Author's Note: For Ruroken Week 2016, I wrote seven different AUs. I'll be releasing each one over the next few weeks. Depending on the responses/reviews, I'll decide which ones to prioritize. (This doesn't mean I'll abandon the rest, just that they'll be tackled later.) Thanks in advance for reading!
During her lunch break, Megumi expected to see a certain rooster-head at his usual table. He wasn't there, and that made her frown. An hour ago, she had passed him by in the hospital corridors and he had flashed her his trademark grin. If he was leaving early, he would have said so. Strange.
And why was she even concerned? Even if the occupational therapist wasn't around, she should have been happy. She had always told him she preferred the company of Himura, anyway. No, this was strange, and work had conditioned her to be alarmed at any red flags.
Sipping at her coffee, she glanced out the window and her eyes widened. There he was, in the courtyard. Although…what was he looking for? He was crouched down, his head lowered, but he wasn't moving.
She took the elevator down to the pristine lobby, before tossing her empty cup in a nearby trash can and striding outside. "Hello, rooster-head."
Sagara Sanosuke was an irredeemable idiot, but at least he was easy on the eyes. Or at least, he usually was, when his sclera weren't distractingly bloodshot. "Hey, fox." He said, but his voice sounded hoarse.
She stopped short. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing. And no, I did not break my hand. It's nothing, okay?"
An exasperated sigh left her lips, and she knelt down next to him, tugging at the lapels of her white coat. "You'll feel better if you talk to someone. Or should I give you a referral to a psychiatrist?"
He snorted. "No." But after a pause, he did divulge. "It's been ten years since Souzou died. He wasn't family, more like a counselor, but I looked up to him."
"Sagara Souzou? That man?"
"You knew him?"
"No, but I read his articles. He was a famous investigative journalist after all, and a handsome one. He's the one you miss?"
"Yeah. I wasn't a good kid-"
"I bet you weren't."
A scoff escaped him. "Anyway, I fell in with the wrong crowd. After a fight, I looked like hell, and Souzou picked me up. He pushed me hard and I didn't always like that, but he was like the older brother I never had. He was the one who brought up health care to me."
"Ah. So that's how you got here." She propped her chin on her fist. "You could have taken today off to visit his grave."
"Damn government's probably keeping tabs on the cemetery. Instead, I just talk. How I'm doing, any problems I'm having, like I did when he was alive." At this, she frowned, but he waved her off. "It helps me. That's all that should matter."
Mentally, she decided that she'd write the referral later. "If you say so. But you're not related to him?"
"I changed my last name to Sagara in his memory." He admitted. "I thought that I couldn't let him die, not even his name. It sounds like I've got a complex, but I don't give a damn if people think that. Even though I gave him a rough time, I literally owe my life to him. He inspired me to do more with these hands than fighting."
"Then, he would be very proud of you." She said. He sniffed and rubbed his nose in an attempt to ignore her, but she insisted. "I mean it. When you're not fracturing your hand because of your boxing hobby, you're a decent doctor. You can joke around with your patients, and they like you. But since you're such a rooster-head, you need someone you can trust too."
He flashed her a bitter grin. "Are you saying that person is you?"
"I didn't." She clipped and stood. "If you want to remember Souzou, go ahead and light an incense stick. And my door is always open, if you need to vent. It's good to get it all out. In the end, living well is the best way to honor his memory."
"I'll keep that in mind, fox."
"You should, you know I'm right." She checked her wristwatch. "I should get going. Will you be alright?"
"Yeah, I will." He eased out of his crouch, dusting himself off. "Break's over, huh? Well, so long. And thanks."
She nodded, and within minutes, they headed their separate ways. Still, she knew she'd see him soon enough.