Little Rooster, Chapter 2
-SwordSkill

"Hai, it'll be finished this afternoon...just come back for it at about five o'clock."

Little Sano woke up to the sound of Megumi saying goodbye to the patient in the next room. He yawned noisily and threw off the blanket.

Hm. This new body was certainly different. He didn't get as much cricks in the neck and he felt much more refreshed.

He took off his night robe and donned the green robe Megumi had given him. Where did Megumi get all these robes his "size", anyway? She seemed to have a whole caboodle of them.

"Oh, Sou-chan, you're awake already," said Megumi, sliding the door open. "Come on and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Mmm, bed and breakfast. This was good.

By the table, Megumi watched Sano scarf down the soup and the ramen. She was smiling as if she was thinking of a personal secret.

"What's it, Megu-neechan?" asked Sano, slurping down a noodle.

She chuckled and said, "You eating just reminded me of someone...oh, that's impossible."

"Ya mean Sagara Sanosuke?" Sano couldn't help himself.

The chuckle evaporated. "You know him?" said Megumi, her face registering surprise.

Do I know him, baby? You'll see.

"He's a great fighter," said "Sou-chan" proudly. "He can beat up anyone."

"Except Kenshin," interrupted Megumi.

That is so much like you, Fox, ruining my time of glory.

"How do you know him anyway?" asked Megumi, fingering the end strands of her hair.

"Everyone talks about him," said Sou-chan, finishing his bowl.

Megumi rolled her eyes and laughed, "I'm sure."

"He's a great guy once you get to know him," insisted Sano.

"I don't think I want to know him that well. You've got yourself a strange role model."

Hmphh. I resent that. But since we're talking about me already...

"You don't like him, Megu-neechan?" asked Sano innocently.

Megumi snorted.

Yes well, I suppose that's answer enough.

"But he's a good man, I guess," added Megumi.

You guess?

"And he's a scoundrel," she said, a smile dimpling her cheeks. "He just gets into my nerves too much to be nice."

Hey, I can be nice.

"A good friend, but-" She paused and a faraway look entered her eyes. "But that's it."

There was a silence. It was broken by knocks on the door.

Megumi stood up and said, "That must be the patients I have for today. You can go out and play, Sou-chan, just don't wander too far, and be back by lunch."

Sano nodded.

Yeah, Megumi. We're just friends.

***

That afternoon, Sano made up his mind to spend all the time looking for the old man. He couldn't afford to spend another whole day with her; his will was starting to slip. She had never smiled this much at him, never had to take care of him, and now this! It was driving him crazy.

But when she said that lunch that she had to work on mashing herbs for her next patient, Sano decided to stay with her. He knew how boring the long hours of preparing herbs were, and this was probably his only chance to show his appreciation to her care.

"Megu-neechan, can I help?" Little Sano's furry head popped out under the table where Megumi was setting up her leaves.

"Oh, you don't really have to, Sou-chan," said Megumi, pausing from her work. "Besides, I thought you were going out to play."

Sano stuck his thumb into his mouth, something he really used to do when he was a kid. "I really wanna help," he insisted. "It looks too boring for ya."

"Well, there's nothing to help, actually," said Megumi. "But you can stay here and keep me company. That's help enough."

"Ya sure?"

"For me, yes."

"Okay." Sano climbed atop the table.

"Off the table, young man."

"Aw, you're no fun." Sano jumped down.

A minute passed in silence except for the rhythmic beating of Megumi's pestle on the leaves. Then she gave a little smile and said, "You know, usually Sanosuke would pick this time to come have his hand checked or just to annoy me. Always in this time, when I'm spending a boring afternoon doing my herbs. He's always there trying to get into my nerves. Baka."

But she said this gently and almost pleasantly.

Then Sano tugged her sleeve.

"Megu-neechan?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have a koibito?"

Megumi dropped the pestle. "Do I have a what?"

"A koibito," said Sano, his baby face registering nothing but innocence. "Ya know, a sweetheart."

Megumi picked up her pestle, her hand trembling. From her face, Sano didn't know if she was going to laugh or cry.

Fortunately, she laughed. "Really, Souzo, aren't you a bit too young for this kind of talk?"

Sano shook his head. "I promise I won't tell."

"Sou-chan dear...

"Honest."

