Disclaimer: I own none of the character. (Closet door swings open revealing
Sanosuke bound and gagged.)
Uh. you didn't see that.
AN: Heheh. I probably should be memorizing lines, but oh well. I was listening To Pictures of You by the Cure, and this idea suddenly struck me. The song didn't actually fit the story that I was planning, so I didn't use it, but the idea is sound enough to stand on it's own without a song. Enjoy!
BTW: I haven't seen the later arcs. So if I get any of the facts blaringly wrong, feel free to correct me. NICELY.
WARNING: FLUFF AHEAD
Pictures of You
Megumi ran her fingers along the painted paper, sighing softly.
The clinic was empty, but what else was new? Unless she had a patient, it was always empty. Except for her.
And she was starting to feel empty too.
It had been five years since he had left Japan, but it had felt like eternity.
It was said that absence made the heart grow fonder.
That was true.
It was also true, however, that absence could make one lonely beyond comprehension.
She remembered how she had come by the picture. That had been a very interesting day.
***FLASHBACK***
It was a year after Sanosuke had left.
Katsu had somehow gotten a horrible cough. Too much gunpowder inhaled, when he was making his bombs. He had come to Megumi, one of the few doctors that lived close to him.
She had been glad to treat him, and he had gotten better in just a few days after rest and multiple herbal teas.
The matter of payment, though, was rather interesting.
"Are you sure that you don't want any money?" Katsu questioned. Megumi shook her head. "Then is there anything that I could do for you as a favor? I feel guilty having your help and not paying you back."
"Well." Megumi started, and then blushed. "You paint, right?"
"Well enough to have earned a living off of it at one point. Why?" Katsu asked, suddenly curious.
"I was wondering if you could paint a picture for me." Megumi replied. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to request this from him. If he told anyone.
"Sure. I haven't painted in a while. Who of?" Katsu questioned.
"Do you promise to keep this between us?" Megumi asked. Katsu nodded. "Sanosuke."
Katsu's eyebrows shot up, and he looked like he was trying to supress a laugh. "Sanosuke?!" He asked in disbelief.
Megumi looked down. She knew that she was a fool to have asked him this. "Look, just forget this conversation ever happened. I-"
Katsu caught her eye as she looked up. He looked vaguely surprised for a moment, but then a knowing look came onto his face.
"I'll do it." He smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He had dropped the picture off a few days later. The results took Megumi's breath away.
The picture was simple and honest, painted by someone who had known Sanosuke since childhood. His back was to the front, but his face was turned, a cocky grin on his face. He looked like he was walking away from whoever was looking at him.
It made Megumi weep, and she didn't for the life of her know why.
***END FLASHBACK***
Katsu was good to his word. He never mentioned the picture gain, to Megumi's relief. She still struggled with emotions when she looked at this picture.
He had been gone for so long.
The clinic door opened, and Megumi had been so deep in her thoughts that she jumped about a foot.
"Megumi?" Kaoru's voice inquired. Megumi spun around to face her, hiding the picture behind her back and wearing what she hoped was an innocent smile.
"Kaoru? What are you doing here?" Megumi inquired.
"I just figured that I'd check on you and make sure that you weren't going crazy, living in here on your own." Kaoru lied, spotting Megumi's strange expression and the fact that both of her hands were behind her back. She wanted to know what Megumi was concealing. She could tell her the news later.
"Hey, what are you hiding?" Kaoru questioned, trying to shuffle around Megumi to get a better look at what was behind her back.
"N-nothing." Megumi blushed.
"Really?" Kaoru inquired, swiftly snatching the paper from behind Megumi's back. "Then what is this?" She asked, and looked down at the paper.
'Oh crap.' Megumi thought. 'I'm never going to hear the end of this.'
Kaoru's eyebrows shot up. "If I may ask, Megumi, why where you holding a picture of Sanosuke?"
"I-I mean, it's- it's-well." Megumi stuttered, trying to make up an excuse for owning the picture. To tell the truth, she herself didn't really know why she owned it. Or why she asked Katsu to make it for her. Only that it was the possession that she treasured most.
What the heck was she thinking?
"Is there something that you haven't been telling, Megumi?" Kaoru asked.
"Well, of course not. It's just." Megumi trailed off.
Was there something that she hadn't been telling them?
For that matter, was there something that hadn't been telling herself?
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Kaoru said quietly.
"Yes" Megumi said without thinking. "No! I mean, of course I'm not. I." Megumi swallowed.
Damn.
She was in love with him, wasn't she?
When Megumi failed to continue, Kaoru just nodded, a knowing look on her face.
Now that she thought about it, a look very similar to the one Katsu had worn.
'I could tell her now.' Kaoru thought, 'Or I could just let her find out.' She grinned to herself.
