Her footsteps slowed as she reached the corner of the next street. It had
been here that Kenshin had found her wandering around on an errand. He had
been so pleased to see her and insistent that she come pay a short call,
that she could not help but agree; there were letters to retrieve and a
certain roosterhead who she hadn't seen in a long time.
She turned slightly, a rueful smile on her lips --- and apparently, that certain roosterhead was still getting into trouble. She had followed Kenshin back to the dojo, exchanging pleasantries about the dojo, Kaoru and Kenji and other assorted things.
Their smiles had faded at the chaotic scene that waited for them. The smell of blood assailed her first, then felt the aura of a fight. These were the relics of yesteryear, the life she thought she had left behind her and with little regret. She had lost it then, her furious scream making the combatants pause as she had intended, but that had reflected her hatred of the very thing which destroyed her life in the first place.
The fight.
She was not a pacifist. She even threatened to kill a man once, but in the end, her way, her code was that of the Takanis. She was a doctor who tried to save life, to prevent meaningless death as her respected Ken-san often preached.
She was right to scream at the two idiots who were fighting in the dojo.
Still, her code as a doctor also meant that she left no patient unattended, no matter the reason -- stupid or otherwise, and certainly with a disregard for her personal feelings.
She stopped and with a sigh, she turned back around and found herself slowly retracing her steps back to the dojo.
As she opened the gate, she saw Sano sidestepping the much shorter and smaller Kenshin. She stifled a laugh. Five years may have matured Sanosuke Sagara's outward appearance, but he was still as stubborn a guy as she remembered. She wandered in and cleared her throat. "I knew I couldn't just leave it to you, Kenshin."
Kenshin looked every bit relieved to see her. "Sano won't let me take a look at him."
"It's nothing a good night's rest won't take care of," Sano groused.
"Hmph." Megumi tossed her head. "Well - he still is standing, which must mean something. Just leave this to me and get some clean cloths, Ken- san."
Kenshin gratefully nodded and quickly disappeared.
"Now," Megumi's eyes gleamed as she pushed Sano to a sitting position on the porch floor. "Looks like Aoshi did a number on you."
"It's just a little blood," he scowled up at her.
Her smile turned into a glare, "Let me do my job and judge that for myself, you big roosterhead."
He studied her a moment, and then flashed her a grin. "Same old fox."
She leaned over to look at the cut on his lip, thinking about how to wipe that grin off his face. "And where did the other idiot wander off to?"
She was rewarded with a roll of the eyes. "He said he 'did not require care' and left."
"Well, at least he wasn't bleeding," she retorted. "Although I wish for once he would not have just run off like that before I could come back so I could figure out what all this fuss is really about." She reached into the bag that she always carried with her, and pulled out a soft cloth. Keeping one eye on the lanky fighter who might run off if he knew what was coming, she selected a bottle of ointment and poured its contents onto the cloth. "So Sano," she said very nicely, "Will you tell me what all this was really about?"
He shrugged. "I was raised to believe that people shouldn't interfere with other people's business."
"All that for a bunch of letters from a silly old man?" She clamped down the cloth on his lip, earning her a baleful glare from Sanosuke.
He snatched the cloth away from her and then after hesitating, more gingerly pressed it to his lip. "His attitude also really stinks."
"Sano!" She frowned, "You know better than to treat him so casually. Even though he's not our enemy now, he's still a dangerous man."
He took the cloth off and leaned back. "I can take care of myself. He may have looked okay to you earlier, but he'll be feeling my punches later."
She sighed as she sat down next to him. "You look older and wiser, but you're really the same old Sano. In these past five years, hasn't anyone else managed to beat any sense into you other than Kenshin?"
"Sense?" he scoffed. "What about you? I can take care of myself, but you give me advice that you don't seem to be following for yourself. "
Megumi's face grew hot and she looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not the one who goes around picking fights with Aoshi."
"Don't be so sly," Sano's tone forced her to look back. She saw that he was irritated. And serious. "That's not what I meant."
"You're being ridiculous!" she huffed. "My relationship with him is purely business."
"Good," he responded, a bit too vehemently to go unnoticed.
Her ears pricked up, and a smile crossed her face. "Jealous, huh?"
"WHAT?!!!" he jumped up to his feet .