Megumi pursed her lips and stared intently at Sano. For a second, Sano thought that she had finally realized who he was. He was going to be so dead.

"Sou-chan, are you having some sort of...love problem with a little girl in the village or something?"

What?

"Because boys your age are not interested in these kinds of things. Usually, you're supposed to be more interested in fighting or beating people up." She frowned. "Just like Sanosuke."

Oh please. I'm not that cheap.

"Naw, I just wanna know why no one has picked up such a nice gal like you," said Sano quickly.

Suddenly, he wished he hadn't said that. Megumi put down her pestle and stared at the bowl of leaves.

"Well, I'm...probably not the type men like," she said, her voice muffled. Then she stomped her pestle on the leaves a bit more furiously.

You don't know how wrong you are about yourself, Megumi. Many men will give their right arm just to have you. I should know.

Sano put his hand on her knee. "It's okay, Megu-neechan," he said quietly. "You're a very nice girl. And I bet someone likes you very much."

Megumi looked at him, her bright eyes shining. "Sou-chan, for a boy your age, you have some very interesting ideas."

Oops. Had he blown his cover?

Sano said with childlike stoutness, "Besides, I'm always here. When I grow up, I'm gonna marry ya."

There, I've said it. She might not know it's me, but I've said it, and that has to count for something.

Megumi laughed, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Sou-chan, by the time you're old enough to marry, I'll be an old, old lady that no one wants."

Why do you keep degrading yourself?

"Like I said, I'll be there for ya, even if you're an old, old lady," replied Sano. "I know you'll still be as pretty to me."

Megumi heaved a breath and ruffled his head. "I appreciate that, Sou-chan. I really do."

I mean it, Megumi.

Megumi went back to her herbs. "There is a guy I may like," she said, her eyes wistful. Then this was replaced by a miffed look. "If he can stop chewing that fishbone. It's disgusting."

That's a high price you're asking from me, Kitsune onna. I love my fishbones.

"Sou-chan, why are you smirking like that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing."

Megumi gave her leaves a special mash. "Anyway, he doesn't like me."

Oh? Have you tried asking?

"Besides, if I ask him, he'll think I've totally lost it," continued Megumi, seeming to read Sano's mind.

I suppose that's true.

"He thinks I'm a hoity-toity, proud little fox who's not worth his time, I guess," she said, slowing down her work. "So if he actually likes me, in which there is probably not an iota of possibility because he's always trying to be a constant pain in the neck for me...well, we're not exacly going anywhere."

Sano didn't answer.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," said Megumi, laughing. "But it's nice to tell it to someone, even if he doesn't know a thing I'm saying." Then Megumi threw him a queer look. "You don't know what I'm talking about, right?"

Sano gave her his most innocent look. "Nope. Not a thing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

She likes me. She actually likes me. And I thought it was impossible.

Sano turned again in his bed.

Yeah, we're really not going anywhere with all this denying and sort. Ah, but it's not easy to say it in Fox's face.

Sano got up and put on his daytime robe. He couldn't get much sleep with his recent conversation with Megumi keeping him company.

He quietly tiptoed to the door and went outside.

He really did like the fox. Sometimes even more. It scared him to think that he actually felt like that, so he tried quelling it by quarreling with Megumi.

Didn't work though. Just made him like her more, the way she backfires his jokes, threw stinging retorts, embarrassed him...

"Hey there, little fellow. What are you doing here outside at a time like this?"

Sano turned around towards the source of the voice. "You!"

"Yes, me." The strange, old man came from behind a tree. "You were looking for me?"

"I don't know what you did to me, old man," growled Sano, "but I have just three words for ya."

"Yes?"

"Change me back!"

"There is no need to shout and wake up the lady of the house, my good man," said the other, grinning. "Change you back into what?"

"What, are you baka? Change me back to...to..er..."

It was then Sano realized that his voice had deepened and that the robe seemed to have torn down by itself. He was lean and tall again, and in serious need of another set of clothes.

"What...hey, I'm back! Back to my glorious self!" Sano couldn't help rejoicing. He whirled around. "Hey, you, oji-"

But the old man was gone. And left on Sano's own feet was his clothes, complete with bandages and red bandanna.

***

Sano softly slid the paper door open. He entered Megumi's room and quietly bent over her sleeping figure.

