
It was a simple flesh wound, so it didn't do enough damage to extirpate the kidnapper.
Soon the grip around Nobume's neck lessened the pressure, and she coughed as a sense of freedom coursed through her. She felt rather happy despite the confusion, because she somehow knew that she was now saved.
Okita walked towards her and the kidnapper, hands in his pockets, taking his time as he showed off his cool. Eyes brimmed with spite, he was still as confused as Nobume.
He wanted to figure out why was this girl acting unlike the girl he knew of.
He approached the kidnapper first, properly threatening him to not move or else the next wound will end up on his head, before going close to the girl who was kneeling on the floor, grasping her spinning head.
"Hey," Okita crouched, meeting the eyes of Nobume, which unusually had shine and was glimmering. Once he saw them, he had a sense of panic sparking within him, not only that, but concern as well.
"Are you okay?" He couldn't really search for a more appropriate sentence, and he cursed himself for sounding worried and wimpy.
"Y-yes I am! Thank you so much for saving me!" Nobume enthusiastically replied. She was a bit nervous too though, because still she couldn't remember anything about herself.
Okita was beyond surprised, hearing the stone-cold Nobume talk like that rendered him uncomfortable.
"No, you're not. You're anything but fine. Come here, I'll bring you back to HQ," his hands crept up her neck and the back of her knees to carry her bridal style.
"Ah!" Nobume whimpered in surprise. "What are you doing?" A blush was apparent on her cheeks, and a fist was clenched on her chest.
"Oh," Okita smirked all of a sudden. "Despite the fact that you aren't acting like yourself, I'm liking this a lot."
"Liking what? What, what is going on?" she continued to ask like a child not knowing anything.
"You are so confused. Naïve and innocent, even if you're not really the Nobume I know of, this innocence of yours is very attractive."
"A-attractive?" her blush became heavier, and she couldn't help it, something inside her was triggered, and she couldn't really do anything about it.
"Yes, if I told you something dirty right now, I bet you would whine like a kitten," he smirked even more as he loudly called a fellow officer to arrest the kidnapper while he'll take care of this girl at hand.
"Isn't that..a Mimawarigumi officer?" the called young officer bashfully asked, looking at the ground and scratching his cheek in the timidest way possible.
"Oh," Okita's voice pitched a tone deeper and louder, "do you like her?"
"Ye– I mean– no! N–not at all!" the poor boy stammered, threatened by him.
He felt possessive alright, he had this ODD want to give the girl in his arms lots of tender care. And he felt like shooting himself, because no, he, a sadist, just wants to take care of Nobume.
This was getting unreal. He could barely care, but it's apparent that that wasn't very believable anymore.
_____
Hijikata smiled happily, hearing the news that Okita successfully caught the kidnapper on the loose. He made his job a thousand times easier, and he really no longer found a reason to hate the younger anymore.
As if Okita felt like he was being thought about, he barged in quite loudly, announcing his arrival in the HQ, with a smirk on his face.
Hijikata's smile was wiped in mere seconds once he saw the boastful person before him, and he was going to take back the statement he just thought a while ago because it seemed like the list of 'why I hate sougo' just became longer.
"What the name of Gori-san are you doing, Sougo?!" He boomed, standing up as quick as a lightning.
"Well, I'm in HQ. I'm not doing anything wrong," Okita chuckled at the devil's response, "why so serious again? It's already 3PM, didn't you have time to chill yourself?"
Hijikata snorted, remembering his good mood moments prior. Damn Okita, doing such a great job in ruining his day. "Yes, apparently, until you came in."
"Does my presence annoy you that much? Don't worry, the feeling is mutual."
"I'm not kidding, you shit! CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY ARE YOU CARRYING NOBUME TO HQ? Very gentlemanly of you, I have to say, to regally bring this woman in here bridal style," Hijikata's nostrils flared, he was really determined on why was there a white uniform in an ocean of black ones.
"Am I laughing? No. Need not to know," Okita smirked in victory, since he knew Hijikata was going to die of curiosity and his own anger.