She giggled and for his benefit, sighed. "Aoshi is a handsome, well-to-do and well-mannered man. But he is just a _ man_ . Of course if he were to fall madly in love with me, I wouldn't be surprised. At least it'd prove that he isn't the cold fish that everyone thinks him to be."
"It's just that I don't trust him!" Sano sputtered. "You of all people should know that!"
"Oh don't worry," she smiled finally as she turned her attention back to inspecting him. She took his hands and looked at them closely. "I'm not the same person as I was when we first met you know. I don't need rescuing."
His hands tightened around hers.
Startled, she glanced down at their hands, which were now clasped together.
"Megumi-"
"Sano?" Rarely did he ever call her by her name. As she looked into his eyes and saw that he was genuinely worried, she felt confused.
"Here are the clean cloths," Kenshin reappeared suddenly. Megumi looked up, wondering why Ken-san was fidgeting rather nervously. "Oh! I'm sorry!"
"We're done," she stood up rapidly. "Even his hands are fine."
"Ah," Kenshin smiled weakly, "That's good to hear."
"Of course they're fine," Sano stood up awkwardly, dropping her hands. "Sorry to have made ya do all that extra work, Kenshin."
"It was nothing. Really" Kenshin rubbed his head, confused.
"Speaking of work," Megumi bowed and then smiled. "Now that Sano looks okay, I'll be off. I'm late for an appointment. I will be back in four days to see the others. Would you please let Gensai-sama know that as well? I would like to see him."
"Of course, Megumi-dono." Kenshin smiled. "We will be happy to see you then."
"That goes for you too, roosterhead," Megumi smiled up at him. "I want to check on you again."
His downcast eyes met hers for a moment, and then he allowed himself to smile. "Promise not to beat up too many people before then."
She rolled her eyes and walked out, ignoring the laughter of the two men that trailed behind her.
= = = = = = =
A/N: I'm baaaaack. And yes, vacation was great, thanks for asking!
I'm slowly turning up the romance here, but also planting seeds for a sudden twist five or six chapters down the line. This part and the next are really just bookends. This particular one was dedicated for the Sano fans who are being very good about leaving reviews. However, I must warn you that you will not like me for the next part. Heh.
BTW I think people aren't willing to give this fic a chance based solely on the pairing. If you truly like this fic, add this story to your faves and let people click away.
She turned slightly, a rueful smile on her lips --- and apparently, that certain roosterhead was still getting into trouble. She had followed Kenshin back to the dojo, exchanging pleasantries about the dojo, Kaoru and Kenji and other assorted things.
Their smiles had faded at the chaotic scene that waited for them. The smell of blood assailed her first, then felt the aura of a fight. These were the relics of yesteryear, the life she thought she had left behind her and with little regret. She had lost it then, her furious scream making the combatants pause as she had intended, but that had reflected her hatred of the very thing which destroyed her life in the first place.
The fight.
She was not a pacifist. She even threatened to kill a man once, but in the end, her way, her code was that of the Takanis. She was a doctor who tried to save life, to prevent meaningless death as her respected Ken-san often preached.
She was right to scream at the two idiots who were fighting in the dojo.
Still, her code as a doctor also meant that she left no patient unattended, no matter the reason -- stupid or otherwise, and certainly with a disregard for her personal feelings.
She stopped and with a sigh, she turned back around and found herself slowly retracing her steps back to the dojo.
As she opened the gate, she saw Sano sidestepping the much shorter and smaller Kenshin. She stifled a laugh. Five years may have matured Sanosuke Sagara's outward appearance, but he was still as stubborn a guy as she remembered. She wandered in and cleared her throat. "I knew I couldn't just leave it to you, Kenshin."
Kenshin looked every bit relieved to see her. "Sano won't let me take a look at him."
"It's nothing a good night's rest won't take care of," Sano groused.
"Hmph." Megumi tossed her head. "Well - he still is standing, which must mean something. Just leave this to me and get some clean cloths, Ken- san."
Kenshin gratefully nodded and quickly disappeared.
"Now," Megumi's eyes gleamed as she pushed Sano to a sitting position on the porch floor. "Looks like Aoshi did a number on you."
"It's just a little blood," he scowled up at her.
Her smile turned into a glare, "Let me do my job and judge that for myself, you big roosterhead."
He studied her a moment, and then flashed her a grin. "Same old fox."