"You've overdone yourself on this one, Megumi," he whispered. "I owe ya one."

Megumi stirred, shocking Sano. If she caught him here, right now, she'd...she'd...well, he couldn't imagine what Megumi would do to him.

But Megumi didn't even open her eyes. Then Sano smiled and pulled up the blanket that had fallen on her stomach to her shoulders.

He left, closing the door behind him.

The next day, he decided to pay Megumi a visit. She must be in hysterics now, finding her little "Sou-chan" missing. Besides, he felt an inexplicable need to see her.

Megumi was quietly sweeping the leaves at the front of the house with a broom. Odd, thought Sano. She should be screaming by now.

"Kitsune!" he yelled.

"Go away, rooster head." Megumi didn't even bother to look at him.

"What's up, Fox?" He stood beside her as the leaves collected at their feet.

"What part of 'Go away' do you not know?" Megumi stopped sweeping and the kitsune look spread across her face.

"Uh, the middle part?" Sanosuke grinned.

"Un. You're impossible." Megumi turned away. Then she asked, "What are you doing here, rooster?"

Sano was surprised. She didn't seem to show any hint of concern of losing Souzo. He shrugged and answered, "Visitin'?"

"You're not the visiting type."

"Nah, but I thought the clinic was too quiet." Sano winked and lifted his index finger. "Missed ya, fox."

Megumi stared at him. "Sano, you're a fruitcake."

Sano shrugged again. Maybe he needed to refresh her memory. "Er, haven't you been harboring a little kid around here lst night? Where's the little fellow?"

"What are you talking about?" Megumi lifted an eyebrow. "I don't have time to play questions with you; my patients will be coming very soon."

Now Sano was confused. "But the boy...the guy that looked like me..."

Megumi looked at him as if he sprouted three heads. "What on earth makes you think a boy that looked like you came here overnight? I didn't have patients here last night."

"You'd be surprised to know how many things are in my brain." Sano felt a little panicky despite the smoothness of his voice as he answered the doctor.

"I'd be surprised to know if you had a brain at all, rooster," shot back Megumi, returning to her broom. "There was no boy here last night, and if he did look like you, then he must've looked like a fright. Now let me finish my sweeping with no more interruptions. I'm busy here."

Sano couldn't say a word. Didn't he...just last night...what in the world...!!! He grabbed his hair in frustration, growling.

"Sano, you're acting stranger than normal," floated Megumi's voice amidst the sweep-sweep of the broom.

It probably was just a dream. He let go of his hair, feeling disappointed. So Megumi hadn't taken care of him after all. "Okay, you know what?" he said in resignation. "Forget it. Forget I said anything. It probably didn't make sense, anyway."

"Things that you say hardly make any sense."

Sano winced. Ouch. That hurt.

But just when he was about to leave, Megumi called, "Hey, rooster. Do you think by the time I'm an old lady, would I still look as pretty to you?" Then she stopped and gave Sano a piercing, meaningful look.

Sano dropped his jaw and his eyes widened.

"Well?" Megumi lifted both her eyebrows expectantly.

He hastily turned around in shock and forced his legs to move faster.

She knew. That kitsune-onna knew all along! Sano mentally kicked himself. And he had fallen for the trap, just like that! How stupid could he have been! But who was that old man....? And why did it happen?

He scratched his head mournfully. A cup of sake was seriously in order. No, make that ten cups!

Megumi watched poor Sano quickly slouch away as she desperately tried not to laugh. He looked like he wanted to drown himself in the river. Well, it took him quite a while, but he finally got the message.

Megumi returned to her sweeping. Kami-sama sure had a funny sense of humor. She asked for a sign, and this was what she got. And she certainly hadn't expected anything this extreme and unbelievable. At first she couldn't believe it, but after she finally put together the pieces of her conversation with Little Sano...well, gods were always full of surprises.

And who was she to complain?

She smiled, collected the last of the leaves, picked her broom, and finally went back to the clinic.

owari

Post-Author's Notes: Gag. I didn't know I could write so lousily. I'm so bad with endings. Other parts were pretty satisfactory (although still rather aimless), but the ending. Not good. Sheesh. Too much S/M fics. Everything just evaporates from my head. I'm not making sense no more. Maybe I should give fanfiction.net a break from me. //knocks self senseless with mallet// *_*