Hibiscus – Noun. English. Plant. Any of a large genus of herbs, shrubs, or small trees of the mallow family with large showy flowers and usually dentate leaves. The most well-known use of hibiscus is for herbal teas. The flower symbolism associated with hibiscus is delicate beauty [Fragile Beauty]. Also known as Red Mallows

Summary: She was dangerous. She could kill in an instant. That was a fact. A fact that seemed to have missed that thick skull of a certain sadistic jerk.

"What in the world are you doing?" the beauty in white demanded as she struggled against the man-slayer's hold.

The sandy-haired man in red grunted before letting go. "I am trying to save your ass," he answered. The branch on which both beings stood swayed a bit as Kagura tried to balance herself.

A sigh. "You do know I could take them," she stated; tone half offended and half irritated.

"Let me handle this," he mumbled. "Children should not be given things that adults should do."

"I am twenty, fuck you very much."

Wine red met cloudy blue. Then, it happened in a blur. Asshole was already in the battlefield. The female just sat on the branch in pure shock.

They met in the deserted park they usually quarreled on. It was a silent agreement. All that was left that was normal for them. She unfurled her umbrella; the violet swirling with anticipation.

Sadist did not bother unsheathing his weapon. It irked her more when she could not feel his bloodlust. "Sake?" he offered.

She blinked. "What?" she blurted out.

The smile he gave was unnerving. It was a real smile and not the sadistic once she was used to. "Sake. It would be better if we drown our sorrows with sake."

Kagura felt disappointed that they weren't going to spar. "You pay then," she sighed.

When she entered the café Mayora was working in, the former captain felt his blood boil at the scene. She was a panting mess, her consciousness barely intact. Red was everywhere. It felt like every splotch on her white outfit was hers then.

Sougo was already by her side then. "The fuck did you do?" he asked. If it weren't for him, she would have planted her face on the ground.

"Could still walk, Sadist," China mumbled, lightly pushing the male off. No avail. His grip got tighter on her arm. "Sadist," she whined in pain.

"Second flood, first door to the left," the chain smoker stated. "She has spare clothes there and a first aid kit."

Yelping in surprise, China was swept off of her feet and was dashed towards the said room. She was dumped [gently] on the bed as the assassin gave off curses looking for bandages and ointments. When the female tried to stand, Sougo's sharp eyes already pinned her. "Stay," he commanded. Sougo continued looking once he saw the surprise reflecting in her eyes.

"Alright, sadist," China called out. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"What's with you babying me? You know the wounds will disappear in a few hours." Her angry expression then turned to a haughty one. "Oh? Or have you finally fallen for me?"

The smirk covered what he actually felt. "Who would fall for a pig such as yourself?" he asked. "They'd likely die before they could even lay a hand on you." He turned to her, gesturing for her clothes to be removed.

China snorted. "Come on, Sadist. I have a body of a model." She unbuttoned the font of her cheongsam and removed the yellow sash on her waist. The heavy plate fell on the flood with a thud as she wiggled out of the blood-soaked clothing.

"The only thing I am seeing is a monster," Sougo stated. He sat on the chair in front of the female and started cleaning her injuries. His anger again boiled when he noticed a large gash on her side. "What were you thinking going on to missions like these without telling me?"

"Sadist," she hissed. A warning.

"You've been doing these shit for months now, idiot."

"You're not my mami or Gin-chan."

"That does not mean you have to ignore your body's needs. When the fuck did you last eat?"

"That is out of topic!" she shrieked. This was due to both the pain from the alcohol sadist was dubbing on her skin and from anger.

He threw the bottle he was holding on the floor. He felt his blood freeze for some reason and all the insults he was thinking disappeared on his throat. He turned then, ignoring the yell from China. "I'm calling the Yoshiwara."

That stopped the female from yelling more insults. No. That froze the Yato in place. Yoshiwara means dealing with an angry Courtesan of Death AND the head of Yoshiwara himself, her own brother, Kamui. That was actually a low blow from Sougo but he had to risk it to save her from dying on the field.

If he would have looked back just one second, the sadist would have seen how hurt she was with the decision. She fell to her knees, not bothering with the glasses embedding themselves on her skin.

A few minutes of silence and three people entered. Kagura had not even moved from the spot. The click of a tongue didn't register inside her head. She felt herself being lifted but did not register on who was carrying her.

The next thing she knew, she was in her room in Yoshiwara with Tsukki. "I'm a fool," Kagura muttered.

"Yeah yah are," the older one snapped. She was treating the wounds.

Kamui actually glanced at the blonde while Tsukki stared back. The laughter from the male caused both females to jump. "You fell for the samurai," he announced with glee.

Kagura's ears turned red and the room turned hot. "I~I do not!"

He was in deep shit right now. Assassinating the mafia boss was a mistake. Wait, no it wasn't. It was murdering the asshole in front of his entourage - that was a mistake.

Clutching his bleeding shoulder, he slashed through the incoming enemy before turning and retreated. In the years in which Edo was reduced to a living hell, he was taught that not all battles were won by charging until every bone is broken. He lost friends because of that method.

Why is a gorilla in the damn path with her umbrella aimed at his head? He was seeing red again. "What the hell, China?" he yelled out.

"Get down!" the female bellowed. "Or your head blows up with them!"

It felt like the bullet coming out of the weapon was slow. Sougo slid, letting his battered body slam into the ground. Miraculously, he stopped just before the red-haired yato. "What~!"

"Sadaharu, protect the asshole," she commanded.

And like clockwork, the samurai enveloped by something soft and furry. He was now sitting in a nest of white fur.

