A/N: I can write a ten page essay on why this fic is half a year late..lol. But I'm just gonna give the top 3 reasons: I was very very busy, writer's block and lastly I wasn't sure how I wanted my story to end. Anyway, I'll try to keep the fic on track and hopefully when this is finished, you'll understand the summary. I've also decided to cut down on the drama ;p
Anyway here it is, the much delayed chapter 3.
...::Chapter 3::..
Megumi hugged herself as a cold breeze blew past her. Still shivering a little, she tucked a few stray strands behind her ear and straightened her kimono. Summer had passed, though it was anything but fleeting. Weeks dragged on before the first leaves changed colors and dropped to the now moist earth.
She can't really say w/c season she detested more, it was a tough choice between scorching heat and freezing cold. But she decide she disliked summer more, perhaps because there was something worse than autumn. And despite the cold atmosphere, this season had a sort of warmth to it. There was something very inviting about the yellow, brown and orange hues.
She smiled to herself as she saw some kids play with the piles of leaves on the ground. Well, at least until the man who was raking the leaves chased them away. This had made her laugh softly.
She continued her walk towards the Kamiya dojo. Yahiko had caught a cold and she was asked to bring him some medicine. Kaoru also invited her to discuss their plans for the upcoming festival. There were so many festivals in Japan and even just in their district, the celebrations almost seemed monotonous to her. Kaoru on the other hand celebrates each one with an equal amount of enthusiasm.
She sighed, personally she wouldn't bother to come to such occasions but she wouldn't want to dampen the others' high spirits especially Kaoru's.
As she entered the dojo, Kenshin came to greet her.
"Good morning Ken-san" Megumi gave him a polite bow.
"Good morning, Megumi-dono", Kenshin smiled as he accompanied the lady doctor inside.
"I'm here to take a look at Yahiko." she said to him.
"Ah yes, I'll accompany you to his room, Kaoru-dono is there as well." he said, still wearing his smile.
"I see, domo." she gave him a soft smile.
***
"Kaoru-dono, Megumi-dono is here." Kenshin called out as he opened the shoji.
"Finally, I'm getting sick of seeing busu's face all day." Yahiko said in a mocking tone of disgust, his voice a little raspy.
That hit a nerve.
"Why you ungrateful little.." Kaoru was already looking for something to hit Yahiko with. Lucky for him Kenshin was there.
"Maa, maa Kaoru-dono, you know he's sick." Kenshin said trying to calm Kaoru down.
Yahiko stuck his tongue out to her, making Kaoru angrier.
Megumi just stood there amused by their antics and secretly wanting something like that. Not the chaos of course, but the sense of real belongingness and closeness that seemed to be emitted whenever they were together. Not wanting to contemplate further on something that would only put her loneliness in the spotlight again, she cleared her throat.
"Ano, gomen na Megumi-san." Kaoru said finally realizing how childish she must have acted.
"Busu.." Yahiko whispered, snickering.
"I'll pretend I didn't here that." Kaoru said, throwing daggers in Yahiko's direction.
***
It was pretty quiet after that, Megumi got through examining Yahiko, concluding he had nothing more than a cold and a little cough, and prescribing him medicine, without much of an argument between the two.
"Some rest will do him good." and with that she finished her list of doctor's orders she was giving Kaoru and Kenshin.
"Hai, Megumi-dono. Arigato." Kenshin said bowing.
"It's nothing Ken-san." she said returning his bow.
***
Passing by Kaoru's room, hearing the women's laughter and a bit of their conversation, Kenshin wondered if all women were born vain. Besides, it had been hours since Kaoru invited Megumi to her room to help her pick the "right' kimono.
"What's the point?" he said to himself.
Sessha will like whatever she picks..
Realizing what he just said, he flashed a bright red and scurried away, praying that no one heard him.
***
"Oh my, it's almost dinner time." Kaoru blurted out as she saw the sky now filled with shades of orange, yellow and pink.
Megumi gave a soft laugh, they were through picking kimonos and were just talking about Kenshin when Kaoru changed the subject to supper.
She had stopped flirting with the rurouni a long time ago, and respected what they so obviously felt for the each other. She knows how they feel, he knows that she knows and she knows that she knows but she still can't get either of them to open up or just talk about it.
Well, she can't blame them. It's something that is not easy and that she knows very well.
"I should help Kenshin prepare, by the way you should stay for dinner." Kaoru said hurriedly standing up.
