sweetdeath | [17 | voice, Japanese]

He moves smoothly, losing himself in the easy rythm. He hadn't heard of any of those instruments, but when Tsuzuki sings it it sounds pleasant, easy to move to. This is more like fighting than the traditional dance he knows, quick steps, avoiding collison.

He laughs a little at the compliment, the hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder tightening momentarily in response. "Thank you~ It's not so difficult. It seems like a natural rythm more than anything."

"It does, doesn't it?" Tsuzuki laughed, and shifted his grip, sweeping Okita into a sudden dip. "The fun part is the flourishes!"

He laughs, delighted but a little surprised at the sudden move, and sweeps one leg up in the air. The move seems to call for it, and he holds on to Tsuzuki's shoulder tightly to keep from falling down. He knows he's light, but you never know!

Hijikata's sandals made hardly any noise on the hard floor of the school. What was taking Souji so long, anyway? Hadn't he just gone next door for a cup of tea?

It hadn't really been that long, his better sense reminded him. Hijikata ignored it.

A laugh echoed from the room ahead, and Hijikata paused, surprised by the sound. Souji, undoubtedly, with another man's chuckle underlying the sound. Guilt pricked him. His friend hadn't laughed like that in days. He shouldn't interrupt if Souji was having fun.

Maybe he'd just look in. He glanced through the open door and stopped in shock.

What was Souji doing?

Tsuzuki held the pose for a moment, surprised by how light Okita was - he could feel solid muscle under his hand, but the other man still wasn't much heavier than Hisoka. Well, maybe a little. Than Hisoka soaking wet.

Laughing at his own thoughts as much at the silliness of the situation, he lifted Okita back up and spun them back into the rhythm of the waltz.

And stumbled as a shadow at the door caught his eye. No, not a shadow, a man in black - a stranger, but the old-fashioned clothes and powerful build fit his mental image closely enough that Tsuzuki thought he knew who it was.

"Uh," he said, slowing to a halt. "Hi!"

He'd been laughing, indeed, completely in his element as Tsuzuki pulled him up and spun him around. It felt so nice to be doing something like this, something to cheer up a friend, something easy and funny, and even Hijikata's appearance doesn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Hijikata-san~ Tsuzuki-san is learning me how to dance! Ah!" He lets go of Tsuzuki, finally, and walks over to Hijikata, only to take the older man by the sleeve and drag him over to his other friend. "Hijikata-san, this is Tsuzuki-san. Tsuzuki-san, Hijikata-san. It's nice to meet you~"

Hijikata let himself be dragged, still a little in shock. Dancing? He shook his head.

"Tsuzuki, huh?" he said to the other man - Western clothes, short hair, nervous grin. He looked like a disheveled merchant. "Pleased."

With the niceties taken care of, he glanced back at Souji, bemusement back on his face. "Dancing?"

There was really something weird about being introduced to people they'd built statues of. Tsuzuki laughed, only a little nervously, and bowed.

"Pleased to meet you too, Hijikata-san! - Yeah, Okita-san wanted me to show him how to waltz. Uh, it's a Western kind of dance..."

He hides his laugh behind his hand a little, then beams and turns to Hijikata again. "Dancing~! Tsuzuki-san says it's called 'Warutsu'. It's a Western dance. Didn't it look pretty, Hijikata-san? Ah, Tsuzuki-san! Hum the tune again!"

"...Warutsu?" Hijikata repeated, beginning to get the feeling that he sounded like an idiot. He shifted the pipe between his teeth, trying to regain his balance. It had looked pretty. Souji had an innate grace, natural as breathing, and it lent itself as well to that dance as it did to battle.

He shook his head, retreating to the door to remove the shoes Souji had dragged him inside still wearing. "Don't let me interrupt."

Tsuzuki hummed a few bars obediently, winking at Okita, before Hijikata started to walk towards the door.

"Hey, you don't have to leave," he protested. "I haven't had a chance to meet you before - it's my pleasure, really, there's cushions over there if you want to sit down!"

"Yes, Hijikata-san! This way, we can practice together later, in case there's an occassion!"

He's glad that Tsuzuki is going along with this, this innocent teasing. Hijikata had been feeling so guilty, lately, so pressured. It was like he could see the actual weight on the other man's shoulders, weighing him down with every cough Souji let out. So to show him that things shouldn't have to change, to Souji that's priceless.

There wasn't going to be any escape. Hijikata sighed, loudly, and half in jest.

"As long as you realize I'm not going to dance," he grumbled, and with a polite excuse-my-interruption, commandeered one of the cushions. There were two teacups, mostly full and slowly going cold, next to them. A little smile touched his face.

It was good to see Souji having fun.

"We won't make you!" Tsuzuki assured him, laughing. Well, he should play host, first - good impressions, and all that - "Would you like some tea? Though it's Okita-san's, really, he was kind enough to bring it over and let me have some..."

"Ah, yes, Hijikata-san-- please drink it if you want it. I've had enough tea lately, right?" He winks and grins a little, silently asking Hijikata not to comment on that too deeply.

The reminder cooled Hijikata's amusement. "No," he said to Tsuzuki, flatly. "That's fine."

He cast a worried look at Okita, but the younger man didn't look too ill; the light exertion had brought some color to his cheeks. He'd be fine, Hijikata told himself.

Suddenly awkward, and trying not to kill the mood, he leaned back, taking his pipe from his mouth and filling it with a careful pinch of his dwindling stock of tobacco. "Do you have anything I can use to light this?" he asked.

It took a moment for Tsuzuki to catch on. But - of course. The tuberculosis.

Distracted from offering tea again, he said, "Yeah, I do - here...." A bit of rummaging, and he came up with a wooden splinter long enough to light at the little stove. He handed it over, the little flame flickering at its tip.

"So... where were we?" he asked, smile turning a bit wry as he glanced back at Okita.

Sensing the changed mood, Souji pouts a little. That's simply unacceptable-- they'd been having so much fun, after all. He refuses to let Hijikata and his neuroses ruin that.

He puts his hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder and takes Tsuzuki's hand with his other, and then dips a little by himself. "Flourishes, Tsuzuki-san."

Hijikata managed, with great self-control, not to drop the splinter into his lap as he watched Souji hang on the other man's shoulder. He hadn't realized Souji had friends that close here.

It was strange, but he felt a little left out.

Ignoring that, he pressed the little flame into the bowl of his pipe and puffed. A thread of smoke rose from the tobacco.

Tsuzuki's free hand went reflexively to Okita's waist, supporting his weight for a deeper dip for a moment.

He laughed, then, and pulled Okita back up. "Flourishes. Right!" He glanced over at his other guest. Hijikata seemed content, though, smoking silently on his cushion.

Clearing his throat, he began to hum the waltz again, picking up the steps.

[17 | voice, Japanese]

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