A/N: Due to the very awesome review I recieved, I'm starting this chapter way earlier than I intended to (which might disappoint those following other stuff of mine, but oh well...). I also want to dedicate this chapter to kuroiyousei for the wonderful comment she gave as well as (and most importantly) for the lovely picture of Sano and Saitou together on the cover art (the right one, where they are deliciously making out). Thank you very much for allowing me to use it. And I really hope this chapter meets your expectations.
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"Has it occured to you that I'm married?" Saitou's vehement whisper goes unnoticed as the woman seated across from them are immersed deep into what he considers pointless chatter.
Sanosuke rolls his eyes and mutters, "Obviously. But then," his eyes flick up triumphantly at the wof's furious yellow gaze, "I talked to Chou and he told me that you were separated, so I thought why the hell not? We're both brokenhearted, need distractions, and there's two perfectly good-lookin' women who are actually interested in us!"
Mentally, Saitou curses the broomhead and vows that the moment he steps foot into the station a certain blonde will be missing a finger. "No. You're wrong. I am not brokenhearted, I have plenty of distractions at work, most of them you, and I'm not interested in finding a woman, especially when I have no room for anymore responsibilties to take on."
"Responsibilities? Who said anything about responsibilities?"
"Idiot. What do you think you're signing up for right now?"
Sano hastily glances at the women still gossiping and whispers, "A night of pointless sex? But, satisfying sex all the same."
He eyes Sano with disgust and itches to smack the boy across the face. "Vulgar, ill-bred child. Take a good look at these ladies. Does it look like they want a night of empty sex?" He silences Sano's retort with a harsh look. "Weren't you just sobbing over what the battousai did to you?"
Effectively being stung by the reminder, Sano glares at the older man and hisses under his breath, "You're just mad that you're stuck with me now out of goddamned politeness. You could leave you know. Of course, " he snickers softly, "you would hurt her feelings terribly."
"I've never bothered about hurting feelings before." He rises to his feet. "So, I'm leaving now."
Sano's eyes widen in panic and he's about to tackle Saito from leaving, when a small voice breaks in, "Where are you going?"
Saitou looks down and finds himself staring dispassionately into a pair of brown eyes. They're dark, almost black, and they seem to be pleading with him to stay.
He doesn't want to though. He had come with the intentions of talking, most likely berating the ahou for wasting his time. Not for some stupid double date - a blow to his pride as he felt that he was past silly things like this - and not even a beautiful young woman was going to keep him from leaving.
His shifts his gaze to the tense kid, ready to punch his face in for attempting to pull him into this humiliating debacle, when he finds himself glaring into another set of brown pools. These are lighter, though, familiar, warm, and yes, pleading as well. Wide eyes, panicked, and screaming obscenities at him. He holds in the smirk, he knows the boy is barely containing from cussing at him in childish tantrum. He takes a step back and the begging eyes grow larger, hurt shining out of them now.
"I'm going to use the restroom," he says curtly, turning on his heel and stalking off towards the back.
"Come back soon, okay?" the older woman cheerily demands, oblivious to Sano's shell-shocked face staring after Saitou's retreating back.
Saitou didn't leave rings throughout his brain and Sano feels himself frown. Why? The old man would've normally left, strolled out even. But why didn't he leave? He furrows his eyebrows in deep thought, there had to be a reason.
Suddenly his eyes widen in alarm, could it...could it be..because of her?
He turns his attention back to the booth and regards the smaller, dainty-like, young woman with interest. She's plain. Straight black hair falling like a curtain around her shoulders and black-brown eyes. Sure, there's no blemishes and she has a sweet-ish smile, but hell, she's not that great nor deserving what he considers Saitou's mercy - if he ever had any, at least.
"I've never bothered about hurting feelings before."
So why hadn't he?
Saitou would never spare his feelings, he thinks grumpily. Not even if Sano was on his deathbed. Probably would go on some long ass speech about how it was honorable to die in battle (because that's the way he would go - in battle) and would most likely describe to him all the ways he was a failure in life. And call him ahou. Repeatedly.
"So Sanosuke, tell us a little more about your friend!"
"Izumi," he sighs exasperatedly, "can you sound a little less eager? You're on a date with me, remember?"
She grins wickedly, "Your point?"
