Hello All!

Just a quick note before we begin, this story takes place after the Jinchu arc, from there it doesn't follow the timeline in the Rurouni Kenshin universe. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

Frustration

The day was blazing, the sun had been beating down on the residents of the city for days now slowly baking everything causing the once lush green foliage to wither and become brown and brittle. It seemed they were all held in the unrelenting grasp of a severe heat wave, it brought the entire city to a near standstill and so far no silent amount of prayer was enough to bring them the desperate relief they needed.

Searching for some remedy to the blistering heat of the late afternoon the young man now found himself sitting on the shaded wooden porch of the dojo. Sano sat leaning against the wall, one leg bent at the knee the other sitting straight out in front of him. His right arm was draped across the raised knee, his head resting on the wall behind him. His eyes opened and closed slowly, lazily. As he sat he felt a few drops of sweat run down the back of his neck but he made no move to brush them away. The man knew that it would be in vain, as soon as he moved do so, accompanying droplets of moisture would snake their way across his heated skin. So, he decided to let it be.

Though Sano had always been partial to warm weather he truly hated days such as this. Where the stifling heat would hang stagnant in the air, no clouds in the sky to alleviate the intensity of the sun, even for a moment. It was too hot to do anything. He couldn't spend the day in the gambling house due to the weather, though he wouldn't have been able to do so anyway due to the perpetual state of his finances. He was flat broke... again. Which he would add was of no fault of his own. Sano had just hit a dry spell when it came to his luck as of late but he knew things would turn around. They always did.

Often times he would wonder if he should take up his job as Zanza, fighter-for-hire, again. The thought forced a wistful smile to sweep across his handsome face. It was the job he had held when he had first met the other residents of the dojo. He wouldn't mind doing it again because he really had made great money that way but he knew his friends wouldn't approve... she wouldn't approve. People that hired others to fight for them rarely did so for good reasons and were usually corrupt, too weak physically and morally to fight their own battles. Still, fighting was the only thing he knew how to do. The only thing he excelled at. He supposed he could try getting a job in manual labor... construction or something similar. And yet, he couldn't imagine himself ever earning an honest living. It was something he hadn't really thought of much in the past but as time passed he decided to take action, earn some money for the household and he knew it wasn't fair to sit around and free load all day. Not only that he didn't want to anymore… he wanted to be able to provide for her now. She had already done so much for him.

The tall youth closed his eyes once again as a breeze swept over the courtyard, causing the now fragile blades of grass to sway, and ruffling the soft brown hair on his head. Though the breeze wasn't exactly cool it still helped. Just having the air circulate and cut through the thick heat was like heaven. He savored the moment because the cooler air was so scant these days and he let a small sigh of pleasure escape his lips as the wind blew across him, caressing the heated skin of his face, neck, and bare chest. The wind caused the tails of his blood red headband to flutter out behind him.

As the wind died down, inviting the staggering heat to once again claim the afternoon Sano opened his eyes. He could hear the sounds of Kaoru and Yahiko sparring drifting from the dojo and he wondered how either one could stand such rigorous activity today. Ah, but then again, he knew, no matter what, Jou-chan would get into the dojo everyday to train Yahiko. It was what she loved, her passion. Daily she would work with the spiky haired brat teaching him the intricate kata that her father had once taught her. Yahiko's greatest dream was to become a great samurai and Kaoru would be the one to make that happen.

Sanosuke admired the art of the sword and the ideals that it represented but didn't feel it was for him. It was all a little too poetic for him, too many rules and principles to uphold. No, he preferred hand to hand combat more than any other form of battle. There was nothing that compared to punching a guys teeth right out his skull, it was satisfying, it was raw, it was powerful. Communicating through fists was something he could understand and appreciate.

He turned his head in the direction of the raucous noise he now heard coming from the dojo. Kaoru was yelling at Yahiko and he couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself. Yahiko had apparently performed a step wrong again and this was the "millionth time" she had taught her "baka deshi" to do it correctly. It seemed she was being harsh on the young boy, but Sano knew a boy Yahiko's age needed a little extra guidance, guidance that not too long ago the young boy hadn't had. His thoughts drifted to youngest member of their family.

