Sagara Sanosuke was sure as hell not having the time of his life. He had just lost some very good money at the gambling den – and gotten into a fight with some weak asshole that had annoyed him to no end – not being a dignified winner in any sense of the word. And maybe Sanosuke was a bit of a sore loser too. But only a bit. And that guy was a total asshole. So Sanosuke walked down the streets of Tokyo, glowering, his hands deep in his pockets and a fishbone between his teeth, kicking at pebbles that were in his way and glaring at anyone who even looked his way. He was majorly pissed.

He decided he could use a little stroll, breathe some air, stretch his legs a little. Maybe a fight with someone worthwhile. Oh, right. …Which was not to be found around here, that was damn straight. But there were people that he could fight. Like maybe, ten on one. That could be fun. Or maybe… He could go out and seek some strange new adventures – but they wouldn't be as fun if he was by himself. Things were chill now. It was Meiji. Kenshin was all settled down. With Kaoru. Yahiko was a kid. Aoshi and Misao were in Kyoto. And Katsu… He'd ask the guy but… He found his thoughts wandering to a certain 'wolf' – someone who would definitely give Sanosuke a good fight if he came looking for one.

He felt a twinge as he thought it. The guy was long gone… Long lost, somewhere among the flames of Shishio's stupid dramatic hideout. Seriously, fuck that Shishio guy. He almost killed Kenshin too. Thinking back, Sanosuke wondered with a strange sadness – if he knew Saitou was going to die so soon, would he have not tried to pick as many fights with him? Or would he try to pick as many as he could? But nah. The guy was gone. No use thinking about him all the time. …But damn him for just going and dying like that! What was that bullshit anyway, huh?! 'I've lived through more bloodshed than you two combined,' his ass! Sanosuke kicked a rock that was laying in his path. But he was going to get stronger. Surpass the guy. That's how he would remember Saitou. He would surpass him and be the stronges-

That was when he saw a ghost.

The ghost was leaning against a tree and smoking, wearing a perfectly creased police uniform and a katana at its side. It noticed him before he noticed it, and watched him with an amused glint in its narrow amber eyes.

When Sanosuke did notice it, he yelled with terror and fell on his butt. "What the fu-uck?!" he yelled again and scuttled backwards, pointing. "You're dead! You a ghost? You gonna fuckin' haunt me? D'you appear when I think about you?! That's creepy as shit! I fuckin' burned incense to you so many times! You want more or some shit?! The good quality shit's expensive!" his eyes widened. Sanosuke was not down with anything he couldn't understand or fight – like the occult or modern machinery. If a ghost was haunting him, he needed to hire an exorcist and he didn't think that Katsu knew a cheap one. "Exorcists are pretty fuckin' expensive too, asshole!"

The ghost snorted, letting out a stream of smoke. "Your stupidity is indeed amusing, but calling me a ghost is going too far. If I was a ghost, I'd have better things to do than to haunt you, you can be sure of that," it said. "I'm alive, unfortunately."

Sanosuke stood up, dusting off his butt and ran up to Saitou. "…You're alive? Like… Actually?"

"No shit, idiot."

Sanosuke's initial paralyzing fear of the occult turned into flaming anger at the very much physical. "I thought you were dead, Saitou!" Sanosuke growled, advancing on the older man. Saitou coolly looked up to meet Sanosuke's flaming brown eyes. He said nothing as Sanosuke continued to rant. "Why didn'cha tell us you were alive, goddamn it?! Who the fuck told you that you could just go an' fake your goddamn death like that, huh?! Nobody – that's who!" He glared, stepping closer. "I thought you were fuckin' dead, you goddamn asshole!"

Saitou let out a puff of smoke. "You said that already. There just wasn't a reason to contact you people."

