Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin so don't sue!

Author's Notes:

This chapter has been improved --- grammar-wise. Ano… u.u thanks to all those who reviewed and hope that I'll still hear from you guys!

If any of you know any good Sano & Megumi fics or Aoshi & Misao fics (the longer the better!), please send an email or leave it in the review section to let me know. (Most probably ones outside FanFiction.net) Arigatou!

I owe a lot to Akai Kuu who volunteered to be my beta-reader. Now my fic won't suck in past-present tenses!^_^

===== denotes a flashback

~*@@@*~ denotes another scene

Wasn't That Love?

By: g3ozLizh

Chapter 2

(This is a flashback. It's the time when Sayo --- the "lady" here --- came into their lives.)

==========

Megumi was cooking dinner when she heard a knock on the door. She made a note to herself that after answering whoever it was, she should wipe that puddle of water on the floor. Toweling her hands dry, she then went over to the main entrance. She took hold of the door, "Who could be visiting me at this time of the night?", and slid it open. "Sano?!"

"Yeah, it's me, Fox. Were you thinking of somebody else?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled on his heels, grinning at the doctor's surprised expression.

Megumi smirked, arms crossed in front of her chest, standing on one leg. "Yes, pretty much. The Sano I know doesn't recognize the need to knock even if --- "

"Hey, hey!" Sano held up his hands in mock surrender. "I know that whenever I come here to get my hands check --- "

"Mostly when I'm about to turn in."

"Well, those are emergency cases."

"And I believe now is another time for one of those cases?" She raised an eyebrow at Sano with eyes half open. "Hmm…?" She prodded.

"Actually," He leaned on the doorframe, one foot crossing over the other, arms crossed with hands under the armpits. He eyed Megumi slyly. "I came here for another reason."

Megumi felt her cheeks turning red and was ever thankful to the dim light of the room so that Sano couldn't see how he was affecting her. "And what reason is that?" Her firm voice betrayed her true emotions. She shot him an icy glare, a glare that she hoped would send him scurrying home, but at the same time, hoping that he would just be encouraged by it and stay instead.

"Can you invite me to come in first?"

"If you wanted to come in in the first place, you could have done it without asking for my consent." She scrutinized him through slitted eyes. "You're not yourself today. Are you sure you're really Sano?"

"Okay, then." He walked past Megumi and in the room and heard the door slide shut behind him. He turned to face her. "So I'm Sano now?" He spread his arms wide to his sides as if to emphasize.

Megumi had already turned to face him. "Uh-huh." She looked amused.

"Sheesh! Do you really see me as only that?"

"Umm…" Megumi pretended to ponder about it, tilting her head to the side, eyes skyward. She looked at Sano, smiling, "Yup."

"Okay, okay." Sano rolled his eyes.

Megumi just stood there in front of him, a bemused smile on her red lips.

Feeling Megumi's stare, he was suddenly reminded of the reason why he came to see her. He could feel the heat and blush creeping to his cheeks so he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor, suddenly nervous.

Megumi began to feel uneasy. She had never seen Sano act like this before her, almost as if he's… shy. Sano? Shy? Ha! That would be the day! She bit her lips to keep from laughing. He's got an ego as big as ----

"Megumi…?" He was now looking at her.

The seriousness in his voice made Megumi drop her train of thoughts. She began to feel… perplexed, and something more --- which she couldn't grasp. "Yes, Sano?" Chocolate brown eyes stared down at her, making her heart thud in her chest.

Now that he got her attention, he was at a loss for words. "Uhh…" His mouth felt drained of saliva, lips dry.

She just stared questioningly back at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I… uh…" Dammit, Sano! Just say it! Just tell her what you wanted her to know. Taking a deep breath, he went for it --- "IjustwanttotellyouthatIreallylikeyou." --- in a rush.

Megumi stared at him as if he had suddenly hatched an egg on his head. "A what?"

He steadied his shaking nerves and closed his eyes to concentrate and say it. "I just want you to know how", He felt a slight movement of the air brush his side and assumed that maybe Megumi shifted position or flipped her hair… something like that. "much I really like you." When silence greeted him, he was thinking that Megumi must be so shocked that she was speechless. He opened his eyes to see --- his mouth fell open --- no Megumi.

