I own nothing.

Don't sue me.

Warning: Yaoi suggestions

This is a little reflection from Sano's POV I thought up one night. The Kenshin-gumi has just thrown another of their infamous parties, and now everyone has fallen into a drunken stupor. Let the musing begin!

Oh, PS -- If you didn't know, "Jou-chan" = "Little Miss" = Kaoru

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The sun has taken her leave, letting the moon watch over the earth and fill it with cold, pale light. A cool, refreshing breeze rustles the leaves on the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and growing things into the house. It is late - the little clock on the wall says three AM - and all around me are the sleeping forms of my friends as they travel peacefully through the inner realms of their dreams. I envy them.

Suzume and Ayame sleep in a tangled mass of limbs, like young puppies. Their dreams are the simple, realistic fantasies of small children - playing, exploring their limited world, being with friends and family. There is little more to their lives.

To my left is Yahiko, lying flat on his back, snoring softly, one arm tucked behind his head in lieu of a pillow. His fingers twitch and he mumbles occasionally as he fights off hordes of spectral villains, acting out the role of the great hero like he's always yearned to.

On my right is Megumi, beside her lays Jou-chan. Their raven-black hair splays out across the floor, framing their pale faces like dark halos. Megumi's features are more elegant than Jou-chan's, more refined and cultured even in sleep. It provides a nice contrast to Jou-chan's youthful roundness and her earthy, simple charm. Their faces are expressionless and serene; like sleeping angels.

Women are impossible to understand.

Then there is Kenshin. He sits against the wall, sakabatou resting against one shoulder, his head bowed slightly. The moonlight highlights his fine-boned features, giving him an almost etheral glow. He is delicate. He is strong. He is both at once.

He is beautiful.

I continue to stare at Kenshin, soaking in everyithing about his image that I can, committing every detail to memory. Even from here, I can see his eyes darting back and forth beneath their lids framed with long eyelashes as he dreams.

What does he dream of, the Hitokiri Battousai? What demons plague him at night, when all his lethal skill comes to naught? Does he see the faces of all those he killed? Do they haunt him, even now?

They must, for I can see it. I can see the pain he hides from the world behind his smile. He sees the faces of the dead, hears their voices every waking moment. They haunt him constantly, giving him no quarter. Sleep must be a nightly ordeal for him.

But what of me? What do I dream of?

The sensation of flesh against flesh. Lean arms encircling me, holding me close. Whispered vows of undying love. Running my hands through that magnificent hair like silken fire. Gazing into those luminous eyes the color of rich wine and finally seeing what he hides behind them. Tasting, feeling, exploring every inch of his exquisite body. Hearing him moan and gasp with ecstasy.

But, above all, I dream of knowing without a doubt that Kenshin is mine.

Only mine.

Kenshin awakes with a start, having finally escaped his demons for the moment; I wish I could escape mine. He catches me watching him before I can turn away or feign sleep but, sensing nothing amiss about my gaze, smiles as kindly as ever.

I return the gesture.

How long have I yearned to be this close to Kenshin? How long have I wished for a moment like this? I instantly forget the still bodies snoring and tossing around me; my whole world consists of Kenshin and I. The moment feels so intimate, so magical, that I am tempted to reach out and draw him to me...

But then his gaze shifts, and he sees Jou-chan, her pale skin glowing in the soft moonlight, and his entire demeanor changes. His features soften, adopting an infinite tenderness that I only see when he looks at her. The care, the love he feels towards Jou-chan is so apparent I can almost taste it.

He is not mine. I am not his.

They were dreams, nothing more.

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Aaah, nice and short... and angsty...**melts**

Do you realize how many stories someone can create using the whole "after a party and everyone is asleep" scenario? I know it's a bit overused, but hey, it works. Send in your reviews, please. ^_^