Part Two
It didn't take long at all to find him. The same warehouse, the same seat as before, even the same sort of noodles in front of him. Sano found a place of his own to sit in comfort and settled in to watch the watcher. As the big clock in the center of town struck the hour a man came and sat opposite Saitou at the small wooden bench. He spoke lowly under his breath for a moment, then raised a hand for the waitress and called out an order.
A moment later Saitou was wiping his mouth fastidiously, rising to his feet and pushing away from the bench. The spare economical grace of the movements made Sano's mouth go dry with lust and he almost missed his quarry pushing past the thin half curtains and emerging from the curbside noodle booth.
With unhurried grace the cop moved off down the street, hat perched on his shiny black hair, brim pulled low over his eyes. He was the picture of a casual strolling policeman, but still the few people on the street before him stepped aside as he passed, perhaps not even sure themselves what the aura emanating from the man was. Sano knew and it made his heart beat faster in pure lust.
Danger.
Saitou strolled down past the bustling warehouse district and into the quieter homes running along the canal. Beside him the water gleamed in the high sunlight of noon, above him trees cast a dappled light onto the well worn road. Sano followed, no longer even attempting to hide his presence. Now that the time for their meeting was drawing closer he could feel the slick sweat of nervous excitement on his brow and the sick twist of fear in his stomach. He was following his instincts now, but that didn't stop the dryness in his mouth.
A small shrine nestled in a quiet green corner seemed to beckon Saitou and he stopped in front of it, eyes narrowed against the bright sunlight. A single bloom, wilted somewhat from the heat, nodded in the crude clay vase designed for that purpose.
Sano kept walking, blood pounding in his ears. Saitou didn't even look up at his approach and Sano halted by his side and turned to examine the shrine more closely. He broke the silence. "How long have you known I was following you?"
"Today or yesterday?" Saitou tossed back at him carelessly.
Sano couldn't help grinning. His blood was singing now, invigorated by the mystery of the walking sex god by his side. "Well, I wasn't trying to hide. It suited me for you to know I was there."
Saitou stood still and straight. No expression marred his face, the wisps of hair hanging over his forehead stirred in the slight sluggish breeze.
"Congratulations on being alive by the way."
"Thank you," Saitou nodded his head graciously. "It's my preferred state."
"I mean," Sano pursued relentlessly, "Congratulations on surviving that inferno at Shishio's hideout. How did you do that anyway?"
Saitou shrugged, the muscles under his jacket catching Sano's eyes. Feeling his palms itching with the desire to reach out and check those muscles out personally, Sano clenched his fists.
"Succinct as ever I see," Sano muttered, his voice hoarse. Sudden images of those shoulders without the thick blue uniform crowded into his head, making coherency momentarily difficult. Memories of Saitou shrugging out of his jacket and flinging it aside, upper body clad only in a sweat soaked undershirt, thin cloth clinging to lean ropes of muscles... Sano wiped a trickle of sweat from his own forehead and swallowed hard. This was important, he had to focus here.
"So," he said casually. Time to get to the point. He reached out and laid a hand on the sleeve of Saiotu's uniform jacket, feeling the stiff braid under his fingers.
With an exaggerated turn of his head Saitou looked slowly down at Sano's hand and then slowly swiveled a glance up at his face. One brow lifted interrogatively.
Confident, Sano let his hand slide over the thick blue material and onto the narrow wrist, feeling with sudden tension the subtle play of muscles under the swordsman's skin.
Saitou shook his head slowly, eyes never leaving Sano's. "I knew you were an idiot but I didn't take you for a suicide. Do you know how easily I could kill you?"
The soft voice sent shivers of pure passion down Sano's spine. He nodded jerkily.
"Then why risk your life like this?" Saitou appeared to be genuinely interested in the answer.
"I thought you were dead," Sano blurted out, all his careful seductive phrases lost in the maelstrom of passion just touching this lean hand was stirring in him. Being so close to this lean strength, inhaling the masculine heat of this body... He tightened his grasp on the captured hand. "For the longest time I was kicking myself for not doing this," he nodded to their touching hands, "then." Sweat blurred his eyes and he blinked it away. "I knew you wanted me then," he managed.
With a twist of his powerful wrist Saitou freed his hand and took a small step backwards. Sano felt the severance of contact like a blow.
"And that's what this public display is about?" Saitou drawled. He shook his head again. "Because you thought I wanted you?"
"No," Sano shook his head, staring into those narrow eyes. Evil eyes. "I knew you wanted me."
"You're a fool," Saitou said contemptuously.
Sano nodded agreement. "Probably. There's a lot I don't know, it's true. Hell you could fill a library full of books with what I don't know." He smiled a little and stepped closer to Saitou, closing the distance the older man had put between them. "But if there's one thing I know, it's when a man wants me." He touched his tongue tip to the corner of his mouth, watching with satisfaction as Saitou's eyes flickered and followed the movement. "And you wanted me then. But it wasn't the time or the place."
"There is no time and place for this."
"You don't mean that." Maintaining his confidence under that amused gaze wasn't easy but Sano was nothing if not stubborn. He persevered. "Why won't you go with this? What's stopping you?"