Sanosuke looked even angrier. "What about our fight?! What about… Well, you were our ally against Shishio, weren'cha?! What about… Fuck! It'd just been a hell of a lot better if you just said something! We kinda cared about you – even though you're an asshole!" he shook his head, throwing a punch at a nearby tree. "You just… Fuckin' stood there," he muttered. "At Shishio's place. The whole place was comin' down and burnin' around you and you just stood there and started smokin' a goddamn cigarette, like you are now!" He had started out quietly but ended with a yell. "You said that you lived through more bloodshed than me an' Shinomori combined. That doesn't make you bloody invincible! You might be the strongest guy I'll ever know, 'sides Kenshin, 'f course," Saitou raised an eyebrow at that, "But even he can die! Fuckin' everyone dies at some point! And we all thought you died then!"

"I didn't," Saitou said simply. "I had a plan to get out of there – more or less. And I got out."

"I thought you died," Sanosuke repeated quietly. "An' 'more or less' don' cut it! I thought you fuckin' died, you unnerstand?!"

Saitou smirked. "You seem to be rather hung up on that."

"'Cause you didn't tell us otherwise!" Sanosuke exploded again. "I thought you'd never fight me again to see how much stronger I've gotten! Do you even know how much money I wasted – buying incense – the good shit – and burning that every day, huh?! Every day I'd say 'hey, shit cop, it's me, I'm getting stronger – I'll be better than you at some point' and you were alive the whole time?! Who the fuck was I talikn' to, huh?! Fuck, I'd even say I kinda missed you calling me a rooster-headed idiot – an' that's when I fuckin' knew I was goin' insane!"

Saitou smirked. "Did you really?" his smirk widened. "Rooster-headed idiot," he added.

Sanosuke pulled a face. "Whatever, you shitty cop," he said. "Fight me now!" He raised a fist and bared his teeth in an excited grin. "That's how you can make up for bein' an asshole an' not tellin' us you were alive!"

"No," Saitou said. "Not interested."

The grin slipped off Sanosuke's face quickly. "Why the hell not?! If you win, you win – sure you might kick my ass, but who cares? If I win, then, fuck, I'll've achieved one'a my dreams, dammit!"

"That's oddly touching," Saitou said.

Sanosuke broke off and looked at him. "Pshh, whatever."

Saitou began to walk up the path through the forest and Sanosuke ran to catch up to him. "Wait, dammit!" he began to walk alongside the officer, hands in his pockets.

"Did I ask for your company?"

"Nah, but I'm here anyways."

"Kindly be 'here' somewhere else."

"Not 'til you fight me."

"Will you still be around when hell freezes over?"

"Will you, old wolf?"

"I don't know how much quicker your fists have gotten, but your comebacks are quicker than before."

There was a silence. "That a compliment?" Sanosuke finally ventured.

"…No. It's an insult in disguise, idiot rooster-head."

"Oi! You-"

The path they followed led to a clearing. They entered it, still bantering and bickering, steps in sync. Hearing a strange sound, however, Sanosuke broke off, looking for its origin. When he had found it, he stumbled backwards in shock, eyes widening at the scene in the trees up ahead.

It was like some sort of erotic tableau vivant. Pinned against a tree, her blue kimono slipping from her shoulders and gaping open at the front, Kaoru had her legs wrapped around Kenshin's hips, the two grinding against each other. The latter leaned down and gently kissed her neck, grinding his hips a little harder, his other hand sliding up Kaoru's side, thumb brushing against her nipple. Kaoru moaned, her nails digging into Kenshin's clothed back. "Ah…! K-Kenshin…!" she managed.

"Kaoru-dono…"

"Please… D-don't tease me any more… Ah-!"

Almost hearing the slick sounds that their tongues made against each other, Sanosuke felt like throwing up, punching something – or both. Like a double attack – projectile vomit punch. For a second, he leaned against a tree for support, looking down, up, away – anywhere but at the couple. He trembled slightly, then – without even a glance at Saitou, he ran away down the path, clutching at his chest where a strange pain began to grow.

Saitou had also turned away, annoyance and amusement in equal measure on his face – not horror, as with Sanosuke. He looked slightly concerned as he glanced after Sanosuke's retreating back – but did not follow him.

Later that evening, Satou did come across Sanosuke again. Not that he was looking for him or anything. Just… He decided to pass by that place, knowing that there was a chance that the rooster-head would be there. And he was right.