Okita let the blue-haired lady lie down on one of the thin mattresses on the floor and sat beside her afterwards. He took his time staring at her innocent face, which looked to be deep in slumber.
"She's exhausted physically and mentally," he told Hijikata without averting his gaze from her face.
"Something happened. All I know is that she's not being herself."
"What would be that something?" he finally calmed, lowering his voice to not wake up the sleeping beauty.
"I don't know, but it must've been the cause of her opposite personality. Everything she was just then, that person was the complete opposite of the Nobume I know," Okita faced Hijikata, "I brought her here because she must've been confused. Lost."
Hijikata then sat comfortably, and before his eyes things happened, that he never ever thought that could be possible.
Nobume started moving ever so slightly, scrunching up her nose and stretching.
"U-waaah~!" She stretched bubbly.
Then she coughed, as Okita rushed by her side.
"Are you alright?" he patted her back to alleviate her continuous coughs.
"I a-am. Thank you," she blushed ever so slightly — you can hear Hijikata gasping and clasping his hand over his mouth — while Okita fixed her blanket and excused himself. He exited, making both wonder why, but didn't see the need to question it.
"So..," He tried to start a conversation, "do you know your name?"
By his inquiry, Nobume's face lit up as she hurriedly replied, "oh! I almost forgot to ask you guys that. I'm glad I have people to trust now," she smiled with her eyes, "what is my name?"
He was about to give her name away, but he figured it would be way too easy. "Let's play hangman!" Hijikata smirked.
"That's my name, 'let's play hangman'? Can't I give myself I new one?" Nobume pouted, unsatisfied with it.
Hijikata couldn't help but cackle at the cuteness of the girl before him. She was so naïve in a good way, and he couldn't help but be enthralled by her, but he also felt odd because this was so new.
"Of course not! Your name is comprised of six letters, and the first is the letter 'N'," Hijikata chuckled, wanting to give Nobume a difficult time.
Nobume pouted even more, "what? Can't you give me more hints?"
Okita barged in pretty loudly as he was holding a tray, eyes filled with spite as he sat beside the blanketed girl.
"Don't listen to him, Nobume. He's a devil transported into our time, and you shouldn't pay him no mind," Okita sternly told her, slipping her name on purpose.
"No-nobume! What a nice name!" She cheered, accidentally spilling the bowl of congee that Okita brought.
"A–ah!" She retaliated, "it burns!" She clutched her finger, and afterwards continued to worry endlessly. "Ah, the soup! What a waste, I'm so sorry.."
"Hey, hey," Okita held her shoulders to calm her, "it's alright. There's more in the kitchen. No need to panic, okay?"
"Are you sure?" Nobume kept her head low, guilt engulfing her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now let's take care of your burn," he gingerly held Nobume's finger and observed it. It was surely a burn, carefully becoming calloused, but not a severe one, thankfully.
Okita rushed to get some ice and cooled her
burn, earning another sense of gratitude from Nobume after the many already.
_
The Shinsengumi, plus the company of Nobume, was walking around the district as the sun was going down, in accord with the request Nobume made as her tummy grumbled.
She was hungry, and boy, she could eat a cow.
The district was, as usual, hustling and bustling, and she tugged at Hijikata's sleeve shyly, trying to gain the older's attention.
"What do you want?" he told her rather snootily, but that was only feigned.
Then Nobume switched to the man beside her and tugged his sleeve instead, seeing that Hijikata wasn't in a very nice state to have a conversation.
"Hmm?" Okita turned his head to cast his gaze on Nobume, whose head was low and eyes looking up at him. "What's with that expression?" Okita was really taken aback and tried to hide it, but he swore he felt his loins twitch in excitement unexpectedly.
"I'm hungry," she simply stated and continued to walk with the rest of the Shinsengumi who wanted to walk and bond together a bit.
"Did you really have to have that look on your face?" Okita brought up a caring hand and patted the girl's shoulder.
"Yes, because if I did not, you might not feed me," she replied like a hurt puppy.
