Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic: These Changing Times
This fanfic series takes place two years after the Revenge Arc ends, in an alternate RuroKen universe. (Only because I started it well before the manga ended ^_^;;) Eighteen-year-old Makimachi Misao comes to Tokyo to stay with Kenshin and Kaoru... and to put her own troubles behind her. A newly attentive Sagara Sanosuke is more than willing to distract her. Then a certain Oniwabanshuu onmitsu turns up in Tokyo to help investigate a wave of vicious armed robberies sweeping the city...
Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated. But be warned: this fic meddles with what seem to be considered the tried-and-true romantic pairings in RuroKen (in case I didn't already make that clear). So if you read further, please be kind and keep an open mind! ^^;;
Note: for those who are new to the language, go to http://www2.netcom.com/~sakka/times/glossary.htm to get information on the Japanese terms and expressions used in this chapter.
Chapter 7 -- The Morning After
Misao woke to the sun shining through the paper panels in her bedroom door. She sat straight up in alarm. Oh no! I slept straight through breakfast!
With that thought, she scrambled off her futon... only to collapse back upon it a moment later, her head pounding viciously.
Ohhhh no... terrible hangover... hurts to move. Guess I'll be staying here for now...
She rested her arm across her eyes, vaguely remembering the large amount of sake she'd drunk the night before. She strained to recall the rest of the evening's events.
Let's see... went to the gambling hall... drank with Sano... won a lot of cash... was racing Sano home...
Her left ankle was throbbing. She reached down and touched it lightly, wincing. Still a little swollen... did that happen while I was running? No... it was after that, when I thought I saw someone watching us...
With no small amount of embarrassment, she remembered tumbling off the roof... Sanosuke having to carry her... and then --
... the kiss!
Forgetting her headache, Misao sat bolt upright again, heat suffusing her wide-eyed face. She touched her lips, which were tingling as she reviewed her final memory of the evening.
Sano... kissed me. And I let him... gods, what was I thinking? Kuso... I wasn't thinking at all, thanks to all that sake...
Misao supposed she should be furious with Sanosuke for taking advantage of her drunken condition. But strangely enough, she wasn't the slightest bit upset with him. On the contrary, all she could think about was how gently he'd pressed his lips to hers... how warm and soft they'd been... how his luminous brown eyes had lingered adoringly on her face after he ended the kiss. And, despite her all-too-willing response, he'd stopped after that one kiss and carried her back to the doujou.
He could really have taken advantage of the situation... but he didn't. Not that he was a gentleman... but then again, I wasn't behaving like a lady last night, either. We were both running wild... it's no surprise that things ended the way they did. I'm just glad they didn't go any further...
She lay back on her bed, closed her eyes and sighed, blowing stray strands of hair out of her face. A minute later, someone knocked on her door.
"Misao-chan? Are you awake?" Kaoru said in a loud whisper. "I brought you some tea."
"Hai, Kaoru-san... come on in," Misao said, not moving.
Kaoru entered bearing a steaming, fragrant cup. "How are you feeling?" she asked, looking both concerned and a trifle amused.
"Awful," Misao groaned, sitting up slowly and taking the tea from Kaoru.
"Well, drink that up. It has ginger root and some other herbs in it," Kaoru said, kneeling beside Misao's futon. "Sanosuke swears it'll cure your hangover by lunchtime."
Misao flushed bright red. "S- Sano's here?" she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I thought for sure he'd sleep all day..."
"He came by about an hour ago with the tea. He said he was going back to bed, but that he'd be by later this afternoon to check on you." Kaoru's eyes narrowed a bit. "What exactly happened last night? I thought you were supposed to be looking into the Akabeko robbery."
"We did... and got nowhere," Misao said, sipping the tea in the hope it would relieve her discomfiture. "Sano offered me a drink to cheer me up... guess we got a little carried away..."
Kaoru assumed a prim expression. "I would say you did," she chided. "When Sanosuke brought you home last night, you were out cold. I had him put you straight to bed in the clothes you had on."
Misao wasn't sure why Kaoru's voice had developed an edge... until she looked down at her wrinkled ninja gear.
Her sash was missing.
What the hell... that pervert! He went farther than I thought... too far! I'm gonna beat the living--
Then, Sano's voice came back to her. ... I can do it... if you lend me your sash...