Megumi looked pensive, as if she were wrestling with some strange thoughts.
Kaoru crept out without drawing the doctors attention.
'Boy, will she be surprised.' Kaoru thought. She giggled to herself as she walked away from the clinic and back to the dojo.
Meanwhile, Megumi remained in exactly the same position as she was in before.
Love?
It couldn't be. could it?
But as she looked inside herself, she realized that it was true.
She was in love with him.
She picked up the picture that Kaoru had set down.
"Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit." Megumi said, not caring that she was talking to noone. How could she let herself figure this out after he was gone? When the chance was gone, when all she could do was regret.
She dropped to her knees, stealing another glance at the picture.
Hesitantly she slipped it into one of her books, into its usual hiding space. She needed to go for a walk, to sort out her thoughts-
She got up, and turned around to face the doorway.
Suddenly she couldn't breath.
The man from the pictures leaned against the door frame, an almost identical grin on his face.
"Bad language for a lady, kitsune." He stated, grinning.
"S-sanosuke?" She stuttered, hoping that he couldn't see the redness that was spreading across her face.
"Who else would it be?"
Before she could stop herself, she had ran across the room and flung her arms around him. In shock, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.
They stood there for a long time, neither knowing what to say.
Sanosuke was still coming out of the initial shock of the gesture.
What the hell was the fox doing?
He had expected her to be happy, surprised- but the reaction that he had gotten was stronger than anything he could have gotten in his wildest dreams.
He became aware that something was soaking into the front of his jacket. With a gentle hand, he pulled the doctors chin up so that her face was looking into his.
What he saw shocked him even more.
Tears streamed down her face like tiny rivers. Her eyes were shut, but she was smiling-smiling more wholeheartedly then he had ever seen her smile before.
"Megumi?" He breathed.
"I missed you." She whispered, than slipped her hand around the back of his head, and pulled him down into a kiss.
Now THAT was something that he hadn't been expecting from her.
After only a second, Megumi came to her senses and realized what she had just done.
She stepped back quickly, her face full of horror, her heart beating. Why the hell had she just done that? God, how was she going to explain things to him now.
'But damn, his lips tasted good.' A tiny voice sighed in her head.
"I'm sorry, Sanosuke. I just." she said, her voice weak. Dammit. Stupid emotions.
Sanosuke just stood there in the doorway gaping at her.
'Oh gods I've screwed things up this time.' Megumi thought, mentally kicking her.
'You know it was worth it.' The little voice insisted.
'Worth losing him?'
The little voice, for once, was completely nonplussed.
Sanosuke was snapping out of his trance.
"Just what?" He asked, noticing that she had never finished the statement.
"Just a lot of things." Megumi laughed nervously. "Just gotten really lonely. Just thought about you a lot. Just realized I'm in love with you." She swallowed, waiting for his reaction.
From the look on his face, it wasn't going to be all that pretty.
"You what?" Sanosuke asked, his face twisted into an emotion that she couldn't read.
"I love you." Megumi stated, her voice a little stronger. Saying it really had taken a load off her shoulders. The problem was, it had put an even heavier one on.
How the hell did he feel?
Fear struck her, cold and hard.
What if he didn't feel the same way?
What if he just walked away now, leaving her alone again?
She realized that she had started to cry again, only this time not with happiness.
"Kitsune." He whispered, pulling the shaking Megumi into his arms. "Don't cry fox, please." He pleaded. But she continued to sob, uncontrollably.
"Don't cry." He whispered, whipping the tears from her cheeks with the tips of his fingers. "Please."
Every tear that fell felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach. It was because of him that his fox was crying.
His fox?!
Dammit. Why couldn't he figure out the way that he felt about her?
The strange feeling in his heart could explain why, when Sayo was dying. (AN: There are no words strong enough to describe the way I feel about Sayo. Loath is the closest out there. Sano/Megumi all the way, people!!!)
. he couldn't get Megumi out of his head,
Actually, he never really had gotten her out of his head, at all.
For five years.
He had thought that he was going crazy for a long time but.
Deep down he knew that he wasn't.
'You love her.' A little voice stated.
Did he? He searched himself and found an answer.
Sure as hell he did.
He leaned down and kissed her, on the lips. It was a soft, brief kiss, but enough to show Megumi what he felt.
She looked up at him, eyelashes sparkling with what looked like dew.
She tried to say something, but found that she couldn't.
So she just kissed him again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~END~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Do ya like it? Let me know! Make friends with the review button.
This came out more serious than I intended, but I like it. It's very different from most of the stuff that's out there. (They're not arguing! It the end of the world!!!)
BTW, the part of the song I got the idea from is this:
I've been looking so long at these
pictures of
You that I almost believe that they're real I've
Been living so long with my pictures of you that
I almost believe that the pictures are all I can
Feel
Not hard to see where I got the idea from, huh?