As if on cue, a scream cut through the air and Sano was already on his heels, running towards the sound --- in the kitchen. He abruptly stopped just in the kitchen's doorway just in time to see Megumi dropping a burned dish in the sink. "Wha---"

"Ugh!" She turned to Sano, fuming. "Now look what you made me do. You made me forgot about the fish!"

As he saw her face, he couldn't help but chuckle a little for her porcelain skin was specked with black dots from the burnt fish. He couldn't help thinking how cute and innocent she looked right then, so different from her usual refined appearance.

But Megumi mistook this as an insult. "Don't you go laugh at me now." She wiped off some of the dirt with a piece of cloth. "You know what this means. No dinner for you too."

Sano grinned at that. "You mean you were planning to let me dine with you?" He couldn't help but tease her just a bit.

It was Megumi's turn to roll her eyes. "You might as well."

Sano's grin got wider.

"You'll just eat here anyway, even without my permission. Typical you. So what's new?" She sounded exasperated.

Sano intentionally ignored the statement. "You really mean it?" He glanced around, talking to an invisible audience. "Has the Fox's heart grown soft?"

Megumi's voice turned icy. "Don't push your luck, Rooster-head. Just tell me if you still want to have something to eat." She shot him a cold look that could have froze water in an instant.

Seeing the deadly glare, Sano took this as a challenge. "Now, now, Foxy Lady. Don't be mad." He had a nonchalant expression on his face despite the woman's rage.

"Sano, drop it." Every syllable dripped with venom.

"What?! The Foxy Doctor backing out from a session of insults with me?" He walked towards her and tried to feel her body temperature through her forehead with his hand.

Megumi quickly slapped it away at the same time taking a step back. She forgot all about the puddle on the floor. But strong arms expertly caught her around the waist.

"Whoa!"

"Sano!"

Megumi's open palms were against Sano's chest, one clutching his shirt. She felt her whole body heat up as she realized the closeness of their position. Their upper bodies were only separated by Megumi's hands, their legs were entwined. Comfortable as she was, because of surprise of the sudden moment, she couldn't relax. Memories of another man's touch eluded her fantasies. No, this is different. This is Sano. Beneath her touch, she could feel his heartbeat.

His quickened heartbeat. Sano couldn't seem to take his eyes off Megumi's crystal black eyes nor could he take his arms from around her. It just seemed so right. Although he felt her stiffen in his arms, they just seemed so… perfect for each other.

"Sano." Her voice was merely above a whisper this time. Hearing this sent chills up and down Sano's spine.

Sano wetted his dry lips slightly with his tongue. He couldn't seem to say anything. Why was it that with the so many experiences he had with women, he couldn't think of anything to do now?

As silence passed between them, Megumi began to loosen her grip on Sano's shirt. Realizing that this "magical" moment may fade away if he didn't do anything, Sano said before he could stop himself.

"…Megumi."

Megumi felt Sano's grip tighten around her and gasped at the pressure. She almost forgot that this guy is strong. Why, he's the only man with a killer punch and yet… And yet his grip doesn't hurt me at all. Rather, the way he's holding me … so gentle. Megumi began to relax.

As they continued to hold each other's gazes, they felt themselves drawn towards each other. Megumi saw Sano glance at her lips; She parted them a bit.

Sano stared at her as if in question, You want me to do this? He seemed to ask.

Megumi could only gaze and tighten her grip more, drawing them closer together. She could now feel Sano's warm breath brushing against her face. She slowly closed her eyes as she felt Sano's face drawing near. Closer… Just a bit more… Ye---

Toc! Toc! Toc!

Megumi quickly jumped out of Sano's embrace, cheeks flushed. She glanced at the equal flustered and disappointed Sano. "I-I'll get it." Then she went out.

Sano stared at her retreating back. Damn! What tough luck! He kicked the ground, forgetting that it was not the kind of ground with dirt.

"Sano! Come quick! We've got to help this lady."

Author's Note:

So, whaddya think? The characters aren't OOC, right? Anyway, just review and then maybe, with some info from you guys, I can make this better. (Isn't it good already? *wiggles eyebrows*) If you see any falsely whatever that is just too important to pass up, email me!