A/N: Yo - another late RK week fic from me - hope you guys enjoy.

"Oi? 'Jime? You 'wake?"

The lamp had long since gone out and there was a slight whispering of sheets and blankets as the occupants of the futon stirred. "...Now I am."

Sanosuke looked pensively up at the ceiling and sighed, shifting slightly. "You ever think it's weird?"

There was a sleepy snort from beside him. "What, you starting philosophical conversations at an unnatural time?"

"It's only like, three or four in the mornin' or somethin'," Sanosuke said defensively.

A shifting of position. "You... Tell me in Japanese time." Saitou's tone was slightly annoyed.

"Like... Hour of the tiger? An' c'mon, you gotta get used to the normal way, it's Meiji now, old wolf. The time's changed, literally."

"Whatever era it is - it's ridiculously early in the morning," Saitou grumbled, poking Sanosuke in the ribs. "Go back to sleep and talk about weird things later."

"But I'll f'rget," Sanosuke said petulantly.

A sigh - an admission of defeat from Saitou. "...Start talking, then."

"I was just thinkin'..." Sanosuke started, then stopped at a snort from Saitou. "What?"

"Thinking? Don't hurt yourself."

"Asshole. Why do I love you?"

"Because I listen to your stupid thoughts when it's the hour of the tiger. ...Keep going."

Sanosuke glared at the massive lump under the blanket beside him which was Saitou. "You were the one who interrupted," he muttered, but continued. "...I was just thinkin' - it must'a been fate, us two meetin', y'know? Like, the last members of the Shinsengumi an' the Sekihoutai. An' like, you fuckin' stabbed me when we first met - an' now look at us."

A grunt. "And what's your point?"

"Oi, you! You even listenin'? I'm sayin' it's weird an' highly improbable that the two of us woulda ended up like this from where we started out! An' it's fuckin' amazin', 'kay?! I think 'bout this shit a lot."

"Oh."

"That's all you gotta say?" grumbled Sanosuke.

Saitou sighed and turned towards the younger man, pulling the blankets away from himself so Sanosuke could see his face. "Yes, it is - that's life. You never really know where you're going to end up. If someone told me ten, twenty years ago that I'd be waking up next to a rooster-headed idiot every morning - at a time where I feel it's morally wrong to even consider being morning - I probably would've stabbed them without a second thought."

Sanosuke's grumpy visage split into a grin. "'S probably the most r'mantic thing you've said to me all week," he said.

Looking at the man lying next to him, it was obvious that Saitou was trying to figure out if Sanosuke was joking or not. Finally, Saitou opted for the easiest, most natural response. "...Idiot."

"Aw, y'know you love me."

"It takes an idiot to unnecessarily point out the obvious," Saitou muttered, and the grumpiness was very obviously fake.

"Yeah, 'Jime, I love you too."