"Kaoru"

"Yes, Yahiko?"

"Have you been noticing anything, well uh.strange, about Sano or Kenshin lately?"

"Huh, oh.well, actually."
"What:" Yahiko said impatiently.
"Oh, nothing.no Yahiko I havent' seen anything? Why do you ask?"
"Welllll." Yahiko whispered secretively.
Kaoru sighed, irritated.

"Well when they're around each other, it's like.well I dunno'. Forget about it, s'not important."

"Whatever you say" Kaoru drawled as she opened the gate to the dojo and stepped inside.
But as Yahiko ran to help Kenshin in the kitchen, she heaved a little sigh. She did notice it, she had seen how their hands lingered when they passed dishes around the table, and how they looked at each other no longer with friendly admiration and trust but pure and genuine caring. Almost love.
Kaoru shuddered. To think, two grown men, her best friends, were in love with each other.

She refused to believe it. She would not allow her beloved to be taken from her by his best friend, and she would most certainly do everything she could to prevent this perversity.

'But is Kenshin really your's?', her mind seemed to say.

'Does he really love you?'

Kaoru shook her head in frustration.

"DAME!", she cried fiercely.

"No what?"
"S-Sanosuke?!". Kaoru jumped.
She saw him there, leaning against a wooden post on the veranda. His jacked was draped casually around his shoulders, one sleeve hanging off. And for the first time-that Kaoru had seen-his bandana was hanging lazily around his neck, fluttering gently in the breeze.
" 'No' what?" Sano said again demandingly.
" It's none of your business Sano, now come inside. I-I think dinner's come gonna' be ready soon.", Kaoru said nervously.
"You're right Kaoru, Kenshin is not yours. He does not love you."

Tears welled in Kaoru's eyes as she realized that she'd been thinking aloud.

'Why are you crying', the voice said again, ' of course he loves you.'
She sniffed and stepped up to face Sanosuke.
"How do you know?" Kaoru said in an agitated tone.
The street fighter looked away and unfolded his legs from beneath him.
" Because." he said to himself softly, "because he's mine"
Kaoru's breath hitched.
"What?" she said, struggling to keep her tears from falling.
"Don't make me say it again, Jou-chan", Sano pleaded.
Kaoru didn't need to hera it again, once was enough. Hell, it was more than enough.
'Do you really believe that?', the voice said. 'How can this bastard know anything about you and Kenshin.'

But she didn't listen.

"Kaoru?" Sano ventured.

'That bastard doesn't have anything but the clothes on his back. He's a drunken fool who doesn't know what he's talking about.
Kaoru looked up, Sanosuke was standing and peering at her cautiously. He took a few steps toward her.
Ker eyes were glazed and hollow and she was eyeing the bokken that Yahiko had discared on the veranda curiously.
In one swift movement, Kaoru had the bokken in her hands and was facing Sano, a wide smile on her thin lips.
Sano's eyes widened I realization and he took several steps back, eyeing the crazy grin on Kaoru's face.

Kaoru only smiled wider.
'Do it'
Sano raised a hand to the wooden post he had been leaning against and curled his fingers the corners.

'Go'

Kaoru stopped smiling as Kenshin's happy laughter rang from inside the kitchen. Sano looked toward the doorway expectantly.
In the split second that Sano had averted his attention to Kenshin's happy laughter, Kaoru had taken full advantage and swung the bokken down, crushing Sano's bare fingers into the corners of the post.

Blood streamed over his hand and down the bokken. Sano cried out in pain and clutched his hand to his chest, staggering against the post.
Kaoru straitened and flung the blood drenched bokken into the trees. She turned toward Sanosuke.
He was doubled over, clutchin his hand, his eyes were wide and he was taking low rasping breaths. He coughed and a splattering of blood dotted the aged wood of the veranda.
The smile returned back to Kaoru's lips, and her ears rang with giddy laughter.
" I do believe that you are mistaken Sanosuke. However." Kaoru said brightly.

The smile faded.
".keep your hands off of Kenshin." ,she spat icily.
Sano looked up. "K-Kaoru" he breathed.
Her breath caught in her throat as Kaoru watched his legs crumple beneath him. He fell, unconscious, to the side and smashed his spiky head into the floor. His chest was smeared with dark blood, and a single line streamed from the corner of his mouth. Bright against his pale skin.
'What have I done?', she thought, 'He wasn't supposed to pass out'
She dropped to her knees and touched Sano's battered hand gingerly. Kaoru gasped and snatched her hand back as a fresh wave of blood escaped from the crushed fingers.
"Why?", she gasped, "Why is there so much blood?"
'I'm in bad trouble'-(Ha ha! Gigolo Joe, What do you know?)
'Only if you're caught', the voice added.
Sano still bled, and Kaoru panicked. She couldn't leave him here, as much as she hated him now, he couldn't die. Not here.
So Kaoru didn't the only thing she could think of.
"Kenshin!" she screamed, hot , unshed tears streaming down her cheeks.
Kenshin, from inside, heard the urgency and desperation in her voice, and ran to see what was the matter.
"What is it K- ". His breath hitched and his eyes flashed a hollow amber.
"Help Kenshin!" Kaoru pleaded.