Misao's anger evaporated as she remembered what had happened. She set her tea cup down, limped over to the corner and reached behind the sack sitting there, pulling out a long piece of fabric.
"Here it is," she said, turning to Kaoru and holding the sash out. "I gave it to Sano to use for carrying that bag. I know it wasn't proper... but I wasn't exactly thinking clearly last night."
"Which is why you should stay away from sake in the future," Kaoru said in a warmer tone as Misao retied her sash. Misao nodded slowly, trying not to aggravate her splitting headache, and sat back down on her futon.
Sighing with relief, Kaoru said, "I really didn't know what to think when Sanosuke brought you home drunk and half-dressed. I'm afraid I assumed that... something... happened between the two of you."
Misao choked on her tea. As she coughed and sputtered, Kaoru stared at her in dismay.
"You mean... something... did?"
Misao shook her head violently, ignoring the pain it caused her. "It's not what you think! He... I... we..." She took a long swig of tea, gasping a bit as it scalded her throat. Enboldened, she continued in a rush, "We... kissed. One kiss, that's it. That's all that happened."
Kaoru's blue eyes snapped as she assumed what Yahiko called her "busu-sensei" expression. It usually meant someone was about to get knocked across the doujou. Yappari... that's why Sanosuke looked so pleased with himself last night... I'll have to have a little talk with that rooster-headed idiot.
Misao's timid voice interrupted Kaoru's fuming. "Kaoru-san?"
"Nani?" Kaoru responded, making an effort to sound pleasant.
"Ano..." Misao almost lost her courage. Taking a deep breath, she forged ahead. "What was your first kiss like?" she asked, blushing furiously and staring into her tea cup.
Kaoru was silent for a long moment. When Misao finally glanced over at her, she saw that Kaoru was smiling slightly, her expression hazy with memory. She chuckled.
"It's actually a funny story," she said. "I was about 13 --"
"Thirteen?" Misao yelped. "Y- you mean... Himura wasn't..."
Kaoru giggled. "No... Kenshin wasn't my first kiss." Her smile widened. "He was as surprised as you when he found out. But that's a different story."
"Right," Misao said. "So... you were 13..."
"Hai. I often took lessons at a nearby doujou, and some of the boys there had major crushes on me. A couple were bold enough to ask me for a kiss." Kaoru's eyes glinted devilishly. "I told them the day they could defeat me in combat would be the day I would kiss them."
Misao laughed. She could picture a young Kaoru fearlessly making such a statement.
"I didn't think any of them would take me up on my challenge, since I was the best student there," Kaoru continued. "But there was one... Shinko Hiroya, a very skilled and very confident student who was in all my classes. One day after our lesson he came up to me and said he would be honored if I would fight him... if I was willing to make good on my promise, should he defeat me."
She smiled ruefully, shaking her head. "I hated to admit it," she said, "but I was very curious to know what it would be like to be kissed... especially by Hiroya, who I thought was quite handsome. So I accepted his challenge."
Misao clapped her hands together delightedly. "And you let him win, didn't you?"
Kaoru's smile turned vixenish. "Well... I wasn't a total pushover... but I definitely held back some of my best moves. He never suspected a thing." She joined Misao in a hearty laugh.
"Kaoru-san... I never knew you were so sly," Misao grinned. "But you didn't answer my question... how was it?"
"It was... nice," she said. "I liked it well enough... but then his hands got a bit too busy for my taste." The devilish gleam returned. "Let's just say I didn't hold back in that fight... and it was the last kiss he ever got from me."
After another long laugh, Misao studied Kaoru with respect. "So... when Himura first kissed you, you knew what to expect," she said.
Kaoru shook her head. "I thought I did," she said softly. "But... the first time Kenshin kissed me... it was unlike any other kiss I'd ever had." Her eyes darkened with remembered feeling. "I don't know if I can explain it properly."
Misao waited silently.
Kaoru finally spoke again. "Comparing Kenshin's kiss to Hiroya's... it would be like comparing a ripple in a pond to a wave in a raging sea," she said, her voice rich with emotion. "When Kenshin kissed me that first time, it awakened so many different feelings in me... all of them so intense. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment than his kiss... his touch... being together like that created a power that was undeniable. It's been that way between us ever since..."
She stopped suddenly, her face crimson. "Ahh... gomen! I didn't mean to be so..." she trailed off, laughing a little in embarrassment. She looked over at Misao, who had a faraway, almost dreamy expression on her face.