He shakes his head. "Gee, and here I was thinking that you were interested."
Izumi throws back her head and laughs loudly. "I am, I am," she assures. "Don't worry, it's just that Reiko here is a little shy and doesn't go out much. In fact," her voice drops an octave and she elbows her friend, "she's never shown any interest in ANY of the guys I've shown her. 'Cept your friend, of course."
Much to Sano's annoyance, Reiko turns beet red and bites her lip, timidly nodding. "Just look!" cries Izumi. "You like him, don't you?" She turns back to Sano. "So tell us more about him!"
It takes him a few seconds think up something normal to say and he lamely gives up, "His name is Saitou and uh, he's a cop." An arrogant, emotionless, bastard cop he adds in silently.
"That's, that's it? No way," she groans, "there's got to be more. Any information could really help Reiko make Saitou hers!"
He bristles, stomach twisting. Hers? Saitou wasn't hers. He's not going to be hers. Who talked like that anyways? No no no. Just imagining the Wolf of Mibu on a leash is enough to send Sano into a fit of strained giggles and raise both girls' eyebrows.
"What?" softly questions Reiko, not entirely sure if she's being made fun of here or if something else was up.
"Probably something stupid," answers Saitou as he smacks the back of Sano's head. He keeps his face expressionless though he'd heard every word. Women, he thinks tiredly.
Sano grabs the back of his head, whipping around, and mock pouting. "What the hell man? You could at least tell someone when you decide to go all Shinsengumi-like. Totally not cool sneaking up on people like that."
"If you payed more attention to your surroundings, you wouldn't need me to give you a warning." He berates as he sits down next to the boy.
After having said he'd had to use the bathroom, Saitou had actually gone and used the time to think over why he hadn't left. He could have - should have - but didn't and as he relieved himself, he debated whether he should just go back out and continue this date or actually leave this time. Sure, he had nothing else to do, but did he really have to spend his free evening with the stupid teen?
He flashes back to this morning when the ahou had all but danced into the station, ridiculed Chou for his new haircut, and pranced his way into his office. He had repeatedly told the boy to go and to stop bothering him, but still the child had persisted, insisting that he really needed to talk to him, preferrably over dinner.
"C'mon cricket man! You need some time away from this dump, time to relax, eat something other than soba, and more importantly, you need to smile!"
"I said no, ahou. Go away."
Instead, the boy perched himself onto the corner of his desk and obnoxiously started poking him until finally he grumbled, "What do you want to talk about?"
"Nuh uh," the kid shook his head and wagged his finger, "we talk over dinner. Say it with me, din-ner."
"Ne-ver go-ing to hap-pen."
"Gah! Stop being so old!" the rooster screamed.
Saitou simply returned to his work without sparing a glance in the boy's direction.
"Please 'Jime?"
"Don't call me that."
"Why the hell not?"
"It's stupid."
"You're stupid."
Saitou sighed. "Real mature there rooster. Why don't you go bother Himura or something?"
"Because I want to talk to you."
There. A slight quiver in the boy's voice and suddenly Saitou was intrigued. What could possibly have been so important that his presence was needed. The battousai would have been a better choice than him. He glanced up from his work to find earnest brown eyes surveying him. "Whaddya say? Go to dinner with me. I'll even pay."
"That's a first."
"Oooh look at that. The big, bad Wolf made a joke. How cute," the ahou drawled. "Let's see if we can make him laugh next."
"Ahou.." he warned.
"Seriously Saitou, what does it hurt if you go to dinner with me? I really need your help."
"You said you needed to talk to me. That doesn't require food. It doesn't require my leaving the station."
"But it does! It's gonna take awhile and I want it to be somewhere private you know. Away from work."
"My office is private enough."
The roosterhead had clutched his head and groaned. "No, no it's not. There are peering eyes and eager ears everywhere. And just so you know," he leans in close to Saitou, completely disregarding personal space, "it'll look weird if I stay in here too long."
"Weird?" he echoed.
The boy nodded. "Weird." He slid his body to the middle and scoots forward to the edge, any closer and he'd be considered in Saitou's lap. Dips his head down and twinkling eyes, alive with gossip, look into his. "Ever since that one cop was caught with a messenger boy in his office, pants down, anything even remotely hinting such things would be spread like wildfire in a forest full of rotting wood."