"If I wanted you nothing would stop me," Saitou promised coolly, the words sending a shiver down the younger man's spine. Long lean fingers gripped Sano's chin and he tilted his head up, feeling his skin flush with expectation. "If I wanted you..." The fingers tightened for a moment and Sano found himself pinned by those cool gray eyes. "But I don't."
Sano jerked his head as his chin was flung carelessly aside. Saitou was turning on his heel and walking away unhurriedly.
"Jeez, Saitou, why don't you just stab me in the shoulder again if you're looking to draw blood?" Sano exploded. He resisted the urge to touch his face where the skin felt scorched by that brief touch. Instead he scrambled after the older man, dancing around him until he was blocking his way. Saitou halted.
"D'you think your lame insults are enough to stop me?" Sano demanded angrily.
"I don't think a cannon would stop you," Saitou returned. "Why don't you go home like a good little boy and play with the Battousai's sword, hmm? Leave the grown-ups to their business."
"Ooh, resorting to insults now," Sano crowed. "Now I know I'm winning."
"Must be a rare experience for you. Tell you what, you bask in that for a while, and I'll go back to my very important work. Okay?"
Sanosuke gritted his jaw as Saitou walked around him and continued on down the path. "This isn't over!" he called after him, his raised voice disturbing a flock of birds on the opposite side of the canal. "I'm not going anywhere, Saitou!"
One hand raised in a casual good-bye salute and then the older man was gone.
***
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"There seems to be some ruffian hanging around outside your window."
Saitou looked up from his paperwork. "Is he outside the fence?"
"Yes."
Saitou looked back to his paperwork.
"Should I have him moved on, sir?"
"Don't concern yourself, sergeant."
***
Sano spent a fine afternoon gossiping with the local cart traders and flirting with the local house wives. He bought some buns from one of the vendors, and a particularly cute local lady with a sleeping baby strapped on her back gave him a sugar cane that he chewed on for hours. Face sticky and tummy pleasantly full he settled in for a small snooze, one eye open for his prey. Just as the sun was disappearing over the houses his patience was rewarded.
Saitou's gaze swept the road in a warriors automatic sense as he stepped through the gate. Sano wasn't surprised that it swept over him like so much garbage in the street, before the older man continued on his way. Hands in his pockets Sano sauntered after him.
It was a longish walk, but the late afternoon sunlight was soft on his face and Sanosuke buoyed up his own natural confidence with the assurance that Saitou probably wouldn't actually kill him. Maybe beat him up a little bit...
Sano grinned. That could be fun too.
Saitou's dwelling was a small low house behind a high wall and a wooden gate. Only a few feet separated his walls from his neighbors, but it was a nice quiet area, surrounded by old trees. Ignoring the gate closed firmly in his face Sano slid the door open and entered the bare yard.
Saitou was standing in his open doorway, cigarette in his hand, smoke wreathing his face.
"Following an officer of the law could get you arrested."
"What about giving an officer of the law a blow job?" Sano asked innocently. "What will that get me?"
Saitou flicked the cigarette away curtly. "You don't have any idea do you? Of the risks you're taking by pushing this."
Sanosuke boldly approached the house, climbing the low steps with steady legs. "What risks?" he scoffed. "I mean come on, Saitou. Who the hell cares what you and I get up to, hmm?"
"Are you really that stupid?" Saitou said contemptuously. "There are eyes everywhere, boy, I should know, I employ most of them. You think a man in my position can jump any pretty piece of ass that wriggles itself in his face? I have enemies that would kill you just in the hopes of slightly annoying me. Understand?"
Sano smiled all over his face. "You think my ass is pretty?" He turned and glanced down at his own behind. "Kinda hard to tell with this long jacket, maybe I should get a shorter one?"
"That's right Sanosuke, focus on the important points. Have you ever actually thought anything through in your whole life?"
"Have you ever done anything you didn't think to death?" Sano shot back. "I mean, jeez, Saitou, I'm not asking you to marry me here. I don't want us to settle down in a little cottage in the country with a dog and a cat and couple of babies. I want to get you in the sack and scratch this itch that's been bugging me for months now." Sanosuke stepped forward, right into Saitou's personal space, dropping his voice and working his big brown eyes to their best advantage.
"I mean, come on, doesn't that sound good? Scratching that itch?" He lifted a hand to touch the blue jacket covering that desirable chest, but quick as lightening Saitou caught his fingers and held them in a deadly grip.
"I've never seen you work so hard for anything," Saitou whispered. "If you applied this kind of perseverance to your training you might make a halfway decent fighter." He raked a glance up and down Sanosuke's face, sending a crashing wave of awareness through the young man. Whatever this cost him was worth it, Sano thought to himself. Being this close, inhaling that unique scent, feeling the incredible heat thrown from this body.
"Maybe I should just give you what you want?" Saitou mused, voice so quiet Sano had to strain his ears to hear it. "Let you decide if it's what you really want after all."
Sano barely had time to nod his eager agreement with this idea before he was being pulled into the darkness of the house, the screen door sliding closed behind him. Pressure on his still captive hand forced him to his knees and within moments he found himself staring up the formidable length of Saitou's lean form.