"It's all right," she said, her focus returning to Kaoru. "I hope I didn't offend you with my question."
Kaoru smiled. "Not at all... it's nice to talk about these kinds of things with a good friend. But now I have a question for you -- was last night with Sanosuke your first kiss?"
Misao flushed again. "Hai," she said, her voice wistful. I always thought Aoshi-sama would be... but it's useless to dwell on that.
Kaoru playfully poked Misao in the shoulder. "Well, don't just sit there... tell me about it! How was it for you?"
Misao's eyes sparkled mischievously. "It was more than a ripple, I'll tell you that." She and Kaoru giggled together.
"That's good," Kaoru said brightly. "A woman's first kiss should be special." Then, more severely -- "He didn't try anything else, did he?"
"No." Misao shook her head, smiling at the memory. "He was very sweet. His kiss was tender... almost careful... like he didn't want to push me too far. I never expected him to be that way."
"No kidding," Kaoru said in amazement. "It doesn't sound like Sanosuke at all."
They were both silent for a time. Then Kaoru asked the same question Misao had been asking herself all morning --
"So... what happens now?"
Misao jumped at the chance to ask her friend for advice. "I wish I knew," she replied anxiously, wringing her hands in her lap. "I don't even know what to say to him when I see him again. Kaoru-san... I really like Sano, but I don't know if I'm ready for anything more than friendship right now. What should I do?"
Kaoru reached out and squeezed Misao's clasped hands. "Tell him exactly that," she said. "Sanosuke likes it when people are up-front with him... he'll understand." I'll make damn sure of that, Kaoru added grimly to herself.
...............
It was well past lunchtime when Sanosuke finally managed to drag himself out of bed. He didn't have much of a hangover, but despite his lack of sleep the night before, he had lain awake after dropping Misao off at Kamiya Doujou. After tossing and turning for a few hours, he got up and dug out the packet of herbal tea he kept around for emergencies. It was a recipe he'd gotten from the fox-lady that quickly relieved most hangover symptoms, and he knew Misao would be needing it when she woke up. He dropped it off at the doujou, then returned to his apartment and collapsed from exhaustion.
His first waking thought was he should pull himself together and go check on Misao. That got him to sit up and reach for his shirt.
His second was of the kiss they'd shared. That put a broad smile on his face as he finger-combed his wild brown hair.
But it was the third thought that stopped him as he opened the door to leave.
Kuso... what the hell am I doing? Chasing after a woman who's in love with someone else...
He slammed the door shut and sat down heavily, resting his head across his outstretched arms. Baka-yarou! This is ridiculous. I should know better by now... especially after what happened with Megumi. Tokyo's full of women whose hearts aren't set on any one man... I should find one of those and leave the weasel girl alone.
Even as he tried to convince himself to abandon his interest in Misao, images from the previous night filled his mind. Misao laughing with the gamblers... embracing him after their last win... dashing down the street, her braid flying behind her. Misao responding to his kiss, her sweet lips settling more firmly against his own... the astonished pleasure in her beautiful eyes as he withdrew... the feel of her head resting against his chest... the weight of her in his arms.
It had all felt so... right.
He ground the heels of his hands against his eyes, growling in frustration.
Dammit... it's too late to turn back... I've really got it bad for her. What the hell do I do now?
After a few motionless minutes, Sano sprang up again, his face determined. He would stop at the clinic first, then head for the doujou. He couldn't avoid Misao forever, and it wasn't really his style, anyway. He would meet her head-on and let events unfold as they would.
As he approached the clinic, he saw Kaoru standing just outside the door. "Sanosuke!" She smiled and walked toward him. "What a coincidence... you're just the person I'm looking for."
Sano felt a slight chill run down his spine as Kaoru eyed him with an almost predatory air. "Sumanu, Jou-chan," he said, backing away. "I just remembered an appointment I have... ja!"
Kaoru grabbed the back of Sanosuke's jacket as he turned to flee. "Oh no you don't," she snarled, yanking him back toward her. "You and I need to talk... now."
...............
Saitou Hajime took another long drag from his cigarette, watching in amusement as Battousai's tanuki-onna dragged that ahou Sagara down the street by his ear. Even pregnant, she can master a man twice her size. No wonder Tokio took such a liking to her... they're kindred spirits in that way. A wolfish grin briefly crossed his face as he dropped the butt to the ground and stamped it out. With the tanuki and the tori out of the way, he would have a much easier time questioning the Akabeko women.
