He ran half way back to the dojo, became out of breath, and collapsed into a heap down an alleyway. Leaning against the side of the building, he begin to pick rotten food out of his black spiked hair. He now smelled even worse then he already did. He hadn't bathed in about two weeks since Jou-chan kicked him out of the dojo and he didn't have money to go to a community bath house. He stood up and walked out of the alley to see where it was he ran to. It was then he noticed how near the dojo he was. "Maybe Jou-chan will let me take a bath. If not I'll hang around until she throws me in," he thought out loud snickering at his own cleverness. He walked up to the door that lead into the dojos property, grabbed the handle, but it was locked.
"NANI?!" He tugged on the door but it wouldn't budge. He then proceeded to bang loudly on the wood until it started to crack.
"Sanosuke-san," said a voice behind him. He was out of breath again and splinters were embedded into his hands. He turned around slowly with anger painted onto his face like a mask. The little girl backed away slightly without realizing she did and let out a little gasp then plugged her noise quickly. It was Tsubame holding a small tub of tofu. His expression soften slightly and he knew that if she was here with food, that someone had to be home.
"Tsubame-chan. Do you know where Kenshin and Jou-chan are," he asked squatting down to her level.
"Wakarimasen Sanosuke-san. I haven't seen them in the last two days. Only Yahiko has been home the last two days," she said taking a small brass key out of her apron pocket. She slid it into the lock and turned it, with a click the door was open.
"Hai dozo," said Tsubame gesturing to Sano to go ahead of her.
He walked through the door and looking to the courtyard. It was empty and there were no signs that anyone was there.
"Yahiko-chan! Tsubame desu yo," yelled Tsubame towards the dojo. A moment later Yahiko came running out of the house. He was covered with food and bandages on his hands. He simultaneously took his shoes off and jumped from the walkway near the dojo. He stopped short when he got a whiff of Sanos new cologne. He made a disgusted face at Sano, took the tofu from Tsubame, then ran back into the house without saying anything.
Tsubame turned to leave but Sano grabbed her by the arm. "Oi! What's going on around here!"
"I don't even know myself," she said looking up to Sanos face.
He let his grip go and he watched her leave. There was another click from the door and he knew that she had locked the door. A smile spread across his face and he bolted to where the bath was in the house.
~~~~~
He sat on a bench just outside of the room that held the bath tub drying his hair. He dropped the towel around his shoulder and grabbed his clothes to put them back on but got a smell of what remained of Taes rage. He made a face and then threw them back onto the floor.
He took the towel from around his shoulder and put it around his waist, sneaked over to the door, slid it open a crack, saw Yahiko wasn't around and the proceeded to the hallway. He looked both ways and saw no one was around, then turned left, walking with fleshy footsteps. Unfortunately this is what it all came down to. Was he that desperate to try on Kenshins clothes. He sighed loudly and opened the door that led to Kenshins bedroom.
The room was very neat, and held only a futon and a simple dresser. One picture hung on the wall of some sort of flower. He paid no attention to that and walked over to the dresser. He opened it to find only Kenshins formal hakama pants and a dark blue kimono. He opened another drawer and there was a haori jacket. Cringing he took the hakama and the kimono out of the first drawer.
"Now how the hell do you put this thing on..." he mumbled dropping the towel and stepping into the hakama pants. He brought the back ties to the front and tied them into a small bow. He then did the same to the ones in the front.
"Wait...this isn't right...," he thought to himself untying the pants and retying them right. He then realized he was suppose to put the kimono on first.
"Shukuso!!!" He undid the pants again and put the kimono on, then proceeded to put the pants back on a third time.
He rummaged a bit more through the dresser and found some hair ribbon that Kenshin used to put his hair into a ponytail. Sano got a stupid grin on his face and slicked all his hair back. The top of the kimono collar became wet and he pulled his hair into a small ponytail. He ran out of the room and found himself inside Kaorus bedroom in front of the full length mirror she saved up for months for.
He laughed out loud at himself pointing at the mirror image. It was too much for him. He wiped the tears away from his smiling eyes and walked out of Kaorus room to gather his clothes up to wash them. Thinking nothing of the irony that was going to play out in a few moments in the courtyard.