"Then, it's only polite for me to help." Megumi said also getting to her feet.
"NO!" the younger woman exclaimed.
"I mean you shouldn't tire yourself further, I know how it is in the clinic." Kaoru continued as she accompanied (more of dragged) the doctor to the other room.
"Well, thank you then." Megumi said after sitting in her usual place in the table.
"Ah, don't mention it." And with that the tanuki was gone.
***
"She was really trying to avoid it this time." Megumi said to herself.
"Talking to yourself again fox?"
Megumi glared at the man who now sat across from her.
"What are you doing here rooster? Oh, how can I forget, your free loading self is always here when there's a free meal."
"I didn't see you pay and you're here for dinner as well." Sano retorted.
"At least I'm not here everyday!"
"Che." He said, giving up. He can never win over his fox.
His fox?!
What on earth is he thinking? He slapped his hand on his forehead and gave himself a mental kick.
"Hurting yourself again tori-atama?" she said raising an eyebrow.
He just grimaced.
Megumi laughed, savoring yet another victory over the rooster.
"Che." Sano just cursed again.
***
During dinner, the topic circled mostly on the festival, but only because Kaoru kept talking about it.
"So Sano, are you going?" Kaoru asked.
Sano replied while stuffing his mouth.
"What?"
"I said, I'm not sure."
"Not sure?!? You promised me last time that you'd come."
"I did?" Sano said, playing with Kaoru.
"Sano no baka! If you don't come, I swear you'll never eat at this dojo again." Kaoru replied angrily.
"Not eating your cooking isn't much of a loss..." he was going to annoy her some more but he was cut of by a rice bowl that landed square in his face.
"Fine! Fine! No need to be violent Jou-chan." Sano said, raising his hands in surrender.
"That's better! Oh yeah, you should pick up Megumi-san on the way. We'll just meet at the festival." Kaoru said.
Sano nearly spit out his ohagi.
"WHAT?? Why should I do that?"
"You know the clinic closes late and it's not safe for her to walk around the city alone at night." Kenshin said matter-of-factly.
"Hmph."
Tonight was like a typical gambling night for Sano: he had no luck; be it with a dice or be it with arguments.
He just let out a heavy sigh.
***
more A/N: okay the festival is up next ^_^v If I'm lucky, that will be the last chapter. I might put in a little KxK just for fun.
Oh yeah, guys check out my new SxM site. The address is in my profile. Thankies :)
Anyway here it is, the much delayed chapter 3.
Megumi hugged herself as a cold breeze blew past her. Still shivering a little, she tucked a few stray strands behind her ear and straightened her kimono. Summer had passed, though it was anything but fleeting. Weeks dragged on before the first leaves changed colors and dropped to the now moist earth.
She can't really say w/c season she detested more, it was a tough choice between scorching heat and freezing cold. But she decide she disliked summer more, perhaps because there was something worse than autumn. And despite the cold atmosphere, this season had a sort of warmth to it. There was something very inviting about the yellow, brown and orange hues.
She smiled to herself as she saw some kids play with the piles of leaves on the ground. Well, at least until the man who was raking the leaves chased them away. This had made her laugh softly.
She continued her walk towards the Kamiya dojo. Yahiko had caught a cold and she was asked to bring him some medicine. Kaoru also invited her to discuss their plans for the upcoming festival. There were so many festivals in Japan and even just in their district, the celebrations almost seemed monotonous to her. Kaoru on the other hand celebrates each one with an equal amount of enthusiasm.
She sighed, personally she wouldn't bother to come to such occasions but she wouldn't want to dampen the others' high spirits especially Kaoru's.
As she entered the dojo, Kenshin came to greet her.
"Good morning Ken-san" Megumi gave him a polite bow.
"Good morning, Megumi-dono", Kenshin smiled as he accompanied the lady doctor inside.
"I'm here to take a look at Yahiko." she said to him.
"Ah yes, I'll accompany you to his room, Kaoru-dono is there as well." he said, still wearing his smile.
"I see, domo." she gave him a soft smile.
***
"Kaoru-dono, Megumi-dono is here." Kenshin called out as he opened the shoji.
"Finally, I'm getting sick of seeing busu's face all day." Yahiko said in a mocking tone of disgust, his voice a little raspy.
That hit a nerve.
"Why you ungrateful little.." Kaoru was already looking for something to hit Yahiko with. Lucky for him Kenshin was there.