She leaned over to look at the cut on his lip, thinking about how to wipe that grin off his face. "And where did the other idiot wander off to?"
She was rewarded with a roll of the eyes. "He said he 'did not require care' and left."
"Well, at least he wasn't bleeding," she retorted. "Although I wish for once he would not have just run off like that before I could come back so I could figure out what all this fuss is really about." She reached into the bag that she always carried with her, and pulled out a soft cloth. Keeping one eye on the lanky fighter who might run off if he knew what was coming, she selected a bottle of ointment and poured its contents onto the cloth. "So Sano," she said very nicely, "Will you tell me what all this was really about?"
He shrugged. "I was raised to believe that people shouldn't interfere with other people's business."
"All that for a bunch of letters from a silly old man?" She clamped down the cloth on his lip, earning her a baleful glare from Sanosuke.
He snatched the cloth away from her and then after hesitating, more gingerly pressed it to his lip. "His attitude also really stinks."
"Sano!" She frowned, "You know better than to treat him so casually. Even though he's not our enemy now, he's still a dangerous man."
He took the cloth off and leaned back. "I can take care of myself. He may have looked okay to you earlier, but he'll be feeling my punches later."
She sighed as she sat down next to him. "You look older and wiser, but you're really the same old Sano. In these past five years, hasn't anyone else managed to beat any sense into you other than Kenshin?"
"Sense?" he scoffed. "What about you? I can take care of myself, but you give me advice that you don't seem to be following for yourself. "
Megumi's face grew hot and she looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not the one who goes around picking fights with Aoshi."
"Don't be so sly," Sano's tone forced her to look back. She saw that he was irritated. And serious. "That's not what I meant."
"You're being ridiculous!" she huffed. "My relationship with him is purely business."
"Good," he responded, a bit too vehemently to go unnoticed.
Her ears pricked up, and a smile crossed her face. "Jealous, huh?"
"WHAT?!!!" he jumped up to his feet .
She giggled and for his benefit, sighed. "Aoshi is a handsome, well-to-do and well-mannered man. But he is just a _ man_ . Of course if he were to fall madly in love with me, I wouldn't be surprised. At least it'd prove that he isn't the cold fish that everyone thinks him to be."
"It's just that I don't trust him!" Sano sputtered. "You of all people should know that!"
"Oh don't worry," she smiled finally as she turned her attention back to inspecting him. She took his hands and looked at them closely. "I'm not the same person as I was when we first met you know. I don't need rescuing."
His hands tightened around hers.
Startled, she glanced down at their hands, which were now clasped together.
"Megumi-"
"Sano?" Rarely did he ever call her by her name. As she looked into his eyes and saw that he was genuinely worried, she felt confused.
"Here are the clean cloths," Kenshin reappeared suddenly. Megumi looked up, wondering why Ken-san was fidgeting rather nervously. "Oh! I'm sorry!"
"We're done," she stood up rapidly. "Even his hands are fine."
"Ah," Kenshin smiled weakly, "That's good to hear."
"Of course they're fine," Sano stood up awkwardly, dropping her hands. "Sorry to have made ya do all that extra work, Kenshin."
"It was nothing. Really" Kenshin rubbed his head, confused.
"Speaking of work," Megumi bowed and then smiled. "Now that Sano looks okay, I'll be off. I'm late for an appointment. I will be back in four days to see the others. Would you please let Gensai-sama know that as well? I would like to see him."
"Of course, Megumi-dono." Kenshin smiled. "We will be happy to see you then."
"That goes for you too, roosterhead," Megumi smiled up at him. "I want to check on you again."
His downcast eyes met hers for a moment, and then he allowed himself to smile. "Promise not to beat up too many people before then."
She rolled her eyes and walked out, ignoring the laughter of the two men that trailed behind her.
= = = = = = =
A/N: I'm baaaaack. And yes, vacation was great, thanks for asking!
I'm slowly turning up the romance here, but also planting seeds for a sudden twist five or six chapters down the line. This part and the next are really just bookends. This particular one was dedicated for the Sano fans who are being very good about leaving reviews. However, I must warn you that you will not like me for the next part. Heh.
BTW I think people aren't willing to give this fic a chance based solely on the pairing. If you truly like this fic, add this story to your faves and let people click away.