Saitou nodded to the guard posted outside the clinic's front door as he entered the building. The old doctor was tending to some patients, but he took the time to call out a greeting to the police inspector.
"Ah, Fujita-san!" He gestured toward the back rooms. "Tae-san is expecting you. Your man can take you to her. Take care not to upset her..."
"I will try, Genzai-sensei," Saitou said, smiling politely. Another police officer trotted up to him and saluted.
"Fujita-san! Please follow me, sir." He led Saitou halfway down the wide hall, turned and rapped twice on a partly open door. "Sekihara-san! Fujita-san is here to see you now."
"Hai... ohairi kudasai," a weak voice replied.
Saitou entered the room slowly, closing the door behind him. "Shitsurei shimasu," he said in the polite, nonthreatening voice he often used as Fujita Goro. He tipped his cap and bowed slightly to Tae, who turned her head to acknowledge him.
"Konnichiwa, Fujita-san," she said. "How can I help you today?"
A corner of Saitou's mouth quirked upward. Ever the hostess, eh, Sekihara-san? She was all pleasant politeness now, but Saitou had caught the nervous edge in her voice as she invited him inside.
"First, let me express my regret for your present condition," he said in his Fujita voice, "as well as my hope that you enjoy a speedy recovery."
"Arigatou gozaimasu," Tae said, relaxing almost imperceptibly. "That's very kind of you."
"I am here to talk to you about the robbery," Saitou continued. "I know this is not the best time for you... but we are working very hard to find the men that perpetrated this terrible crime. Any help you can give us would be much appreciated."
Tae sighed, shaking her head. "I only wish I could help," she said. "But I don't remember anything about that night. Genzai-sensei told me I took a heavy blow to the head, and that could be why my memory is gone." She closed her good eye. "It's been very upsetting."
Saitou examined the woman closely through narrowed eyes. She sounded appropriately distressed, and her features expressed nothing more than regret and a little frustration. However, as his gaze traveled downward, he noted that her left hand was gripping her blanket so tightly her knuckles whitened.
Naruhodo... so her amnesia is self-induced. Just like the others. These scum are good...
He scowled. He hated to admit it, but he needed additional resources if he were to continue his pursuit. Good thing he had just been offered some outside help... the offer was unusual, but Saitou knew the source to be highly reliable. Especially since this source now has a vested interest in this case... I saw to that myself.
"I see. I'm very sorry to have disturbed you, Sekihara-san," he said, masking his impatience and irritation. "If you remember anything about that night... no matter how insignificant it might seem... please have my men notify me immediately."
"Of course, Fujita-san. Gomen nasai," Tae said, lowering her eye. "I hope you find those terrible people soon."
"As do I," Saitou said, allowing a trace of menace to color his words. "After all... there's no telling when they may strike again. Or where."
Saitou's remark hit home. Tae shuddered slightly, remembering her late-night visitor. You're right about that, Fujita-san...
"Try not to worry, Sekihara-san," Saitou said, reassuming his police-inspector tone. "The clinic is well-guarded. No one will be bothering you here. By the way, how is your young waitress? I was hoping to speak with her as well."
Oh no... Tsubame-chan! I completely forgot about her! Fighting to remain calm, Tae said, "Oh, Tsubame-chan! She's doing better... but she's likely sleeping right now. Genzai-sensei has been adamant about her getting plenty of rest. I myself have only seen her once since we got here."
"I'm glad she's recovering," Saitou said, observing Tae's too-casual smile. Hmmm... so you don't want me talking to her. Interesting... "I won't disturb her right now. Take care of yourself, Sekihara-san."
Saitou smiled triumphantly as he slipped her door closed. "Ichiro-kun... please take me to young Tsubame-san's room," he said to the waiting officer.
...............
"Oi, Jou-chan... let go! You're tearing my ear off!"
Kaoru released Sanosuke in front of the closed Akabeko. "All right, Sanosuke. Time for you to explain yourself," she said, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot.
"Explain what?" Sano had no idea what the hell she was talking about. Che, what did I do now? Is she pissed about the scarecrow? Or maybe she thinks I've been picking on Yutarou too much again...
"You know what," Kaoru snapped, marching up to him. "Misao-chan told me everything about last night."