Uh. you didn't see that.
AN: Heheh. I probably should be memorizing lines, but oh well. I was listening To Pictures of You by the Cure, and this idea suddenly struck me. The song didn't actually fit the story that I was planning, so I didn't use it, but the idea is sound enough to stand on it's own without a song. Enjoy!
BTW: I haven't seen the later arcs. So if I get any of the facts blaringly wrong, feel free to correct me. NICELY.
WARNING: FLUFF AHEAD
Pictures of You
Megumi ran her fingers along the painted paper, sighing softly.
The clinic was empty, but what else was new? Unless she had a patient, it was always empty. Except for her.
And she was starting to feel empty too.
It had been five years since he had left Japan, but it had felt like eternity.
It was said that absence made the heart grow fonder.
That was true.
It was also true, however, that absence could make one lonely beyond comprehension.
She remembered how she had come by the picture. That had been a very interesting day.
***FLASHBACK***
It was a year after Sanosuke had left.
Katsu had somehow gotten a horrible cough. Too much gunpowder inhaled, when he was making his bombs. He had come to Megumi, one of the few doctors that lived close to him.
She had been glad to treat him, and he had gotten better in just a few days after rest and multiple herbal teas.
The matter of payment, though, was rather interesting.
"Are you sure that you don't want any money?" Katsu questioned. Megumi shook her head. "Then is there anything that I could do for you as a favor? I feel guilty having your help and not paying you back."
"Well." Megumi started, and then blushed. "You paint, right?"
"Well enough to have earned a living off of it at one point. Why?" Katsu asked, suddenly curious.
"I was wondering if you could paint a picture for me." Megumi replied. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to request this from him. If he told anyone.
"Sure. I haven't painted in a while. Who of?" Katsu questioned.
"Do you promise to keep this between us?" Megumi asked. Katsu nodded. "Sanosuke."
Katsu's eyebrows shot up, and he looked like he was trying to supress a laugh. "Sanosuke?!" He asked in disbelief.
Megumi looked down. She knew that she was a fool to have asked him this. "Look, just forget this conversation ever happened. I-"
Katsu caught her eye as she looked up. He looked vaguely surprised for a moment, but then a knowing look came onto his face.
"I'll do it." He smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He had dropped the picture off a few days later. The results took Megumi's breath away.
The picture was simple and honest, painted by someone who had known Sanosuke since childhood. His back was to the front, but his face was turned, a cocky grin on his face. He looked like he was walking away from whoever was looking at him.
It made Megumi weep, and she didn't for the life of her know why.
***END FLASHBACK***
Katsu was good to his word. He never mentioned the picture gain, to Megumi's relief. She still struggled with emotions when she looked at this picture.
He had been gone for so long.
The clinic door opened, and Megumi had been so deep in her thoughts that she jumped about a foot.
"Megumi?" Kaoru's voice inquired. Megumi spun around to face her, hiding the picture behind her back and wearing what she hoped was an innocent smile.
"Kaoru? What are you doing here?" Megumi inquired.
"I just figured that I'd check on you and make sure that you weren't going crazy, living in here on your own." Kaoru lied, spotting Megumi's strange expression and the fact that both of her hands were behind her back. She wanted to know what Megumi was concealing. She could tell her the news later.
"Hey, what are you hiding?" Kaoru questioned, trying to shuffle around Megumi to get a better look at what was behind her back.
"N-nothing." Megumi blushed.
"Really?" Kaoru inquired, swiftly snatching the paper from behind Megumi's back. "Then what is this?" She asked, and looked down at the paper.
'Oh crap.' Megumi thought. 'I'm never going to hear the end of this.'
Kaoru's eyebrows shot up. "If I may ask, Megumi, why where you holding a picture of Sanosuke?"
"I-I mean, it's- it's-well." Megumi stuttered, trying to make up an excuse for owning the picture. To tell the truth, she herself didn't really know why she owned it. Or why she asked Katsu to make it for her. Only that it was the possession that she treasured most.
What the heck was she thinking?
"Is there something that you haven't been telling, Megumi?" Kaoru asked.
"Well, of course not. It's just." Megumi trailed off.
Was there something that she hadn't been telling them?
For that matter, was there something that hadn't been telling herself?
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Kaoru said quietly.
"Yes" Megumi said without thinking. "No! I mean, of course I'm not. I." Megumi swallowed.
Damn.
She was in love with him, wasn't she?
When Megumi failed to continue, Kaoru just nodded, a knowing look on her face.
Now that she thought about it, a look very similar to the one Katsu had worn.
'I could tell her now.' Kaoru thought, 'Or I could just let her find out.' She grinned to herself.
Megumi looked pensive, as if she were wrestling with some strange thoughts.