The ex-street fighter was sitting on the path to the woods that they had taken a few hours previously. Surrounding him were countless empty sake bottles. He lifted the last one to his mouth and poured the contents down his throat with a sigh and a cough. He looked blearily up at the impassive Saitou. "He-ey," he slurred. "Whass up, shit cop?" He patted the grass next to him. "Siddown, 'ave a drink." He fell back onto the grass behind him, staring up at the darkening sky.

Shrugging, Saitou sat. "You've drunk everything," he noted.

Sanosuke sat up again. "Aw shit, really?" he picked up a fallen bottle and tilted it to his mouth. Nothing came out. "Aw shit," he repeated.

They sat in silence. "You looked like you saw a ghost and not Battousai's little tryst with the racoon girl," said Saitou.

"Don' call 'im that – 'e's not Battousai anymore – he's Kenshin," Sanosuke said sternly. "An'- An' Kenshin can be with whoever the 'ell he wants – I don' give a shit. Jou-chan's cool. 'E's 'appy with 'er… 'E loves Jou-chan… 'E lo-oves Jou-chan. 'E only sees 'er, an' jack shit else." He sniffed and rubbed his face with his sleeve, trying fruitlessly to get a few more drops of sake out of the empty bottle, then picking up a few more and trying the same thing – with the same result. "Yeah," he repeated. "Don' give a shit."

"I see," Saitou said. He saw.

"Y'know, Kenshin to-otally kicked my ass when we first met. 'E kicked my ass once after that too. An', an' it's not like I'm into guys who kick my ass, but… He was so-o cool," he looked at Saitou with sparking eyes that quickly turned dim again. "…But Jou-chan's into him. Real into him. And the fox lady too. Everyone's into Kenshin. Pshh." Sanosuke snorted drunkenly. "Not that I'm into Kenshin. I'm not. Never… Never 'ave been." He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes again with his sleeve. "…Jou-chan keeps one-uppin' me and she don' even know it…"

Saitou put his cigarette out. "And you're going to keep sitting here, drinking yourself into oblivion and feeling sorry for yourself?" If Sanosuke wanted a fight – Saitou would give him one. It would serve as a distraction for the spiky-haired man. Saitou almost felt bad for him – and that was a sign that the case was truly pitiful.

Sanosuke rose to the bait immediately – as Saitou knew he would, standing up shakily and growling. "What the hell else can I do?!"

Smirking, Saitou stood to face him. "So the man you're in love with got himself a raccoon girl. So what?" He raised a challenging eyebrow.

With a roar, Sanosuke launched himself at Saitou, swinging his fists wildly, the drink not helping his coordination. "The fuck d'you know?!"

Saitou stepped to the side, easily evading the frontal assault. "I know you were too scared to tell him anything – and now it's too late."

Sanosuke swung around, almost falling over in the process and ran at Saitou again. "I couldn't take 'im away from Jou-chan!" he yelled.

Catching his fist, Saitou swung the younger man to the ground. "Tch. Excuses. You were too scared, admit it. She had no claim on him for a while – as far as I know"

"You dunno anythin'!" Sanosuke stood, lurching and wobbling, his legs barely holding him. "I was just fine seeing 'im happy with 'er like that! It was fine that way!"

"You were too scared to do anything. Of course you told yourself that. Even she couldn't stop him from going to Kyoto. And who followed him first – her or you?"

"'E said goodbye to her! Only her!" Sanosuke threw himself at Saitou with a roar. "So just shut up!"

Saitou didn't have to do anything – Sanosuke had just run straight onto his fist, then slowly slid down to the ground, falling to his knees. Looking down at him, Saitou lit a cigarette. "…Are you done?"

"Yeah." Sanosuke said quietly. "'M done."

Nodding, Saitou turned around. "Go home. Take your bottles, all of them – don't litter. Don't sleep outside – that's loitering. Rest. You'll need it after I… 'Kicked your ass'."

He could hear a tired, dry laugh from Sanosuke as he fell back onto the grass. "You're a nicer guy 'n I gave you credit for, hey Saitou?"

"And you're a drunk idiot." Saitou tried not to smile, shaking his head.