Inevitable Association

I remember it being a very dark and cold night. It happened to be raining as well. To a bitter bastard like me, rain or the coldness of winter was like an old friend. I welcomed its chill as it caressed my skin under my uniform. What did I care? I was dead anyway. Of course not in the true sense of the word, but more importantly to feel nothing for those that I came across. If I felt emotions I knew I wouldn't be able to perform my duties and with that in mind I made sure I was stone cold and ruthless. I moved about the streets doing my job as requested by my superiors and that's all. No regrets.

However, it appeared fate would change my usual patrolling and/or killing ways as it wished to through a strange twist into my straightforward life.

That rainy evening I'd been patrolling the area on my own. I was a skilled swordsman and needed no help in fighting the enemy, but I wasn't careless and if I required help I knew where to find it. My ability to strike down whoever got in my way was one-hundred percent. I failed at nothing and therefore I wondered the streets alone this night and came across worthless thugs surrounding someone who was sprawled on the ground in the mud. It was evident to me that it was a woman as one of the thugs had a tight hold on her damp hair. Instantly my eyes narrowed at the scene they caused. It was one of the things I truly hated. Defenseless women being abused was never called for and therefore on stealth feet I made my way towards the four of them.

'Having fun?' I remembered questioning darkly and instantly they turned to face me, looking me up and down until one blurted out the obvious. 'You're from Shinsengumi!' I had no time to answer, not that I'd waist much of my breath on them as they drew weapons. It merely took minutes as I struck them down. Worthless scum...that's all they were to me. I as a Shinsengumi member - a captain no less - am always ready for action and pitied the fool that would dare challenge me to a fight.

The rain instantly washed the blood from my sword, but crisp white paper was drawn from the inside of my hakama as I cleaned it off entirely. The woman I'd saved still lay on the ground along with the corpses of the men who tried to do battle with me. Her hands clenched in the mud as an aura of anger surrounded her. For what reason, I didn't know or care and instead began walking off not saying a single thing to her. It wasn't my business to find out her details as I had other matters to attend to this night.

The very next day I wondered the streets with my comrades trailing behind me but stopped when a young woman was pushed into me. I had taken a small step back, eyes narrowing as the culprits took off not wishing to stick around and instead lowered my glowing gaze to her crumpled form in the mud once again. Instantly I recognized who she was, but voiced nothing as she stood up, dusting herself off as she did so.

'Watch where you're going!' She had snapped at me, not even caring that I wore the uniform of the Shinsengumi or that I had members right behind me as we walked the streets with pride and an aura of supremeness. One of my underlings was ready to strike her, but my hand went out, quieting him down and silently telling him to remain in his position as I observed brown-gold eyes flicker angrily up at me. 'You owe me a new kimono' she had huffed at me as her pale slender hand brushed cakes of mud from the right side of her kimono.

My eyes had drawn up and down her slender frame as I took in her appearance. Her hair was placed into an immaculate bun on top of her head with jeweled hair pins as accessories. Her kimono, which she was still fuming over was made of cream and maroon silks and seemed to be quite an expensive one at that. At quick glance one would think she was a whore, but to my trained eyes – and the fact I'd been to a few pleasure houses – she was far too sophisticated and so I placed it down to the fact she came from a wealthy family instead. As I silently looked down at her short form, her brown-gold eyes moved back up to look at me and never once flinched away from my cold hard stare. The first thought that came to mind about her was that she had spunk.

That morning the streets went eerily quiet as this unknown woman faced off against a Captain of the Shinsengumi. It appeared she wasn't afraid to show off her wealthy background in what she wore or how she acted and didn't fear me at all. The mere knowledge of this intrigued me even more.

I leaned into her that day, a wolfish grin on my face as I whispered 'With an attitude like that I'll remember your face and make you my woman' to her before straightening up to my full height. Her eyes had widened at that, but she voiced nothing. I merely wished to scare and annoy her as my lips quirked into a cynical grin. With that event finally over my squadron and I were on our way as we paid not further attention to her.

It would soon become apparent, over the coming days that this very woman, whom I never knew the name of, would be more frequent in my life then any other woman I'd ever been associated with...or even bedded with.

# To Be Continued #

Authors Notes: Ah, this is probably only two, three or four chapters long as I just felt like bringing out a Saitou/Tokio story. It's pretty much just an interpretation of my own of how the two could have possibly met for the first time. I mean it's never clear how the two of them met or even how long they have been married for or even if Saitou met her back in his Shinsengumi days or what not. At least I don't think there is...and if there is...oh well. Sorry, I'm probably making no sense at all, but its all in Saitou's POV about himself, maybe a little bit of Shinsengumi and a whole lot of Tokio. I couldn't resist trying it out, so hopefully it's okay for now.