Yahiko was fast growing into a strong young man with a virtuous heart. The teenager had grown quite a bit in the past year, having had several growth spurts he almost reached Sano's own chest when they stood face to face. The boy had also developed emotionally and spiritually. He was not so quick to anger any longer, he still had a quick tongue, especially when it came to Kaoru, but his emotions were mellowing out and he now had a personality that very much resembled Kenshin's without the melancholy that burdened the older man. The boy was becoming insightful. He was beginning to understand the principles and disciplines of the art of kendo, weighing his day to day actions against them. The fight with Enishi's henchmen had truly humbled him and ever since he had taken his kendo seriously, more determined and focused than ever before. He would soon become a great samurai, just like Kenshin, and like his own father had been before his death. He knew how desperately Yahiko wanted to restore honor to his family name and if the young man continued on this path he would certainly reach his goal. His kata had improved greatly and although she hadn't told Yahiko, Sano knew Kaoru would soon be teaching the teen the final techniques and making him the official assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She would then allow him to teach the new students that they had acquired over the past few months. Yahiko's was truly a story of redemption, a boy who rose from being a pickpocket for the Yakuza to being an honorable samurai. Sano just felt lucky enough to have had some small part in it.

He listened as Kaoru continued the lesson and his thoughts flickered to the owner of their home. Kaoru. His Jou-chan. She was a flower that had blossomed through adversity, conquering all the trials she had been put through, all the pain and suffering she had experienced made her so much stronger and very mature. She was able to adapt to any situation that other women her age would never be able to comprehend.

To him, Kaoru was undeniably incredible.

Sure she was headstrong, loud, a tom-boy, and could sometimes be a brute. Though he would never admit any of that to her lest he get a swift bokken blow to the head, something he was decidedly not too fond of. But that was what made her unique and that was only what she portrayed on the outside. Inside she was sensitive, sweet, and unbelievably loyal. She was full of passion and spirit and you couldn't help but be drawn to her. There seemed to be some sort of light that seemed emanate from somewhere inside of her that made you want to get close to her. In all his life, Sano had yet to meet anyone that held even half the compassion she did. She had taken three complete strangers into her home including an ex-hitokiri, a street fighter, and a former yakuza pickpocket and treated them as friends... as family. Kaoru had offered them all something that no one else had.

Redemption.

Over the past two years Sano had grown desperately attached to the girl. His feelings for her had slowly evolved from a simple fondness, a friendship, into love. Especially, since the fiasco with Enishi. He shuddered at the mere mention of that man's name. It made his blood boil to think about him. Those events had forced his dormant emotions he held for her to flare up violently and they had not relented. The memories of that time he would just as soon forget, though he knew he couldn't...

Though some time had passed since then and Kaoru had recovered, the memories of those days refused to fade. The image that stood out most vividly in his mind, forever burned into his brain was of Kaoru's small body pinned to the wall, run through with Enishi's blade. Her dull, lifeless eyes staring back at them, the cross shaped scar etched into the once flawless skin of her left cheek mirroring the one that marred Kenshin's.

Her heart would beat no longer, her eyes would never flash with happiness, or love, or even anger, again. Sano would never be able to hear the soft music that was her laughter or the sweet caress of her voice calling his name. She was just gone.

The rage and anger he had felt had been unreal and all consuming. Not even the death of Captain Sagara had been this painful, in fact it paled in comparison, something he thought would never be possible. He felt as though his heart had been torn from his chest leaving only a gaping wound with jagged, raw and shredded edges. Every breath he took seemed to hurt, searing pain was all he felt.

Sano had wanted revenge then. He wanted to spill every last drop of blood that Enishi's body held and even then it wouldn't have been enough. Wouldn't be enough to atone for the sin that man had committed... it wouldn't bring her back to him. Sano was determined that Enishi Yukishiro would die for what he had done to Jou-chan. Kenshin had resigned himself to a life abstaining from killing others, from taking human lives... Sano had not. He had always restrained himself in respect of the ex-hitokiri, in fact he had admired Kenshin's way of life and before now he would never have imagined wanting to extinguish the life of another, but this sin could not go unpunished. Enishi wasn't a man anyway, he was the devil, a demon, and he needed to be destroyed.

Kenshin had run to Rakuninmura then and chained up his sakabatou, never to be used again, and although Sano had tried, he could not pull the grief stricken man from the place he sat. The tawny haired youth had cursed the red head then, leaving him to wallow in his misery, to rot away in that hell-hole. Kenshin could sit and let the guilt slowly decay his mind and further corrupt his soul but Sano was going to do something... anything. No matter what, whether he lost his life in the process was inconsequential, he just wanted to avenge her, Sano would go to fight Enishi.

However, once they had discovered Kaoru to be alive the great samurai had come through for them but Sano would always feel resentment towards the other man for his previous actions. He would always be angry at Kenshin for his hesitation in avenging Kaoru. Kenshin had just rolled over and died taking no action at all for Jou-chan and that was just something Sano could not understand. He felt the resentment would have been worse towards the other man had the relief of knowing she was alive not washed over it.