Kaoru crept out without drawing the doctors attention.
'Boy, will she be surprised.' Kaoru thought. She giggled to herself as she walked away from the clinic and back to the dojo.
Meanwhile, Megumi remained in exactly the same position as she was in before.
Love?
It couldn't be. could it?
But as she looked inside herself, she realized that it was true.
She was in love with him.
She picked up the picture that Kaoru had set down.
"Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit." Megumi said, not caring that she was talking to noone. How could she let herself figure this out after he was gone? When the chance was gone, when all she could do was regret.
She dropped to her knees, stealing another glance at the picture.
Hesitantly she slipped it into one of her books, into its usual hiding space. She needed to go for a walk, to sort out her thoughts-
She got up, and turned around to face the doorway.
Suddenly she couldn't breath.
The man from the pictures leaned against the door frame, an almost identical grin on his face.
"Bad language for a lady, kitsune." He stated, grinning.
"S-sanosuke?" She stuttered, hoping that he couldn't see the redness that was spreading across her face.
"Who else would it be?"
Before she could stop herself, she had ran across the room and flung her arms around him. In shock, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.
They stood there for a long time, neither knowing what to say.
Sanosuke was still coming out of the initial shock of the gesture.
What the hell was the fox doing?
He had expected her to be happy, surprised- but the reaction that he had gotten was stronger than anything he could have gotten in his wildest dreams.
He became aware that something was soaking into the front of his jacket. With a gentle hand, he pulled the doctors chin up so that her face was looking into his.
What he saw shocked him even more.
Tears streamed down her face like tiny rivers. Her eyes were shut, but she was smiling-smiling more wholeheartedly then he had ever seen her smile before.
"Megumi?" He breathed.
"I missed you." She whispered, than slipped her hand around the back of his head, and pulled him down into a kiss.
Now THAT was something that he hadn't been expecting from her.
After only a second, Megumi came to her senses and realized what she had just done.
She stepped back quickly, her face full of horror, her heart beating. Why the hell had she just done that? God, how was she going to explain things to him now.
'But damn, his lips tasted good.' A tiny voice sighed in her head.
"I'm sorry, Sanosuke. I just." she said, her voice weak. Dammit. Stupid emotions.
Sanosuke just stood there in the doorway gaping at her.
'Oh gods I've screwed things up this time.' Megumi thought, mentally kicking her.
'You know it was worth it.' The little voice insisted.
'Worth losing him?'
The little voice, for once, was completely nonplussed.
Sanosuke was snapping out of his trance.
"Just what?" He asked, noticing that she had never finished the statement.
"Just a lot of things." Megumi laughed nervously. "Just gotten really lonely. Just thought about you a lot. Just realized I'm in love with you." She swallowed, waiting for his reaction.
From the look on his face, it wasn't going to be all that pretty.
"You what?" Sanosuke asked, his face twisted into an emotion that she couldn't read.
"I love you." Megumi stated, her voice a little stronger. Saying it really had taken a load off her shoulders. The problem was, it had put an even heavier one on.
How the hell did he feel?
Fear struck her, cold and hard.
What if he didn't feel the same way?
What if he just walked away now, leaving her alone again?
She realized that she had started to cry again, only this time not with happiness.
"Kitsune." He whispered, pulling the shaking Megumi into his arms. "Don't cry fox, please." He pleaded. But she continued to sob, uncontrollably.
"Don't cry." He whispered, whipping the tears from her cheeks with the tips of his fingers. "Please."
Every tear that fell felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach. It was because of him that his fox was crying.
His fox?!
Dammit. Why couldn't he figure out the way that he felt about her?
The strange feeling in his heart could explain why, when Sayo was dying. (AN: There are no words strong enough to describe the way I feel about Sayo. Loath is the closest out there. Sano/Megumi all the way, people!!!)
. he couldn't get Megumi out of his head,
Actually, he never really had gotten her out of his head, at all.
For five years.
He had thought that he was going crazy for a long time but.
Deep down he knew that he wasn't.
'You love her.' A little voice stated.
Did he? He searched himself and found an answer.
Sure as hell he did.
He leaned down and kissed her, on the lips. It was a soft, brief kiss, but enough to show Megumi what he felt.
She looked up at him, eyelashes sparkling with what looked like dew.
She tried to say something, but found that she couldn't.
So she just kissed him again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~END~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Do ya like it? Let me know! Make friends with the review button.
This came out more serious than I intended, but I like it. It's very different from most of the stuff that's out there. (They're not arguing! It the end of the world!!!)
BTW, the part of the song I got the idea from is this:
I've been looking so long at these
pictures of
You that I almost believe that they're real I've
Been living so long with my pictures of you that
I almost believe that the pictures are all I can
Feel
Not hard to see where I got the idea from, huh?