"Maa, maa Kaoru-dono, you know he's sick." Kenshin said trying to calm Kaoru down.
Yahiko stuck his tongue out to her, making Kaoru angrier.
Megumi just stood there amused by their antics and secretly wanting something like that. Not the chaos of course, but the sense of real belongingness and closeness that seemed to be emitted whenever they were together. Not wanting to contemplate further on something that would only put her loneliness in the spotlight again, she cleared her throat.
"Ano, gomen na Megumi-san." Kaoru said finally realizing how childish she must have acted.
"Busu.." Yahiko whispered, snickering.
"I'll pretend I didn't here that." Kaoru said, throwing daggers in Yahiko's direction.
***
It was pretty quiet after that, Megumi got through examining Yahiko, concluding he had nothing more than a cold and a little cough, and prescribing him medicine, without much of an argument between the two.
"Some rest will do him good." and with that she finished her list of doctor's orders she was giving Kaoru and Kenshin.
"Hai, Megumi-dono. Arigato." Kenshin said bowing.
"It's nothing Ken-san." she said returning his bow.
***
Passing by Kaoru's room, hearing the women's laughter and a bit of their conversation, Kenshin wondered if all women were born vain. Besides, it had been hours since Kaoru invited Megumi to her room to help her pick the "right' kimono.
"What's the point?" he said to himself.
Sessha will like whatever she picks..
Realizing what he just said, he flashed a bright red and scurried away, praying that no one heard him.
***
"Oh my, it's almost dinner time." Kaoru blurted out as she saw the sky now filled with shades of orange, yellow and pink.
Megumi gave a soft laugh, they were through picking kimonos and were just talking about Kenshin when Kaoru changed the subject to supper.
She had stopped flirting with the rurouni a long time ago, and respected what they so obviously felt for the each other. She knows how they feel, he knows that she knows and she knows that she knows but she still can't get either of them to open up or just talk about it.
Well, she can't blame them. It's something that is not easy and that she knows very well.
"I should help Kenshin prepare, by the way you should stay for dinner." Kaoru said hurriedly standing up.
"Then, it's only polite for me to help." Megumi said also getting to her feet.
"NO!" the younger woman exclaimed.
"I mean you shouldn't tire yourself further, I know how it is in the clinic." Kaoru continued as she accompanied (more of dragged) the doctor to the other room.
"Well, thank you then." Megumi said after sitting in her usual place in the table.
"Ah, don't mention it." And with that the tanuki was gone.
***
"She was really trying to avoid it this time." Megumi said to herself.
"Talking to yourself again fox?"
Megumi glared at the man who now sat across from her.
"What are you doing here rooster? Oh, how can I forget, your free loading self is always here when there's a free meal."
"I didn't see you pay and you're here for dinner as well." Sano retorted.
"At least I'm not here everyday!"
"Che." He said, giving up. He can never win over his fox.
His fox?!
What on earth is he thinking? He slapped his hand on his forehead and gave himself a mental kick.
"Hurting yourself again tori-atama?" she said raising an eyebrow.
He just grimaced.
Megumi laughed, savoring yet another victory over the rooster.
"Che." Sano just cursed again.
***
During dinner, the topic circled mostly on the festival, but only because Kaoru kept talking about it.
"So Sano, are you going?" Kaoru asked.
Sano replied while stuffing his mouth.
"What?"
"I said, I'm not sure."
"Not sure?!? You promised me last time that you'd come."
"I did?" Sano said, playing with Kaoru.
"Sano no baka! If you don't come, I swear you'll never eat at this dojo again." Kaoru replied angrily.
"Not eating your cooking isn't much of a loss..." he was going to annoy her some more but he was cut of by a rice bowl that landed square in his face.
"Fine! Fine! No need to be violent Jou-chan." Sano said, raising his hands in surrender.
"That's better! Oh yeah, you should pick up Megumi-san on the way. We'll just meet at the festival." Kaoru said.
Sano nearly spit out his ohagi.
"WHAT?? Why should I do that?"
"You know the clinic closes late and it's not safe for her to walk around the city alone at night." Kenshin said matter-of-factly.
"Hmph."
Tonight was like a typical gambling night for Sano: he had no luck; be it with a dice or be it with arguments.
He just let out a heavy sigh.
***
more A/N: okay the festival is up next ^_^v If I'm lucky, that will be the last chapter. I might put in a little KxK just for fun.
Oh yeah, guys check out my new SxM site. The address is in my profile. Thankies :)