Disclaimer: Characters and song are not mine.
When Forever Catches Up
A Sanosuke-Megumi love story
It was a night of a thousand stars.
'Maybe millions, but it doesn't matter', she thought as she gazed towards the perfect night sky. She was sitting on the edge of rooftop of her high school with her two legs dangling on the other side. A wistful smile touching her cherry lips as she content herself with watching the night sky.
--oo---
A pair of dark brown eyes was staring intently at the top of the high school gymnasium, puzzled at a pair of white things that seem to dance in the evening wind.
Sagara Sanosuke was in the back of his pickup truck lying on his crumpled tuxedo jacket.
'Why did I let my sister bring me to this prom' he sighed asking himself why in hell did he agree to be his sister's prom date tonight at his mother's insistence. Kaoru, his sister, studies at an exclusive school for girls and that's why she had to look for a date to take her to the prom. And since his sister is not allowed to date yet, he was obliged to take her to this prom.
'And I didn't even go to my own prom' he sighed yet again, his eyes fixed on the pair of white things that seemed to be floating on the edge of the building. His mind again drifted on his sister with her long black hair and china blue eyes; she is one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. And maybe that's the reason why their parents and even he take great care of her. They didn't want her to ruin her life or anything. He remember just this evening before they left the house, she was wearing the most beautiful gown of red silk that brings out the creaminess of her skin, making her seem like a goddess.
He smiled as he remembered his mother fusing over his tuxedo which he admits that is a size too small for him. In actuality he just borrowed the suit from his best friend who is 3 inches shorter than him. So despite that the two of them have the same body build, the 3 inches difference between their height resulting in him wearing the tuxedo pants similarly to how Michael Jackson's wore his during the 1980's.
He sighed as he stood up, 'I think its time to find Cinderella and head home' he thought glancing at his watch. He was surprised to see that it's only 10:00 pm. 'Boredom can really slow down time' he thought his eyes again drifting on the roof of the gymnasium.
'I better check out that thing, since I have nothing else to do' he said out loud. He made sure first that the pickup is secured and locked before he headed to the back of the gymnasium to look for a ladder or a staircase that leads to the rooftop.
He can hear the music and laughter inside the gymnasium as he passed by it. He hoped that his sister is having the time of her life. 'She should be since she got me to wear this monkey suit' he thought shaking his head.
He found what he was looking for at the side of the gymnasium, a fire exit ladder leading directly to the roof top. He climbed the ladder, glad that he rid himself of his tuxedo jacket. He was panting when he reached the top of the ladder, but what he saw took his remaining breath away. Sitting on the side of the building was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Outlined against the night sky was a young woman with long, long dark hair that seemed to flow endlessly down her back. She was sitting at the edge of the roof while her face was lifted towards the night sky. Her slender arms gripped the side of the roof as tightly as she can.
Slowly he approached her, careful not to startle her. As he come closer he can see that she is wearing a forest green dress that fit her like a second skin, the full skirt of the dress billowing in the evening wind below her.
He was surprised when she suddenly turned around and stared at him with big cinnamon eyes.
---oo---
She heard soft footsteps behind her, wondering who had found her here. She is certain that all of her classmates are having the time of their lives inside the gymnasium.
She turned around to check who is behind her and found herself staring at the most beautiful pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. She was stricken by how familiar those eyes were, as if she had stared at those mocha depths before,
But she can't remember when or where.
---oo---
Sanosuke heard laughter from below him and found himself staring at a pair of lovely cinnamon eyes. He smiled as he offered his hand to her.
'Hi, I'm Sanosuke' he said by way of introduction
He watched her tilt her head sideways a questioning look in her eyes.
'I'm Kaoru's date' he winced, that doesn't sound right, 'I'm her older brother,
I'm her date for tonight'
She smiled, and he was mesmerized by how her smile seemed to fill this dark rooftop with light. 'I'm Megumi, I also brought my older brother as my date,' she laughed, 'and I'm sure he's here somewhere.'
He smiled at how her laugh reminded him of silver bells. 'Can I sit down?' he asked indicating the place beside her.
'Sure, if you want to' she said softly
He sat down beside her, watching him from the corner of his eyes as she lifted her face towards the sky. Trying to be discreet, he stared transfixed at her big cinnamon eyes, her cute upturned nose, her cherry colored lips, and her delicate chin. It seemed that he knew her from somewhere, there was something familiar about how her eyes sparkle, how her nose twitch, how her brow furrowed. But he can't place her in a specific place and time...
He heard her laugh, 'are you done staring at me?' she asked, her eyes twinkling as he met his gaze
He laughed to cover his embarrassment. 'It's because I have never seen one so pretty' he said smoothly as she blushed 'and even prettier when she blushes' he added.
'Oh stop it' she said as she averted her gaze and trained her eyes to the skies above, she can still feel the tingling of her cheeks from the complement she heard.
'Hey, do you want to dance?' he asked suddenly, nudging her elbows.
Her eyes again turned to him and she smiled. He lifted one of his eyebrows at her questioningly.
