All For Love

Disclaimer: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates

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          Chapter One

          Tae looked at her watch noting the late hour. Time to close up. At the usual spot, she found Sagara Sanosuke sitting with Takani Megumi-alone. They had come hours earlier with the rest of the Kenshin-Gumi who had departed long ago leaving these two to sit among one another's company. Tae watched them in awe, wondering how it is that they had remained civil with each other for so many hours. Not one cross word was passed between the two. In fact, not one word was passed between them at all. They sat in absolute silence, Megumi nibbling on some tempura, and Sano watching her.

          Tae was uneasy about approaching them, but she did want to close up already, and the rest of the Kenshin-Gumi must be wondering where they were. So she wrote up their bill, and made her way over to their table. Megumi had finished her meal, and she wiped at her painted lips with a napkin. She looked up when Tae reached the table, and she smiled.

          "I'm sorry. You must want to close up now. Is that the bill?"

          Tae nodded. "Yes, here you go," she said and passed the paper over to Megumi. A hand slid next to hers, and slipped the bill right out of her fingers. Tae and Megumi stopped to stare at Sanosuke. He stared back.

          "I've got this one," he said. 

          Megumi widened her eyes. "Are you serious?"

          Sano fished into his pockets, and handed a stunned Tae, the money for their bill. He looked sheepishly up at her when she took it. "I'll give you the rest of my tab another time?" Tae snapped out of her shock, and narrowed her eyes. "I knew this was too good to be true," she muttered, as she turned and left them.

          Megumi moved to stand, and Sano jumped to his feet. She glanced at him and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for dinner."

          Sano shrugged, and scratched the back of his head. "Sure. No sweat." He looked at her now, and his eyes grew dark for one brief moment.  "It's late. I'll walk you home." Megumi's breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. Deep and gruff like it always was. Yet she noticed a certain formality to it, as if he were watching how he said those words. Oh my! Could Sanosuke have finally learned some manners? First he pays for dinner and now he is actually speaking to me with some respect. I wonder what has come over him. She dared a glance up at him, and her thoughts froze. The way he looked at her made her nervous, and she stiffened when she felt his arm encircle her waist.

          "It's chilly tonight." He stated simply, as if that explained his behavior. He pulled her gently to him, just a bit so that her hip brushed lightly against his. That touch caused a pleasant shiver to course through her spine, so much so that the blood rushed to her cheeks. Sanosuke had never acted this way with her. She had to admit that she was charmed by it. She was also alert to anything else he may decide to spring on her. All she needed was for him to dare to kiss her. Hmmm, dinner or not I should watch myself. If this Baka tries anything funny I'll have to use those Jujitsu moves that Kaoru taught me.   

          Sano led Megumi out of the restaurant, and they walked slowly down the street heading toward her home. Sano was happy to have Megumi so close to him for once. He had always wanted the chance to touch her, however brief it was. The scent of her hair teased his senses, and he leaned over her a bit to savor it. His arm around her waist itched to move further, so that he could just pull her closer to him. He wondered if she realized how difficult it was for him to walk beside her; how difficult it was to keep himself from turning her in his arms, and stealing a kiss from her lips. Man, what's she thinking right now? She's probably wondering how she's going to hurt me if I try anything. If I try to...

          He found himself leaning further down, so that his face was just above her hair. She turned her head to look up at him inquiringly. Those beautiful dark eyes had him instantly enchanted. He felt as if something went inside of him to take possession of his soul. His free hand rose to cup her face; and then he pressed his lips to hers. His tongue slipped through her slightly parted lips, probing the inner recesses of her dainty mouth so that he could finally taste her. His knees felt like water, ready to collapse beneath him. She was soft, and so unbearably sweet. He pulled away briefly, to feel the cool night air against his burning cheeks. It made him realize that he was not dreaming, and so he kissed her deeply, holding her face within both of his hands now, so that he could indulge himself on her delicate mouth. He could stay and kiss her for centuries. He wanted to do just that, but he had to pull away, and he did so reluctantly. Yet he felt the urge to indulge himself once again. Her hand striking his cheek stopped him dead.

          "What the hell are you doing, Baka!" she hissed, looking at him with flames in her eyes. Sano awoke from his delirium and rubbed his cheek. He swallowed hard, his pride going down roughly, as he silently stared at her. His gaze went deep into her, pleading for forgiveness, and some kind of understanding. Megumi wanted to understand. She wanted to know why he decided to take a step that they were obviously not prepared for. She wanted to know why he would not stop looking at her as if she were not real at all. She wanted to know a lot more at that moment but she didn't want to ask. She refused to let herself be pulled in by Sano. She had to be the level headed one among them. She scowled at him, and took one step back.

          "I will say goodnight to you here, Sanosuke. I'll walk the remainder of the way alone."

           Sanosuke's face reddened, and he looked away from the Fox's angry glare. He felt foolish, but not to the extent that he should have. He only felt foolish at having lost his composure with her. He always found it difficult to control his desire for her, yet he did nonetheless- that is until now. He and the Fox always had a good time arguing with each other, but he always felt something beneath their heated debates, something that she tried desperately to keep from being exposed. He looked at her now, into her ice-cold gaze, and he knew that she was hiding it again.

          He sighed deeply, and stood straight, determined. "I won't let you walk out here alone."

          Megumi was not going to have it. Once she made a decision, she expected that to be the end of the discussion. Yet in this case she wanted it to be the end of more than just a discussion. She had to get away, fast.     

"And I won't let you order me around like some common wench. I've already made my decision. Now, go home!" she demanded firmly, and turned around quickly to storm away from him. She rushed up the street, running from the look he had in his eyes when he kissed her, and running from the feel of his lips. She had liked the kiss. She had liked it so much that she ran from it, because she feared what lay behind it. She had felt what it was the lay within the heart of Sanosuke, and she could not accept the fact that he could actually love her. Not after what she had done in the past. I am responsible for the death of one of his best friends. How can he hold any kind of love for me?, she thought as she reached the door to her home, and collapsed against it, out of breath, and feeling as if she would suffocate in her own thoughts.

She leaned her head against her door, and groaned softly, "Please, find someone else to love. I'm not capable of returning however much you bestow on me." She opened the door to her home, and slipped inside, but before she closed the door, she caught a glimpse of a figure standing just ten feet before her. She gasped when she realized that it was Sanosuke, and she marveled at how she had not sensed his presence behind her. She felt herself shiver, as she said in a quavering voice, "I told you to go home. Why are you here?"

          Sanosuke looked thoughtfully at her. "It's my duty to protect you, Doc." Then he gave her a sly smile as he turned to leave, and said over his shoulder, "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. No one takes care of my broken bones the way that you do." And with that he sauntered off to disappear as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Megumi bewildered, but sorry that he was gone. She closed her door and leaned against it for support. Her mind was filled with images of Sanosuke. She was going to have a tough time going to sleep. She just knew it.