He leans back and shoots him a full cheeky smile. "Wouldn't want anyone to think that Hajime Saitou was involved in indecent behavious, right?"
"What did you need help in, boy?"
"Okaaaay," the boy complains, "just ignore that then."
"I don't have all day."
"It's gotta do with Kenshin, all right? Happy? So can you please help me?"
"Sure," he agrees out of the blue, surprising and delighting the boy. "I do have a free evening and I'm actually interested in what you did wrong."
"Who said I did anything wrong?!"
Saitou almost chuckles remembering the boy's idginant scowl, but stops himself, shocked that he was about to laugh.
"Hey! Hey! Saitou, hello?"
"Hnn?" He replies distractedly. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Well, Raiko just asked if you enjoyed being a cop."
"I do."
Izumi wrinkles her lips in annoyance. Here, her bestfriend was desperately trying to get the attention of the golden-eyed man and he was just blatantly ignoring her. What an asshole. Reiko is the sweetest girl in the world and only a fool would not notice that.
"Saitou," Sano hisses under his breath, "smile, do something for god's sake. You're being downright cruel to your date." Secretly though, Sano wishes he doesn't. So far he'd never been able to coax a smile out of the stubborn bamboo-faced man and he'd be damned if some girl did it before him.
Saitou doesn't care at all if he's being cruel or whatever. He hadn't signed up for this, he didn't want to be in some mixed up drama, and he wasn't going to smile. Then he takes a look at the ahou's frustrated face.
They all gasp.
A small smile adorns the stern cop's countenance. He feels his eye twitch, but he's smiling.
Reiko blushes and Izumi gapes. The smile has caused the older man's face to soften the tiniest bit and he's ten times more handsome than he already was. Her own heart races and she's surprised that Reiko hasn't swooned yet.
Sanosuke, on the other hand, gags internally. No! No! No! He can't have smiled for her. Not for her. That..that wasn't fair! He feels his mood plummet and a knot forms at the back of his throat. Why did this hurt so much?
For once, oblivious to Sano's inner conflict, Saitou immerses himself into conversation and calls someone over for them to order their meals. Since he wasn't going to be leaving, he might as well hurry and get this date over with.
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"Do you want to walk me home, Sano," purrs Izumi. "It's not far from here and we can talk a little while longer." She sidles up to his side and leans her head against his shoulder.
"I'd love to Izumi. Just let me tell Saitou."
"Don't worry about that."
"Why?"
"He's walking Reiko home, duh!"
"No, I'm not, unfortunately," Saitou cuts in, amber eyes flashing. "I've been called to work, immediately." Beside him is a very disappointed Reiko.
"Surely it can wait…"
"It can't."
Miffed, she lifts her chin and grabs hold of Reiko's hand. "Fine, then I'll see her home. Sorry, Sanosuke." She promptly turns on her heel and stalks off leaving a very disappointed Sano as well.
When both women finally disappear from their sights, Sano whirls on Saitou prepared to scream his heart at out at effectively getting cock blocked. Except, Saitou beat him to it.
"Finally, I thought she'd never leave! I can't believe that woman decided to play 101 questions with me and to top it off, you helped!" Saitou fumes, pointing a gloved finger at Sano, accusingly.
Sano stands befuddled. What the fuck?
Saitou's usual calm demeanor has disappeared and the usually stoic cop is yelling obsceneties and tugging at his perfectly combed, jet black hair. "How can a woman be so...so...such a bi-"
"Hey, hey, hey, that's a good friend of mine there, bastard cop."
"I wonder why! Actually, wait. She's exactly like you, no wonder!"
"Hey!"
Saitou runs a hand through his hair one more time then hastily reaches into his pocket for his lighter and a cigarette. Quickly he places it between his teeth and lights the end, breathing in relief. Relax, he needs to relax. This was a first for him. Even the ahou couldn't bring his temper up to this level.
He goes through two more cigarettes before he notices the ahou still standing next to him, staring at him in a peculiar manner. "What?" he asks.
"Nothing, it's just that you look different with your hair mussed up like that."
"Hnn.."
"Oh, and also it's really funny to watch you blow up like that. You should really cut back on your smoking though. You'll die faster that way."
