The Road to Past and Present
by Kuro Angales
The light outside his cell started to flicker and he tossed another rock up at it. A loud crash was heard as the light bulb shattered. Sagara Sanosuke growled at the darkness and the broken light. "Katsu... how did we end up like this again?", he said in an annoyed tone. Katsu shifted in the blanket the guards had put in the cell and sat up.
"You drank too much and started a brawl baka! And then the police came and put us here," Katsu responded just as irritated as Sanosuke.
"And then they left us with one guard and left looking for an escaped convict... Why are we still here!," Sano yelled and pounded the dirt floor of the prison.
"Because we don't want to get in any more trouble," Katsu said and then smirked, "I think we've done our time. What'd you say?" He reached into his yukata and pulled out some small bombs.
Sanosuke went wide-eyed, "Where did you get those? No wait, let's just get out of here." Katsu wasted no time and blew out the back wall of the cell. She guard awoke from his nap and started to give chase. Sanosuke and Katsu ran into the forest and jumped into some trees. The fat guard was slow and did not see their ascent. The two men covered their mouths as they chuckled at the bafoon running around like a mad dog.
It had been a month since he was at the Kamiya dojo. Sanosuke left for two reasons, his debt and his crush. He had been obsessed over Kenshin after their second duel. Sano couldn't figure out his obsession until he had a dream, the night before he left.
{Start Flashback/Dream} Sanosuke entered his small apartment and was instantly thrown to the ground. The room was lit by two candles and it was very dim. He was flipped onto his back buy a strong pair of hands and he found himself face to face with his obsession: Himura Kenshin. "Kenshin.....?", he said a little shakily. Kenshin's eyes were almost gold in the low light. There were a few candles places around the room and the light made his hair turn crimson and gold. The rurouni said nothing and started to kiss Sanosuke passionately. Sano found that he liked it and kissed back as Kenshin removed his jacket. {End Flashback/Dream}
The dream still turned him on, even now. He calmed himself down quickly and the guard ran back into the building. Katsu and Sano jumped down from the tree and started to run for it. They made it out of town in no time and started to slow to a brisk walk.
Daylight was breaking over the horizon as they walked down the trail. Katsu turned to Sanosuke. He knew his friend had been having an internal battle for a long time. "Sano.. do you ever thing about.. Sagara-taicho..."
"Baka! Of course I do.... naze?" Sanosuke's words were a little brusque, but Katsu was used to it be now. The two traveled in silence for a few more miles as the sun rose in front of them.
"Iie...do you think of Sagara in a *certain* way sometimes.....," Katsu knew he was treading on thin ice with this question. Sanosuke stopped walking and Katsu turned around.
"Aa, naze?" His voice was softer now and Katsu knew he had found out his friend's problem.
"That's why you haven't gone after the fox-lady, ne?" Katsu said and chuckled.
"Iie... there is another reason...," Sanosuke's words were very soft and Katsu barely heard them. The ex-fighter-for-hire started to walk again and Katsu followed him. It took less time for Katsu to ask again. "So, what is this reason? Battousai maybe?" Sanosuke didn't answer, he only stopped for a moment and started to walk again. They continued in silence the rest of the way back to the Kamiya Dojo.
Kenshin had woken up early that morning. He put on his apron and started to do the morning chores. If Sanosuke ever returned, he didn't want to look as bad as he felt. His mind filled with visions of chocolate eyes and a cocky smile. They had been through a lot together. From Kurosaga to Enshi and farther. Kami-sama knows what else they will go through in the future. In all that time, he could never let himself get really close to his beloved. They were always very open about their friendship. But, that's all it was, a friendship.
Kaoru would be getting very close to him soon. After all, they had been together long enough to get married. Kenshin knew it was what she wanted. She just didn't have the strength he needed. He loved Kaoru like a sister. She was someone he could protect in the place of Tomoe. But, she could never replace Tomoe. "Tomoe.....ore wa...kimi...mamoru...", Kenshin whispered to noone.
His thoughts were interupted by Kaoru's presence. She gasped when she saw him finishing the kitchen chores. "Kenshin!! You shouldn't be up! You're sick!" she said and started to push him towards his room. He humored her and walked with her back to his room. "Now, you stay here until you get well."
"Did you ever ask Megumi-domo what I had?"
His sentence caused her to stop. "Anou.... she said you were sick and that the only cure was time. Also that it was up to you if you got better....naze?"
"Sou ka.....yare yare... I am better now de gozaru yo!", he said enthusiastically. Kaoru was stunned for a moment before she started nagging him again. He ignored her and went out back to start working on the laundry. This was something he would never miss about her, the constant nagging. His muscles were sore from lack of movement and here were bags under his eyes. The color of his hair was dulled by the lack of care he gave to it. Amazingly, Kenshin took pride in his hair. It was one of the few things he could do to relax himself. Tomoe had always asked why he kept his hair so long. He just told her he liked it that way. When she died, he almost cut it off, but decided against it. He would get angry with it if it grew akwardly or frizzed out more than usual when it grew back.
One thing he always wondered about was if Sano thought he was pretty. He would catch the boy staring at him sometimes out of the corner of his eye. But he knew the fighter was interested in Megumi, not him.
His thoughts were interupted by Yahiko this time. "KENSHIN!! SANOSUKE IS BACK!!," he heard the boy yell at the top of his lungs. Kaoru ran out to the front to see him, leaving Kenshin alone. 'I do not know if I can face him anymore...de gozaru yo...'