~~~~~
Kenshin held Kaorus hand and pointed out to the shop keeper with his free hand the comb he wanted to buy. Kaoru let go of his hand and walked over to another table that was selling obi sashes. Kenshin paid the balding man, thanking him in the process with a small bow.
He turned to Kaoru who was no longer standing with him and let out a confused "ORO?"
She looked up after hearing it and let out a little laugh. "Ken-san! Over here."
He finally found her after she called out his name. He walked over to her saw the price of the obi she wanted and almost fell over. "Maybe another time Kaoru-dono...." he said gathering himself.
She frowned and walked away from the table. They now bought everyone something and could now go home. The short vacation from everyone was what they needed. Yahiko was watching over the dojo, Tsubame was keeping him fed, Sano wasn't anywhere to be found...Things where perfect. Now that they were back in Tokyo from going to Nagasaki for two days she felt so relaxed. She turned to Kenshin and gave him a big smile. "Shall we go home then?"
"Hai. I really could stand the inn that we were in anymore degozaru. To many rowdy young guys there to get any time to ourselves peacefully. We should have just stayed home..." his sentence was interrupted with a punch to the cheek.
"......." Kaoru looked down at Kenshin with a angered look on her face.
"Gomenasai Kaoru-dono. I shouldn't have complained..."
She walked away from him laying in the dirt road not saying anything back to him. He got up dusted off his kimono and hakama then ran after her to catch up. "Chotto matte kudasai Kaoru-dono," he yelled after her.
~~~~
Sano carried out two big tubs and a washboard. He set them on the ground near the bamboo clothes line that was set up on two polls. We wiped sweat from his brow, thinking that he was going to kill Kenshin for hiding these in the most insane place he could think of. His bedroom.
He turned away and walked around the other side of the dojo to get some buckets of water realizing he forgot the wash soap. Without saying a word or even swearing, he walked back into the dojo in search of soap and the first place he walked into was Kenshins bedroom and found some where the tubs had been.
He proceeded back to the well and got himself two buckets of cold water to wash his stuff in. He didn't feel like warming the water so it would have to do for now. Without Kenshin around and not knowing when he would be back he was going to have to do this himself. He didn't dare ask Megumi. She would just laugh at him...and if she did wash his stuff... he only wondered what she would make him wear. He'd rather borrow Kenshins clothes that were too small for him to wear then wear a woman's kimono.
He dumped a bucket of water into each wash bin, put the wash board and soap into one of them and began washing his clothes, completely forgetting about what he was doing or wearing.
~~~~~
Kenshin finally got Kaoru to say something to him after getting halfway back to the dojo in silence. He apologized many times about not liking the trip, then was scolded that he should of left his mouth closed.
"I'll make it all up to you Kaoru-dono. Yakusuku desu."
She gave him a weak smile she tried to hold back. "Buy me that obi I want."
He about fell over; "Eeto...Kaoru-dono..."
They finally arrived at the dojo and Kaoru took the key from the sleeve of her kimono. She noticed the door looked as if someone had beaten on it. "Sanosuke!," she yelled not realizing he was on the other side of the door in plain sight washing clothes in Kenshins best kimono. She unlocked the door thoroughly pist off again but stopped dead in her tracks, and Kenshin drew his sword. Who was that washing clothes in the middle of the courtyard of the dojo. No one she recognized and the fact that Kenshin drew his sword was a sign that he didn't know him either. Although the kimono looked familiar to her.
"Anata dare desu ka," Asked Kenshin in a loud voice that reached throughout the courtyard. The man looked up blinked, blushed and then was rambling about rotten food being thrown at him and bowing.
Kenshin walked closer to the man putting the sword back into it's sheath. "Sanosuke?" Said Kenshin very confused eyeing him up and down. There was no doubt about it. It was Sano. He about fell over, but Kaoru did it for him.
"Nani o sore?!" Screamed Kaoru turning red.
Sano blushed an awfully dark shade of red, explained everything and felt very embraced. Kenshin offered to finish the laundry and wasn't mad about Sano using his clothes. Although, he did look very handsome, even if the pants were way too short.