Rescue Me
"Sano!"
"Kaoru?"
"Katsu!"
"What?"
Sano stood up and stretched a little, choosing to ignore the fretful look on the Missy's face. I had just seen Katsu five minutes ago and Kaoru was known to overreact on things. She probably saw the bruise on his cheek from his tussle last night and thought he was dying.
"He's with Miss Megumei. He was targeted on his way back home. Someone beat him up pretty bad. No one would have found him for a while if he hadn't sent up a flare. Sano, I-"
But Sano was already sprinting to the door and running towards the clinic. He should have called a carriage, taken the train, but he was too worried. He ran all the way there, running even though his body begged him to stop. By the time he collapsed onto the clinic floor, he was drenched in sweat and wheezing.
"You stupid idiot," Megumei scolded, nudging Sano with her foot. "Katsu is perfectly fine."
"Kaoru told me that-"
"I know what Kaoru told you; that he was badly beaten and no one would have found him if he hadn't sent up a flare. She didn't stay to find out Katsu's story, just made one up herself. Katsu was being chased and ran into a alley. He knocked over some heavy boards and got stuck underneath and the man who was pursuing him was afraid of being blamed and left. He's fine, just resting." Megumei shook her head and pressed her finger pads into her forehead in mock frustration. Sano slowly brought himself to his feet and glared at the lady doctor a moment before following her pointed finger into the room.
Once Sano was hidden behind the door, Megumei sighed and dropped her hands. "What an idiot that man is. Still…" Megumei went silent, watching the room with her eyes and sighing. To think Sano could care about someone so much. He was protective of everyone, but Katsu seemed to be an exception. An exception as in Sano was lock and key with him. Perhaps it was the past they shared together that made them so connected.
"Katsu?"
He was sleeping, his face scratched a little from the accident. Sano sighed, putting his head down onto the western style bed Katsu was in. All that worrying and it was for nothing. He'd have to give the missy a little talking to when he got back. His throat was sore from huffing in the cold air and his legs were tired and shaky. Chances were that he wasn't going to be heading home anytime soon.
Sano propped his head up and looked at Katsu, smiling to himself. "You know, you really had me worried there. You big dope. You could've ran back to the Kamiya dojo. You knew I was there. I would have helped you. I always do. But you're too stubborn… or too proud. And I thought you were through with concocting those little explosives. Even if it was a flare. I guess I'm glad you had one laying around. I wonder how long you would have been pinned if you didn't."
"A while," Katsu choked, attempting to sit up. He groaned a little and gave up, slumping against the headboard. "No one was around. I was trying to loose him down Ruffian Row. Everyone there is always so busy that I figured I could loose him in a crowd or something. But I guess I tried to squeeze between the wrong two houses. I… didn't want to bother you again. You're always taking care of me and I can't really do much to repay you."
"Pay off my debt at the Akabeko."
"I'm not rich Sano," Katsu grumbled, his chin falling into his chest. Sano stood up and tried helping him to sit, but found the strength he needed to do so had already been exhausted from his 'race against time'. Instead, he just pulled the pillow up a little so it supported his neck and slid back down onto the floor. "Ya know, you don't look too good yourself. You should have Megumei take a look at you."
"I'm fine, just a little tired. The only thing I need from Megumei is a bed."
"There's one right here, Sano."
"You know we can't do that here, Katsu. I thought you didn't want… it to be exposed."
"It wouldn't. Just sit on the bed next to me and get comfortable. That's all I was suggesting," Katsu didn't smile. Sano sighed. Katsu never smiled. He was much too serious to smile though he did crack jokes on occasion. They were just so hard to spot when he sat there with his face looking completely blank. But he glanced at the door anyway and crept onto the bed next to Katsu. "It's comfortable here. I think I might knock over some boards more often."
"You ever scare me like that again and I'll make sure you have a good reason to be here. Man, I ran all the way from the dojo. Kaoru told me some bullshit story and got me all flustered." Sano pounced on Katsu's hand and fiddled with it, trying to hide his blushing expression. Katsu tried to sit up again, managing to make it so he could rest his head on Sano's shoulder.
"Which isn't all that difficult to do. You wear your emotions on your sleeve, Sano. No matter how tough you try to be, everyone can tell you're just a sheep in wolves' clothing. And don't tell me I'm wrong because the first time we-"
"Don't even Katsu. It was embarrassing and I thought we both agreed that it never happened."
