AN: Welp, guys, this seems to be the last chapter. ^^ Hope you don't mind at all. I had a blast writing this—and maybe I can finally get to some of my other fanfics and original stories done, too. ^^;

Warning: Something called SAP has made its way in here. Shounen ai, you know, the usual.

Still the Same to Me
Chapter 10
"One Heart, One Soul"

When Kenshin woke up, he discovered himself to be inside of the Dojo, lying down with his chest and neck bandaged. Slowly he forced himself to sit up, wincing when his entire upper body protested in pain. He ignored it, looking around the Dojo. Everything looked the same…but something felt different….

"Sanosuke…" he breathed, the name barely passing his lips as he looked around. He was alone…? Not even Megumi was standing over him, watching him with her sharp eyes. Sighing, Kenshin laid back down on the bed made for him, closing his eyes. It wasn't the fact that he was alone that bothered him; something felt truly different and he couldn't figure out what. Something was wrong…at least, that's the feeling he had.

But nothing was wrong, part of him argued. This is what you wanted to happen, and you willed it to be finally so. Turning over on his side, Kenshin rested his head on his arm, looking out over the whole Dojo. He remembered fighting those men to protect Kaoru…all the fond memories that came with this Dojo. Without thinking he ran a hand over his chest, across the gash that was wrapped up so meticulously over his front. Megumi must have wrapped the wound—only her doctor's hands could be this precise.

Something was missing despite the fact that he felt complete, and it wasn't Sanosuke who was missing. He searched his mind, trying to figure out what it was. He remembered the battle, how he and Battousai had—

"Battousai…?" Kenshin closed his eyes. "Battousai, are you still here…?"

Silence…but there felt to be a presence around him, a familiar one, one Kenshin had associated with Battousai. He relaxed, albeit slightly. So this is what it was like to be one with Battousai again… Getting up, Kenshin made his way to the doors of the Dojo, ignoring the pain. All the while he knew he felt different, but it didn't worry him now.

"Everybody! Kenshin's up!"

Kenshin smiled softly as he made his way through the door, greeted by the happy faces of everyone. How would they have reacted to a second death…? And one so soon, at that? Slowly, as Kenshin scanned the crowd of glowing faces, he noticed Soujiro was missing. "I'm sorry to have worried you all," he said finally, his eyes landing on Sanosuke for the first time. The younger man smiled at him, his eyes soft, and Kenshin felt himself blush slightly, but he couldn't find it in his heart to look away. "I promise you all that I won't do that again, that I won't."

"Kenshin, you can't promise that! Trouble follows you wherever you go," Yahiko joked, laughing to himself and putting his arms behind his head. "Anyway, Megumi was making breakfast. You got up just in time to eat, Kenshin."

Kenshin smiled at Yahiko, heading toward him and Sanosuke, sitting between them. Life could be easy again… "What is she making?" he asked pleasantly.

"You'll see! Kaoru used to make it all the time but you know how she could never cook," Yahiko said, a lingering sadness clouding his eyes. "At least it won't be burnt to a crisp, you know?"

Kenshin chuckled softly, nodding to Yahiko before turning to Sanosuke. The younger man was looking down at his feet, resting his arm on his leg to prop his head up. "Sano? Is something bothering you…?" Kenshin asked softly, trying to lean within Sanosuke's current line of vision. The movement, however, caused too much pain and Kenshin winced, sitting back in his previous position. Sanosuke looked up when Kenshin had asked, though, and for a fleeting second Kenshin thought he saw the beginnings of tears in his eyes. "Sano…" he breathed, his voice filled with worry.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Kenshin," Sanosuke said finally. His voice was even though his eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. "Anyway, don't worry about me, okay? I'll talk to you about it later…when we're alone."

His words were soft and persuasive, causing Kenshin to nod even though he wanted to continue inquiring Sanosuke what was wrong. There had to have been something wrong, if Sanosuke didn't want to speak with him about it in front of the others. Sighing, Kenshin looked up the pale blue sky, feeling the wind blow through his hair—which he hadn't realized was loose from its usual bindings—until his bowl of food was offered in front of him. He took it graciously and began eating slowly, getting annoyed when his hair decided to fall in his face as he tried to eat.

He growled at a small piece of his own hair that fell in front of his eyes and into his food, then blinked in surprise when he felt rough hands push his hair out of his face and gather up the rest of his hair, twisting it so that most of it rested at the back of his neck. Kenshin felt his face heat up and resumed eating quietly, not glancing toward Sanosuke at all. "It wasn't bothering me that much," he muttered finally.

"You growled at your own hair, Kenshin. Don't tell me it wasn't bothering you," Sanosuke responded, smirking to himself as he continued eating his breakfast. Kenshin heard the soft laughter in his tone and smiled to himself, finishing his meal slowly. By the time he finished his first bowl Sanosuke was well into his second, along with Yahiko. He figured it was a good thing he wasn't all that hungry at the moment. Without thinking Kenshin put his bowl down and looked among everyone sitting.