'I'd love to' her eyes as bright as the stars above them.
He reached for her hands, marveling at how soft it was as he led her to the center of the rooftop. He can smell her as he pulled her close. 'She smelled of jasmine and roses' he thought, still struck by how much she reminded him of someone. There is something about the way she easily fit in his arms, the way her body seemed to mold completely against his own, something so familiar about her embrace that he can't comprehend. He was so sure that he only met her today, but it feels that he had known her forever.
They began dancing as the opening chords of a familiar song drifted from the party below.
Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
She laid her head on his shoulders, struck by how she felt safe and secure wrapped in his arms. She snuggled closely to him as she felt his arms tightened around her waist and breath in his smell of cedar and springtime. There was something about him that is extremely familiar, especially his laughter. It is the reason why she was startled every time he laughs and just stares at him. She knew that she had heard that laugh somewhere before, but she can't place a definite place and time.
She snuggled closely to him and smiled as she heard him sing along to the song playing.
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon
He felt her snuggle closer in his arms and he smiled as he tightened his embrace. He closed his eyes as he rested his head on the fall of her hair, still gently swaying to the melody that seemed to swirl around them. He can feel the gentle evening wind picked up around them, her hair flying around them tickling his face. He was struck again by how familiar that simple gesture felt, and it transported him in a place and time where only this girl dancing in front of him mattered, and nothing else.
Here comes the night
Here come the memories
Lost in your arms
Down in the foreign fields
She felt her skirt being blown by the evening wind, the chill seeping through her bare back as she shivered against his arms. She closed her eyes as he tightened his embrace, burying her nose in his chest as a forgotten memory filled her mind. A distant memory of a night like this one, enveloped in the arms of someone she had loved for so long. They are also dancing but not on a rooftop of a gymnasium.
Not so long ago
Seems like eternity
Those sweet afternoons
Still capture me
A memory also found his way to his mind. A beautiful memory of summer night with the sky lit ablaze by a thousand stars. He was standing hear the river, watching the fireflies fly around him; it is as if he is patiently waiting for someone. The thought puzzled him; he was never patient while waiting. Then that someone must be pretty important or special for him to wait so patiently.
He contented himself by watching the riverbed, marveling at the fireflies, listening to the chorus of toads, frogs and crickets singing in the distance. Then he heard his name called, he turned around and saw someone hurrying towards him. Framed by the moonlight, he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was wearing a pink doctor's frock over her blue kimono, her hair wildly flying around her as she ran towards him.
He smiled as he said her name out loud, 'Megumi...'
I still believe
I still put faith in us
We had it all and watched it slip away
The scene suddenly changed from a beautiful night sky to an extremely hot summer day. They were on a picnic by the river with a few familiar people. She was sitting underneath the bamboo trees with Sanosuke lying with his head on her lap. She was tracing the lines on his face while he attempted to catch her finger with his teeth. She was laughing, a carefree laugh that doesn't seem to be her. But the people around her seemed to be happy about them, and didn't pay much attention to them.
He suddenly caught her hand and planted a kiss in her palm. She smiled as she bent down to place a light kiss on his lips. But he caught her nape as she bent down and he deepened the kiss. They were both panting when they went up for air, their eyes sparkling, their cheeks red.
'I love you' she whispered
'I love you too' he answered gently lowering her head for another kiss
Where are we now
Not where we want to be
Those hot afternoons
Still follow me
She was smiling as he watched her ran across the hilltop. He met her halfway as he lifted her up towards the clear summer night sky. Her cinnamon eyes sparkling as she lifted her hands to touch his face. He captured her lips with his as he kissed her again and again and again....
He let her go after a few delicious minutes as he sank down towards the grass. She sat down beside him as he folded her in his arms. He was contented now, with the love of his life with him. Nothing matters now, not even the cruel world below that hilltop, not even the dangerous people looking for him, not even his enemies who all wanted him dead.
He was happy for the first time in a long time, that's why it seemed all the more cruel when it was all taken away from his grasp.
Some day out of the blue
Maybe years from now
Or tomorrow night
She heard him caught his breath and the sob against her hair. She lifted her eyes to look at him at just the time he was opening his eyes, she was startled when she saw tears in his beautiful brown eyes.
'What's wrong?' she asked softly. She herself half-knows the answer to her own question.
His arms tightened around her, as the tears continue to fall down his cheeks.
'Don't worry' she whispered in his ear. 'I am here now, and I am not going anywhere, I won't leave you ever again' she promised, things were clearer now, she knew who this person is in her life, then, now and forever.
He lifted his eyes to stare at her cinnamon ones, and his lips formed into a beautiful smile. 'I know' he whispered as he lowered his head to catch her lips with his.
She melted against her kiss, fascinated by how much his kiss felt so familiar and expected, but still new and exciting at the same time.
But all her other thoughts flew away as he deepened his kiss.
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if we always knew
Some day we would live again, some day soon
It really is a night of a thousand stars, a night when all his dreams and even those dreams that he didn't know he have came true.
He smiled against her kiss as he realized that, and he was finally happy.
Again.
*27november2003*
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