"Can't help but remember I guess. You know, I'd never seen your face so red in my life. It looked like someone had smeared berry juice on your cheeks. And then you kept asking-"
"You looked like you were in pain. I wanted to make sure-"
"You said it every five seconds. I timed it and it was every five seconds on the dot," Katsu said, watching Sano's fingers as they traced the lines on his palm. He snuggled in closer to Sano's side and sighed, frowning. "Sano, I want-"
"I love you, Katsu," Sano mumbled, attempting to completely absorb himself in his task of tickling Katsu's hand. He glanced at Katsu, then back at his hand, then closed his eyes and burst out laughing. Katsu was gaping at him, completely thunderstruck by his comment. When Sano finally calmed down, he looked over at Katsu and smiled sadly. "And… I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I don't care."
"You always say that. Why can't you admit that you're upset by it? I know you are. Come on, we've been friends for forever. We both shared the same betrayal and we both lost all of our comrades. Every time I bring it up, I see that look in your eyes that you had when the curtains were lowered and you saw the guns. I know that look and it's that look like you've been tricked. I didn't-"
"I said it didn't matter. Enough!" Katsu clenched his hand into a fist, catching Sano's thumb inside. "I don't want to hear anymore about that. I hear it over and over again all the time and I don't want to. I have to see it in my dreams and remember it and always be reminded and I don't… not from you I don't want to have to…" Katsu went silent, releasing Sano's thumb and sitting up straight. He didn't want to see Sano's expression. He could only guess how hurt it must be and what he must think. It was just another topic pushed away, another thing he couldn't understand nor would be given the chance to. Sano felt betrayed and tricked… but not anymore. He didn't feel it with the intensity that Katsu did. He had befriended an imperialist after all. Even after everything they went through because of them. He went and befriended the worst imperialist of them all, the Battousai. Hearing him say Sagara's name that night… it was like a cold clothe to a burn. It confirmed that he still remembered. It confirmed that he hadn't forgotten and the tears showed it was still a hurting wound. "I'm serious though. It's fine."
Sano slumped on the bed, arms at his side, eyes downcast and cloudy. He still felt so badly about it. He had practically burst a lung apologizing about it when it had happened and Katsu had tried his hardest not to hug him and tell him it was exactly what he wanted to hear. Sano wouldn't… he wouldn't be able to understand why.
"I guess I should let you get some sleep so maybe you won't be so sore. I just… I'm glad you're okay." Sano swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sano, come back here. I wasn't done talking to you. Besides, you better not be thinking about walking out of here without giving me a kiss goodbye," Katsu warned, pushing himself painfully up into a sitting position. He looked up at Sano and held one of his hands out, wiggling his fingers until Sano stepped in far enough so he could grasp his clothing. "I'm not mad at you. I never was. I… well, I love you too and I don't want you to feel like…you can't talk to me about things. If you miss Sagara, that's fine. I miss him too. He was a good captain."
Sano put his knees on the bed, leaning over Katsu and kissing his lips softly. He slid his hand into Katsu's smoky colored hair and gripped it gently, pulling his head back a little farther. Katsu grabbed Sano's jacket, leaning back.
Katsu finally brought his arms around Sano's neck, squeezing hard. If Sano knew how much he needed him, he might not stay. After all these years, he'd had no one to talk to or to relate with. He had spent a lot of time in the shadows, growing darker and darker with his hatred kindling deep in his heart that he realized he would have killed every imperialist there was if he had the chance. He would have killed them and their wives and children. He would have been no better than the imperialists that slaughtered the Sekihoutai. He was ashamed to admit it now. But when Sano had shown up and thrown away that life he had come to cherish just to follow along beside him, he realized the times had changed and he was just being selfish. Why disrupt what so many people had come to trust just because he had been deceived? Sano had found some way past it and so could he. Maybe he just needed a little help. Maybe he just needed Sano.
Maybe Sano and a little time.
Katsu broke the kiss and stared up at Sano, his mouth pulling upwards. He could barely hear Sano's breath hitch in his throat at the sight. He pulled Sano in close and wrapped his arms around his back, tucking his face away into his neck.
"I trust you Sano. I trust you with every part of my being. I don't ever… want to loose you again," he whispered, tears pooling at his eyes. It had been the first time he cried since that one day. The one day he found himself separated from the group, he had cried. Now, when he was finally back with the 'group' he sobbed equally hard.
But this time, he had someone there to comfort him, to tell him he wasn't alone and that everything would be okay. And this time, he believed it.