In an instant the light had returned to the world, his own heart could beat again without the pain and he felt he would be able to smile again so long as she was allowed to live and smile as well.

He recalled how they had all gone to Enishi's stronghold, an island in the middle of nowhere, to bring her back home with them, where she belonged. Kenshin had fought Enishi with everything he had, all for the love of the girl. The smile Kaoru had given the rurouni when she laid eyes on him made Sano's heart squeeze painfully in his chest. It was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and at the same time it had also been the most awful. It had been beautiful because it was one of what he hoped were many more smiles she could share throughout her life, a life only days ago he thought had been lost forever. The undiluted love that her smile held could not be denied either. That was why it had been awful, because that smile was not meant for him. That smile belonged to the red headed rurouni exclusively and though he knew it was wrong, it made him jealous. He would give anything he had to receive that smile, to have her love.

Sano knew the thoughts and feelings he harbored for Kaoru were wrong. That he was committing a severe transgression against both of his friends. He coveted the raven haired woman, wanted her for himself. Often times he would find himself wondering what it would be like to receive just one kiss from her, to taste her fully, to feel her in his arms, to hold her. The thought caused guilt and longing to surge through his body at the same time, causing a wretched feeling to settle in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling he was becoming all too used to these days. Kaoru was for Kenshin, the two were meant for each other and Sano knew that. Kenshin was like a brother to him but he couldn't help the way he felt about the girl so he did his best to keep his feelings hidden from everyone. No one would know his sin.

Sano had thought for sure once they reached home after defeating Enishi that feelings between Kenshin and Kaoru would really start to develop into relationship. Confessions of love and emotions flowing from the two freely. No more pretenses. No need for their carefully crafted facades.

When that happened, he figured he would make his move to leave. Sure, Jou-chan would probably cause a fuss, beg him not to go, but he also knew she would want time alone to experience her new found love. He would be happy for them... for her... but knew he wouldn't be able to stay knowing for certain that he could not have her. To see another man hold her in his arms he way he so desperately wanted to. That she indeed belonged to another. Sano was tough but no man would want to endure that kind of pain. He had always wanted to see China so he figured he would make his way there.

Yet, nothing more had progressed further between the two, which was just fine with him, so he stayed where he was. Where he could continue to be soothed by her presence and watch over her, keep her safe.

The only part of the situation that troubled him was the idea that she may be suffering. Jou-chan being anything but completely content was unacceptable to him and he wondered why Kenshin had not moved forward with her. Did he think it was funny to leave Kaoru hanging onto him the way he did? Did he ever intend to make good on his promise to make her happy? Did Kenshin even realize he was the only one that could make her happy?

Sano ran his hand impatiently through his hair, each strand falling back into the place it had been only seconds before. These thoughts were becoming more frequent and it was infuriating to him. He knew he shouldn't be bothered by these things, they didn't involve him, but because it centered around her happiness he couldn't seem to think straight.

The sound of the latch of the front gate opening tore Sano from his reverie. In walked the red headed rurouni, he carried with him a bucket of tofu and several bags of groceries, his trademark smile plastered on his face.

"Good afternoon, Sano!"

The young man inclined his head, "Kenshin" was his only reply.

Seeing Kenshin on a day to day basis it was hard to believe that the mild mannered man that worked so diligently on the laundry was once the most feared hitokiri in all of Japan. "Battousai" was still a name that caused even the bravest warriors from the bakamatsu to shudder. But Sano had seen a glimpse of the man that Kenshin held within him, the Battousai. He was one of the few people who had been able to witness it and still live to tell about it, though he had not been on the receiving end of that man's fury. No, that was all Saitou.

His eyes followed the smaller man as he walked into the house, making his way to the kitchen to put away what he had acquired at the market and start preparing the evening meal. Sano frowned to himself. He didn't mean to be so short with Kenshin lately. He was just stressed about... well... everything. He supposed a lot of it had to do with the feelings he held for Kaoru and he resented Kenshin a little because he was who she wanted. It wasn't right. Sano was the one in the wrong, he knew that, he was the one coveting his best friends girl.

He let go of another sigh, closing his eyes as he did so. He was starting to develop quite a headache...

Well this is the first chapter of a story that I have been working on since about May of last year. It will be multiple chapters and will obviously center around Sanosuke and Kaoru. I am a major fan of alternate pairings and I have always enjoyed this particular couple, though in my heart I do believe Kaoru and Kenshin are soul mates but sometimes it's more of a challenge to write for alternate pairings so I gave this a shot. If you took the time to read this chapter, I would like to thank you, please leave a review if you feel inclined to do so, anything will do. Negative or otherwise. Again, thank you and I will be updating with the next chapter when I'm finished editing.