"I'll die when it's my time to die."
"Whatever."
Saitou continues smoking and Sano paces around for a bit wondering how long the old man would stay there. "Hey," he finally comments, "don't you have to be at the staion? Like now?"
"Oh," Saitou inhales and exhales once more, "that was a lie."
"What?"
"I lied, ahou. Don't tell me you're too daft to understand that."
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I wanted to get laid today! Do you understand that?"
"I don't have time for your childish outbursts."
Sano rages. "No! No! No! You listen to me, dumbass! I told you I wanted to get over Kenshin, right?! You were supposed to be helping me! And you pissed off my chance of doing so!"
Growing even more irritated, Saitou slits his eyes menacingly at the teen. "That wouldn't have solved anything."
"I don't care," he howled. "I wanted it! She was okay with it! You ruined my night!"
Saitou throws his cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his shoe, instantly enraged. He was done. He was tired and here the ahou, whom he did a favor by enduring this evening without causing anyone bodily harm, more than what he'd do for anyone, was yelling at him. And over what? Something as meaningless and pointless as a one night stand?
"I'd shut my mouth, boy, if I were you," he seethes.
"Up my ass, you bastard!" he shrieks, "Eat shit and die!" Then he strikes out at Saitou, catching the man offguard and clipping him in the temple.
Saitou roars and grabs hold of the teen by his shoulders, slamming him into the wall of the building they'd just come out off. "Watch your tounge, you ungrateful brat!"
Immediately Sano cowers, pressing back against the wall to get some more distance between him and the taller man. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to piss him off. Being alive was better than fucking.
Yellow eyes glow with violence and Sano gulps. Oh no..
"I don't stand this kind of shit for anyone. I should have left. I was going to leave! But I stayed. And here you are being so fucking ungrateful just because you didn't get a night of emotionless pleasure!"
"Saitou.." he simpers, flinching as each word slaps his face.
"It doesn't fix your situation. It's a useless attempt to smother your hurt feelings. You won't feel any better after."
Sano's eyes widen in fear when the hands gripping his shoulders move, one towards his neck, the other towards his waist. He was going to get so many bones broken this time. "Of course you don't understand. You're too much of an ahou to do so."
He pushes against the older man's chest when he steps closer. Oh shit, he's going to die. "W-wait!"
"So I'll show you!" Saitou thunders, one hand sliding up to cup the back of Sano's head in an iron grip, as he yanks him forward against his sturdy chest.
Sanosuke could only gawk in disbelief as a pair of lips slant across his own, angry and bruising. The kiss is hard and hot, mashing against his mouth, and he whimpers. It hurts. Like nothing he'd ever expierenced before. He pushes hard against Saitou, desperate to get away. Stop, please, stop.
Tears blur in his eyes and a tongue harshly probes against his lips, demanding that he give in. He fights, but he's no match for the Wolf and his lips part, a strangled sob escaping him. "N-no!"
Saitou feels himself smirking against the boy, driving his tongue inside, exploring the sudden submissive mouth. He stabs repeatedly into the warmth of his ahou and he tastes the uniqueness that is solely Sano.
The taste that slowly turns salty, causing him to realize that the teen's crying. Shit.
He's lucid now, the rage having cooled off, and he slows the kiss, feeling guilt rise in his chest for what he'd done. A tender feeling he didn't know he possessed takes hold of him and his hand moves from Sano's head to his cheek, flicking away tears. "Shh.." he murmurs against the boy's mouth.
He gently meets Sano's retreated tongue and coaxes the boy to open his mouth wider. Slow and soft, he brushes his lips against Sano's, loving how the boy turns pliant in his hands. Shyly, the kid closes his eyes, responding, and begins to kiss him back, hands that were pushing him away, now clutching onto him for support.
" 'Jime..." Sano moans when Saitou breaks the kiss.
He stares into flushed cheeks and hazy brown eyes, gazing at him as if he were the only person in the world and he wants more. Needs more.
"Let's go," his voice rough with restrained desire. "Now."
He moves his hands to Sano's wrist and tugs him forward, walking swiftly.
"Where...where we going?" Sano mumbles, looking around dazed.
Saitou doesn't bother trying to smother the predatory tone. "My home," he growls.