Sano's face fell. "E- everything?" he squeaked. Uh-oh... I'm in trouble now...
"Yeah, everything. You listen here, baka-yarou," Kaoru said, her eyes shooting sparks as she glared up at him. "I won't have you playing around with Misao-chan the way you do with other girls. She's been hurt enough as it is."
Sanosuke felt his face flush with anger. "Chotto, Jou-chan!" he growled, advancing a step. "Who says this is any of your business?"
"As long as Misao-chan is staying with me and Kenshin, it's my business what happens to her," Kaoru said firmly. "I promised Omasu-san I would look out for her... and that's what I'm doing now by telling you to leave her alone!"
She doesn't trust me. The thought pained Sano... which made him even angrier. "Jou-chan... I'd advise you to drop this," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "In case you haven't noticed, Misao is a grown woman... she can make her own decisions about who she sees."
Kaoru wasn't frightened by Sano's anger. But she was surprised by something else she'd glimpsed in his eyes as he glowered down at her. He looks... hurt. Insulted. Could I have been wrong about his intentions?
"That may be so," she said, deliberately lowering her voice. "But she's very confused right now. I don't want you making things harder for her."
Sano exhaled in exasperation. "I don't want to, either," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is she upset about last night?"
"Not at all," Kaoru admitted. "I'm the one who got mad at you. I thought..."
"... that I got Misao drunk on purpose?" Sanosuke finished. "Che, Jou-chan... you don't think much of me, do you?" His tone was definitely hurt this time. Feeling foolish, Kaoru reached out to put her hand on his arm, but he jerked away.
"Gomen nasai, Sanosuke," Kaoru said sincerely, her eyes misting. "You know I care about you... but you don't exactly have a great reputation when it comes to women. And I care about Misao-chan, too."
Part of Sanosuke wanted to stay pissed at Jou-chan... but she really did look sorry, and her eyes were getting all watery. Kenshin'll kick my ass for sure if I make her cry. He laid his hand on top of Kaoru's head. "Forget it," he said, mussing her hair a bit. "C'mon, I'll walk you back to the doujou."
As they headed slowly down the street, Sanosuke said, "Jou-chan, when you said Misao had been hurt enough... what did you mean? Has she told you what's been bothering her?"
Kaoru looked up at him. "Iie," she said, her blue eyes troubled. "But I know something's been weighing on her since her arrival in Tokyo. I've tried asking her about it, but she just brushes it off. Says she doesn't want to worry me over something that's in the past now."
"She won't tell me, either," Sanosuke said. "It really bugs me. On the outside, she seems like her old, cheerful self... but underneath there's this sadness she won't share with anyone. My guess is it has something to do with Shinomori Aoshi."
"That's what Omasu-san thinks as well," Kaoru said. "In the letter Misao-chan brought me when she first came to the doujou, Omasu-san told me that Misao-chan had been very subdued since Aoshi-sama left the Aoiya several weeks before. She thinks they had words the night he departed... apparently, Misao-chan spent the first few days after he left in her room and wouldn't see anyone, not even Okina-san. When she finally emerged, she refused to discuss anything that had happened. Okon-san and Omasu-san told everyone to leave her alone, thinking she would eventually open up to one of them... but she never did."
"And now she won't talk to any of us about it," Sanosuke said, clenching his fist. "We'll keep trying... hopefully, she'll get it off her chest one of these days."
Suddenly, Yahiko came racing up to them, yelling frantically. "Kaoru! Sanosuke! You gotta get to the clinic!"
"Doushita, Yahiko?" Sanosuke responded.
"It's Saitou! He's with Tsubame-chan right now, pumping her for information." The boy gripped his shinai, clenching his teeth in anger. "The bastard threw me out of her room... we have to stop him!"
"Yahiko, calm down! Saitou is a police officer," Kaoru said, grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "No matter how much you dislike him, you can't stop him from talking to Tsubame-chan. She may be able to tell him something that will help him find those thieves."
While Kaoru spoke to Yahiko, Sanosuke turned away from them and began running toward the clinic. "Matte, Sanosuke! Where do you think you're going?" Kaoru shouted.
Sanosuke yelled back over his shoulder, "Don't worry, Jou-chan... I won't get myself arrested. Ja na!" As he picked up speed, Sano thought --
We'll see who bests who this time, Saitou Hajime!
-- End of Chapter 7 --