"What, did you want, gentleness?" Saitou sneered. "Passion? A quick tumble, wasn't that it, bitch? You're hot for what I can give you?" His free hand tugged at the buttons of his uniform slacks and suddenly Sano was inhaling the scent of subtle maleness, as a completely unsubtle blunt shaft sprung free from it's confines.
Speechless, he stared at the object of his desires, cravings, fantasies, mouth dry, heart pumping like a piston.
"What's the matter, bitch?" Saitou sneered lowly. "Too real for you? Ready to run away now?"
"You're fucking joking!" Sanosuke burst out. He didn't have to look up to feel the shiver of surprise that ran through the lean frame before him, and he certainly didn't have time to crow over the fact that he had finally managed to surprise the great and mighty Saitou Hajime. For right here within his grasp was paradise, and if he didn't have a taste soon he was going to die.
Trembling fingers reached out to the rampant shaft and wrapped around it. The other man had plenty of time to pull away, to protest, something, but now there was only silence above him as Sano worshipped at the altar of his desire.
Sanosuke licked his lips as he pumped one hand up and down the satin shaft, lifting the other to cradle the beautiful ball sac, drawn up tight against his body. Sano wanted this to be perfect, and he barely trusted himself as he extended his tongue and touched it to the weeping head. Strong thighs tensed and Sano breathed words of reassurance. "It's okay," he whispered, as much to himself as to his lover. "This is gonna be great."
Without another seconds delay he engulfed the rosy head between his lips, pushing hard this first time to swallow down as much length as possible. His hand swept behind his lips as he bobbed his head up, sensing that this first one wouldn't take long and wanting to both get and give the ultimate amount of pleasure. Using every ounce of skill he had and the inspiration of endless wet dreams about this very moment, Sanosuke luxuriated in Saitou-flesh, suckling like a baby, hands now grasping the narrow hips before him.
Saitou's hands were on his shoulders now, gripping painfully, long thin fingers digging into his flesh. One hand swept over his head, tugging his bandanna away and Sano wondered idly if Saitou was going to strangle him with it. But it simply fell away and now Saitou's hands were tangling in his hair, using it like reins to pull Sano closer and then tug him away as the narrow hips began the pumping motion that signaled imminent release. Sano rode the sensation like a bucking horse, eyes shut tight against the pleasure singing in his own veins.
And then within moments Saitou was there, gushing forth, and Sano swallowed it all down like manna from heaven, maintaining the suction to bring his partner to maximum aching pleasure. Finally it was over and Sano reluctantly allowed the softened member to slip from his mouth. He nuzzled fondly at the damp flesh, slowly coming back down to earth after the most intense experience of his life.
The fingers tangled in his hair tightened and Sano allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Half nervous half exultant he met Saitou's eyes, only mildly disappointed to find them as inscrutable as ever. Liquid trickled from the corner of Sano's mouth and he automatically licked at it, unprepared for the reaction this prompted as his lips were crushed beneath hard smoky ones for a long moment.
"Woo," Sano panted as his mouth was released. Saitou's eyes were narrow and glinting, and Sano tried to gauge his mood.
"You satisfied now?" Saitou said hardly.
"Not hardly!" Sano returned.
Saitou sighed, jaw tight. "I should have known. Still, at least it shut you up for five minutes."
"Five minutes!" Sano hooted derisively. "You're flattering yourself."
Sano's grip in his hair tightened and Sanosuke winced pointedly. "Don't worry about it," Sano promised gamely. "Next time we'll go a little slower. Not that I'm complaining!" he hastened to assure.
"There won't be a next time," Saitou promised.
"You said there wouldn't be a this time either," Sano pointed out smugly. "Look how long you resisted me."
"You have no idea how long I've resisted you," Saitou murmured, untangling his fingers and pushing Sano away with a slightly rough gesture.
Sano grinned, still tasting the proof of that desire in his mouth. "Told you so."
"Are you ever going to develop a sense of self preservation?" Saitou said, eyes glinting dangerously.
"I suppose I'm gonna need one hanging around you."
"I meant what I said, boy. Hanging around me can be hazardous to your health."
"Let me worry about that," Sano said boldly. "Now..." he cast a glance around the dim room, eyes adjusting to the lack of light. "Where's the bed?"
"Nowhere you need to worry about," Saitou said repressively, sliding open the door and pushing Sanosuke through it.
"But-!" Sano protested.
"You've drawn enough attention to yourself for one day." Saitou slammed the door closed in his face. "Go home."
"Coward," Sano muttered, but despite Saitou's observation he still had enough of a sense of self preservation to say it very quietly, under his breath. He mooned around at the bottom of the stairs for a few minutes, kicking sulkily at the wooden slats, but then he finally gave up and decided to go home. After all, he couldn't really complain, he'd set out today to seduce the object of his desires and he'd succeeded. Maybe he hadn't fulfilled all his wildest dreams yet, but he'd sure got a foot in the door.
Well, maybe more than a foot... Licking at his lips and laughing wildly to himself Sano skipped home.
End of Part Two.