6Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hakuouki or anything related to it.
The door was halfway open when he spotted her.
She lay curled up on the divan in his office. On the table in front of the divan was the tray he'd seen her carry everyday when she brought him his meals or just some tea. The tea and snacks had gone cold, and she was in a deep sleep. The meeting had started hours ago. Had she truly waited for him that long?
Smiling, he quietly entered the room and closed the door to avoid rousing her. The sight of her slumbering form made him want to yawn, but he suppressed the urge.
In the past few weeks since her arrival in Ezo, her insistence that he not push himself too hard and take better care of himself became more like commands. Intimidating her into backing off was impossible, as his glares and stern tone of voice had long since lost their influence on her.
Hijikata shook his head. While he did understand where she was coming from, he had too much work to do. There a stack of paperwork on his desk right now that he preferred to complete before morning, so though he didn't look forward to her reaction that he stayed up late at night again, especially since she was present this time, he refused to change his mind.
He kept one eye on her and the other on the tray as he carried it to his desk. After doing so, he removed his jacket and covered her with it. She shifted and mumbled incoherently, but remained asleep. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled as if recognizing the new source of warmth despite not being awake.
He made his way back to his desk and got to work, pausing every now and then to take a sip of tea or a bite from the snacks. He didn't mind that they were cold, though knowing Chizuru, she would insist on bringing him a fresh batch. A half-fond, half-exasperated sigh escaped his lips at the thought. He would never admit this out loud, but he was grateful to Otori for arranging their reunion. Life was still hard, but with her by his side, the burden was not as agonizing to bear.
"Hijikata-san."
At first, he thought she had awoken. He braced himself for a scolding before realizing she was not awake. Her eyes remained shut, and her brows had knitted together into a frown. Not a frown of distress. Rather it was a frown of...annoyance?
Was she dreaming of him?
Well, she had called his name. Maybe she was dreaming of lecturing him for neglecting his health, he half-jokingly guessed with a chuckle.
"Hijikata-san." The tone of her voice had changed ever so slightly. The annoyance intensified, and her breathing quickened before she repeated his name.
"O-Oh, H-Hijikata-san." The annoyance was completely gone now. Her voice had adopted a more...sensual form. Her hands were clenched into fists. Sweat poured in droplets down her forehead. Yet he could have ignored all of that if it weren't for the moan she let out before calling his name for the fourth time.
Hijikata felt his face heat up at the realization of exactly what Chizuru was dreaming about. He muttered a curse under his breath.
What the hell should he do? Should he even do anything? If he woke her up, she would be humiliated. If he let her wake up on her own, she might see him there and be equally embarrassed that he had witnessed her in such a state.
She called his name for the fifth time. Thankfully, the sensuality was gone now. Her body relaxed, and the peaceful smile returned to her face. Silence filled his office once more, and he sighed in relief. With any luck, she'd forget about the dream or assume that he hadn't been present during it. Either way, he wouldn't mention it to her.
Loath as he was to admit it, he had dreamt of her in that manner once or twice. He knew she would not bring it up to him out of respect for him if their roles in this situation were reversed, so he wouldn't hesitate to grant her the same courtesy.
His decision made, he returned to his paperwork, but occasionally glanced at the sleeping young woman and smiled fondly.