They all seemed so calm, so normal for the first time since Kaoru had passed away. Everyone was at ease, eating and distracting one another from getting more food (or maybe that was just Sanosuke and Yahiko, Kenshin noted to himself). Smiling widely, he stood up, reaching behind his head and untwisting his hair, letting it flow all the way down his back. "I'll be inside, that I will. You all finish eating, alright?" he ignored the soft pains in his back and chest as he walked back inside of the Dojo.

This was still the same group of friends—no, family—that Kenshin had had before he had made the horrible mistake. But did they realize that he, himself, was not the same Kenshin they had grown to love so much? That he had changed right underneath their noses in so many ways that he, himself, did not feel like the same person? He sighed, wrapping his arms around himself and noticing for the first time that the heavy weight of his sakabato was not hanging from his hip. He almost didn't look around the room to find it…his emotional attachment to it was gone.

Like Battousai… Though, Battousai wasn't really gone, was he? And poor Sanosuke…those two were finally warming up to each other, weren't they? What if Sanosuke didn't want just Kenshin…what if he had changed his mind and wanted Battousai and Battousai only, now? How was he going to handle this? Ignoring the build up of tears, Kenshin headed toward his room, sitting down on the mat he called his bed slowly, so as not to agitate his wounds.

"Kenshin…?"

Kenshin looked up toward where he had heard the voice, seeing Sanosuke standing in the doorway of his room. Allowing himself a small smile, Kenshin nodded to Sanosuke and patted the spot next to him. "Come on in, you don't have to stand, that you don't," he whispered, looking away from Sanosuke.

"Kenshin…are you and Battousai…?"

Kenshin glanced up at Sanosuke, noticing the hesitation in Sanosuke's movements as he sat down next to Kenshin. Without thinking, Kenshin leaned against Sanosuke's shoulder, sighing. "Are we one person, now?" Kenshin asked for him, not even bothering to look at him.

"Yeah…" Sanosuke replied softly.

"We are. I feel no different aside from the fact that now, instead of feeling as if my soul was separated into two parts, that it's one. But still…something's missing, Sano, and I can't figure out what, that I can't…" Kenshin whispered, closing his eyes.

"Do you—Kenshin, do you think you've changed at all…?" Sanosuke asked slowly, tracing Kenshin's cheek with his finger. "Do you think you aren't the same as you've always been, that you're not Kenshin anymore…?" Sanosuke's arms wrapped around him, pulling Kenshin to his chest. Adjusting his position slightly so he wasn't putting too much pressure on his own wounds, Kenshin looked up into Sanosuke's eyes, trying to come up with response.

"Honestly, Sano, I think I have changed," he whispered finally, looking away. "I feel no attachment to my sakabato anymore…I hadn't even noticed it was missing until I came back inside… I feel no more sadness over Kaoru's death. I just…there just seems to be more to me, now, that didn't really exist until now…"

"Kenshin…what you are feeling is a combination of what you felt and what Battousai felt. You're one now, the two of you…" Sanosuke began to explain softly, kissing Kenshin's forehead before bending down to kiss his lips. Kenshin gasped softly before leaning into the kiss, holding onto Sanosuke's shirt. "And that makes you complete now, a whole person… But you're still you, Kenshin. You haven't changed as much as you thought you did. You're still sweet, kind; innocent but deadly…" Sanosuke smirked at the last one, causing Kenshin to look away from him. "What is it…?"

"I just don't understand what's still the same about me, that I don't," Kenshin responded softly, resting his head against Sanosuke's chest. "I don't have to argue with another part of me anymore…I don't hear his voice…and he most certainly won't be here for you to talk to anymore…"

"Kenshin, as much as I liked Battousai, I also realized that he is nothing more than just another part of you that had broken itself off… He was still you, and you're still you. You're just a complete you, now… I still love you, Kenshin. Nothing will ever change that. You're still the same to me no matter what happens to you…because I'll always love you, Kenshin…" Sanosuke's voice was so soft Kenshin could barely hear it above his own breathing.

"Sanosuke…" Kenshin looked into Sanosuke's eyes before managing a soft, sheepish smile. Sanosuke's eyes were filled with sincerity, so much sincerity that it almost made Kenshin break down into tears. Sighing happily, Kenshin rested his head back on Sanosuke's chest, nuzzling him, muttering. "I love you too, Sanosuke… Thank you…"

Sanosuke tilted Kenshin's chin, pressing a soft kiss against Kenshin's lips before whispering, "You're welcome, Kenshin…"

Kenshin kissed back, pulling Sanosuke closer to him. He would always be the same to Sanosuke…that was all he had ever needed to hear to be happy. That nothing he could ever do would change the way Sanosuke thought of him…and Kenshin hoped it would remain that way, and that it was the same for everyone else who became apart of his little mix-matched family. A small part of him told him to be rest assured that he would always remain the same.

And for once, Kenshin listened to that part of himself, allowing himself to be fully content for the first time in many, many years. It was a well-deserved contentment and Kenshin wasn't about to let it go, just as much as he wasn't about to let Sanosuke go. He could start life a new for real, now, as atonement for not only those he had killed, but for how he had allowed himself to suffer so much. And he would do so with Sanosuke by his side. He would always be the same. Always…