"What happened?", Kenshin asked, his voice wavering as he knelt by Sano and lifted Sano's blood smeared his arms.
Kaoru wanted to ask if he really was in love with Sanosuke. She wanted to ask him so many things and just pound him into the ground for betraying her.
'He fell', the voice said.
"He fell"
Kenshin flashed her a skeptical look, his eyes flickering between violet and amber.
"Did you see it?", Kenshin said, cradling Sano's bloodied hand in his. "Did you see him fall."
Kaoru struggled for an explanation.

"Kenshin", she urged, trying to sound sympathetic, "he fell, now we have to hurry, I'll send Yahiko for Megumi."
She began to rise but Kenshin stopped her.
"No", he said firmly, "you go for Megumi."

"But Kensh-",she started.
"GO" he snarled fiercely, pulling off Sanosuke's blood smeared jacket.
Kaoru rose quickly and ran from the dojo, tears in her eyes as she stumbled along.

*

Kenshin bent his head to rest against his love's shoulder. He kissed Sano gently and let out a shaky breath.
'OH god', he thought, 'I haven't cried in - I don't know how long.'
"(sigh).YAHIKO!" Kenshin roared, "come here! Hurry!"
Yahiko came bolting out of the kitchen, a bokken ready.
"What is it Ken- Oh.Sano!", he yelped. Yahiko dropped the bokken and fell to his knees beside Kenshin.
He took in the sight.
Sano was sprawled out on the veranda with his head in Kenshin's lap. Kenshin was examining Sanosuke's hand, although this didn't look remotely like a hand.

The fingers were bent in grotesque, bloody positions, and the skin was torn and raw. Blood seeped down into Kenshin's robes, and his eyes were a deep, hollow violet. And for the first time, Yahiko saw tears streaming down his face.
"Kenshin., who did this!? I'll getum'! Where'd they go?!"
Kenshin looked up, his face was serious.
" Take his legs and help me get him inside. Kaoru will be returning with Megumi shortly."
Yahiko gave him a stiff nod and carefully lifted Sano's legs. Kenshin snaked his arms through Sanosuke's and lifted him up, his head resting against Kenshin's chest.
The two brought Sano into Kenshin's room and layed him down on the futon, mindful of his smashed hand.
Kenshin knelt beside Sano and settled his poor friend's body into amore comfortable position.
"Yahiko, go get some ice.please" Kenshin said calmly.
'Gosh he thought', he's really shaken up.' Yahiko was standing in the doorway. His arms were wrapped around his chest and he was quaking, his eyes wide.
"I-Is Sano gonna' be okay", he said.
"He'll be alright, de gozaru", Kenshin said in spite of himself.
Yahiko nodded and hurried out of the room.
Kenshin sighed. He wasn't sure if there was any truth in that statement.

'But.', he thought, 'why did she.'
Kensin was thrust back into reality as Kaoru and Megumi came bursting through the door.
Megumi began to greet Kenshin merrily, but saw the bloodied hand resting on Sanosuke's chest and stopped. She began ordering around everyone, telling them what to get; water, bandages, ect.
Megumi calmly examined Sanosue's hand, his left hand. It had long ago stopped bleeding, but was caked with dry blood and on some of the knuckles, glints of white bone shone in the lamplight.
*

Kaoru had already left the room and was standing outside on the veranda.

Sano's hand was bandaged and in a sling around his neck. He was no longer unconscious , but asleep. Kenshin was holding his clean hand gently.

Megumi sighed and wiped her forehead on her sleeve.
"K-Kenshin?, she said softly,"Do you know what really happened?"
"Kaoru says he fell", Kenshin stated bluntly.
"Yes,but.well Kenshin, from the looks of it, he'd have to have fallen on a rather sharp edge, he has several broken bones, and it seems as though he hit a blood vessel of some kind."
Kesnsin squeezed Sano's hand and got up, sliding his sakabatou into place at his hip.
"Kenshin", Mesgumi said again, " do you know?"
Kenshin looked at her through haunted violet eyes.
" I'm about to go find out."

He sighed determinedly and stepped out onto the veranda.