Pain and agony, wounds and bruises… they were all forgotten once the white-clad gorilla charged through literally an army. He called out but what came out from his lips was a grunt and a groan.

China moved like a dancer with so many partners. The beat of Death's music screamed throughout the stage. She twirled and kicked, bowed and dipped, slid and somersaulted. If he wasn't bleeding from his shoulder, surely that blood would have rushed in a particular area.

Instead of flowers, she was praised with blood raining from the sky. And instead of a standing ovation, Sougo succumb to the sweet, cold darkness of the void.

Kagura clicked her tongue in distaste when she finished the last of the enemy. She was still thirsty for blood. "Sadaharu," she called out, opening her umbrella and walking away from the battlefield. "Let's go." The noise from her pet made her turn. Her eyes widened. Shit. Right. She scrambled to her dog's side and checked for the sadist's pulse. Relief flooded her when she knew his heart was still beating. "Okay. To Mayora's café."

Hijikata groaned in annoyance when the yato entered drenched in blood once again. "Upstairs," he growled, already holding a mop.

"Right," she nodded before stopping just before climbing the stairs. "Err, Mayora, I need help."

"With what~the fuck happened?" the barista shrieked when the giant dog came in carrying the sadist. "Fucking hell."

Both got up and treated the unconscious being. Mayora was fuming and interrogating Kagura as if she was the sole reason the sadist was in this state. The yato defended herself by yelling and relating what happened. Both got into a heated argument but still kept their pace in cleaning and bandaging the wounds.

When everything was set and the sandy-haired asshole snuggly cuddling her dog, Kagura was invited to drink. It was rare for the chain smoker to do this. Off course, the female accepted.

"He'sh an eash-hole!" Kagura slurred out as she slammed her fifth glass of colored concoction.

"We already established that a while ago," the black-haired man chuckled. If the yato wasn't so drunk, she would have made fun of the tipsy former Shinsengumi.

"Shtalking me everywhere, aru," she grumbled. "Can't even pick a fight when he's there."

"Oh?"

Again, the female slammed her glass. "I could handle mah-self, aru," she declared. "I can take 'em out with eyes closed."

"Off course you could. You are a Yato."

"Exactly!"

Hijikata hummed, nursing his drink. "You're the second woman he has done that since I knew him."

"He treats me like I'm a pain in the ass!" she yelled out.

"That means he likes you."

Kagura tried to punch the man across the table but missed by a mile. Her cheeks were now pink not because of the alcohol. "Shut up. Dun make up 'scuses. It gives me hope."

"Also, if you would just keep out of trouble maybe he wouldn't treat you like a liability."

"I said shut it, aru!" Again, she tried to punch her drinking partner.

Mayora raised his hands. "I wasn't the one talking, China girl."

In her muddled state, she turned to the person coming towards them. "Oi, trashesh like you should be shleeping," she stated, turning to face the samurai. Vertigo immediately grabbed hold of her. She swayed a bit before falling off her chair. The giggles escaping her lips was contagious enough to rope Hijikata.

A sigh was heard and she was lifted from the floor. Sadist held her close. It was nice. "You're drunk."

"No duh, shadisht," the female giggled. "Yer injured."

The brunette narrowed his eyes as he stared at the bartender. Mayora silently raised six fingers. A sigh escaped the assassin. "China, come on."

Those blue eyes blinked. "Where?" she asked. She stumbled for a bit as he dragged her upstairs.

"You need sleep."

"With you? Sure," she chirped. "It would be nice to be with you."

"Don't desecrate the bedroom," Hijikata called out with a laugh.

When she woke up, she was alone in the room.

He was not even surprised when damn monster came charging towards him a few days later. He groaned in pain when he was deposited on the ground and her boot connected with his chest. "China," he whizzed in greeting.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I could fight," she announced. "I am a yato, the most blood-thirsty clan in the universe. I am the child of two dangerous monsters and the brother of a crazed space pirate. I could take care of myself."

"Get your dirty foot off me, China."

Complying, she walked a few steps away before plopping on the ground herself. "Why can't you just accept that I could wipe the floor with you even with my eyes closed." She was glaring.

Sougo rolled his eyes. He knew that. He knew everything was true. He just can't accept it. "In your dreams."

China wrinkled her nose. She looked defeated. Oi, China, you look ugly like that. "What happened, sadist? When did I become a burden to you?"

"You are not a burden."

She frowned. "Why do you waste your time protecting me then?"

"What are you talking about?"

He noticed her clenching her fist. She aimed her umbrella at him and fired. Thank the heavens he dodged in time. "Don't play with me, sadist."

The male sighed. "Do I have to have a reason?" he asked, eyes moving to gaze at the sky. A few seconds of silence passed between them before he closed his eyes and laid on the grass. "My sister once told me to protect those around me."

"I am strong enough to defend myself, Sadist," she repeated with an equally bored tone. "What are you implying?"

"I could not live with the thought that the bitch holding unto my fucking heart gets injured or killed because of her idiocy."

"You're an idiot, too, Sadist," she declared without even thinking. "Can't you just~wait," her face turned red upon processing what he had said. "You idiot!" she shrieked, kicking the male like a ball. "Don't play with a maiden's heart, dammit. It's fragile!"

He flew a few meters and skidded to a stop. Sougo could not help but smirk. Pain was a faraway thought right now.

She was right. She was fragile, yes. But not like a flower. Oh, no. Kagura was as fragile as a bomb.

Author's note: No idea. Was just playing with words and trying a different style. Also, a warning for the next chapter. It contains rape elements and bondage.