"Hey, we are taking care of you well. Two days from now, you'll be back to Mimawarigumi," Okita almost got mad, because they were doing their best to accommodate a girl in an ocean of men.
"You can only say that if you give me food," Nobume puffed her cheeks, acting stubbornly.
"But we do! Fine, what do you want?" Okita rolled his eyes, but in truth, he was hiding a smile, because Nobume was so adorable and she just wanted attention from him.
Her face brightened as he asked, feeling a sense of achievement immediately. "Rice!" she answered, "bowls of rice! So much rice!!"
The rest of the Shinsengumi was surprised with her sudden burst, but they only found it extremely cute afterwards. Okita was surprised for another reason, that being Nobume didn't ask for donuts, but the change was nice.
"Okay then, I'll buy you," Okita declared, feeling manly when he realized he was buying food for a lady.
Nobume was all smiles, eyes forming crescents, as she thanked Okita and clung around his arm. "Wah, really? Thank you!"
"That sounded wrong," one officer spoke up, "it seemed like Okita–san was going to buy Imai–san herself.."
"Like her body?!" another reacted rather violently and loudly, not even considering the fact that Okita could hear him.
A death glare then was directed to him, and no words should even be said before he hurriedly changed the subject. Which, only worsened his seat. "More importantly, why is Imai–san the only one who will have free food bought by Okita–san? Shouldn't we have too?"
The glare on him transformed to something more deadly, but the officer could barely care, since he received lots of support from his fellow officers who were now cheering repeatedly, shouting into Okita's ear.
And when they thought that they convinced him, "Nope, only Nobume," Okita smirked evilly, earning feminine whines and complaints.
Then they ran off to an expensive restaurant, and Okita required each one to eat the most expensive dish, or else they would fast for a month. Of course they ate with their own will, considering the most pricey food is the most delicious — it should be, however they couldn't help but cry in misery when they realized that a hole had been made in their pockets.
_____
"You showed a side I never saw of you in that short span of two days," Hijikata stated with a smile after reminiscing.
"What side?"
"A side that cares a lot. You don't give a damn most of your life," he answered, busying himself by fixing the papers on his desk.
Okita just snorted, adjusting his position on the tatami mat, "is that a nice thing? I don't really care anymore."
"But you have to admit you did like that side of hers."
"What makes you say that?"
"You probably dirty talked her at some point when she was innocent to see her reaction, which you probably thought to video because I know you fully well that you would love an innocent expression."
At this point, Okita was imagining Nobume's voice saying 'Ah, no.. D–don't..' wantonly —which will probably never happen ever again.
"Stop claiming things. I'm glad she's back to herself now."
"How did she even get that?"
"I don't even want to know."
"Don't you? Don't you want her to be like that again?"
Okita was left thinking, but he left it at that, because if Nobume returned to being like that, he'll definitely do things that he will surely intensely enjoy but fully regret. He's better off without that. Or is he?
__________
INNOCENT NOBUME IS ARTTTTT
I love OOC Nobume I don't know why? she's cool and I love her for being who she is but you know a change isn't so bad + okita would probs like that side too if you know what I mean
mwaHAHAHH
finally though I'm so happy I finished this already. this took me so long because I'm barely able to do since I have this need to focus on school
I actually want this to be a seperated fanfic
and this kind of plot is practically IMPOSSIBLE to contain in a single one–shot (unless you want a one–shot that is comprised of 75K words trust me I experienced this once and my writing is not majestic enough for that nope)
if I get to confirm the publishing date of my other secret fanfic (hehe) that is alike to this plot — spoiler — I'll post it here!! make sure to keep this book in your library angels, because I might give an update about a separate fanfic with a similar plot! I know there are fans of innocent!Nobume, so I might just have the fic to sate your crave! heehee~~
can we also give caring!Okita some attention? hahaha! he needs to show this side of him more often, don't you think?
here's our usual spoiler corner!
• sad chap ; are we broken or bent?
thank you once again for reading~! you know how grateful I am with every read, I hope you continue to enjoy our journey!
V O T E
C O M M E N T
F O L L O W
❁ ambertrill ❁