Sentiments of gip-k: -Heyo, everybody! ^_^ It's me, gip-k, speaking to ya! I surely hope you've enjoyed previous stories! Welcome to the first episode of the Tales of the Kenshin Gumi Series! This one is called "Sanosuke's Lost Coat" and I hope you enjoy it. ^_~ And please remember that Yahiko's alive in this story. (YAY) I know many of you missed him, and I did, too! So let's all have fun reading about him, and all the other members of the Kenshin Gumi. Misao will be in these stories, as will Aoshi. This series is set… after all the bad guys are gone in Rurouni Kenshin? Oh, DAMN! (screams) I really wish I'd gotten to see more of Rurouni Kenshin. T_T This SO does not help my writing.
Well, enough. Time to write (starts typing)! ^_^
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. T_T Well if I owned it I'd get to watch it everyday. WAAH! (Cries more)
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---Sanosuke's Lost Coat: Chapter 1---
Sanosuke rolled off his futon, moaning groggily and cursing the blinding sun for glaring down on him with its burning rays, scorching his skin and breaking his pattern of sleep. He rolled into a tin can that he'd left on the ground, and cursed that, too. Finally, he dared to open his eyes, prepared for the unbearable white glare that unmercifully attacked his gold-brown eyes. In his blindness, he stretched out his arm, fumbling around with stiff fingers for his white coat, which he'd hung on the end of the chair. He knocked something down from the table, and then… ah-huh! His fingers felt along the chair. He could see a little bit now, and he was trying to stop squinting…
"What?" Sanosuke said groggily. He finally got up from his place on the ground and a pain short through his neck up to his head. He moaned and cursed more. He shook his head to clear it, and then stretched out. By that time, his vision was fully clear, and the ache in his head was gone. His squeezed his knuckles, satisfied at the cracking sound and the little click feeling that assured him that they were all unlocked and ready to rumble. Now what was he looking for? He reached down to grab his jacket from the chair, heading for the store, when he realized that his coat wasn't there.
"What the hell -?" He turned on his heels, and looked down at his chair. "Hey -!" Sanosuke's stared at the chair in disbelief, then just as quickly started rummaging through his already junky apartments to find it. "It has to be here…" He tossed away some old smelly underwear, and some half-eaten dumplings and old paper. "…no thief could have ever made their way in here without me knowing and if they did, I would…" Sanosuke didn't finish, just continued searching. "Hn, that's weird."
After he'd been searching for a good twenty minutes he decided to quit.
"Well," Sanosuke said. He scratched his head. "I guess I must of left it at Kaoru's place. Well, I guess I should go to the Kamiya Dojo." He smiled. "I'm kind of hungry, anyway," he chuckled. "And maybe the little missy will let me borrow some money."
So with that, Sanosuke headed out down from his apartments, and hurried down to the Kamiya Dojo.
* * *
Finally, Sanosuke arrived, just in time to see apprentice, Yahiko Myoujin, and teacher, Kaoru Kamiya, engaged in verbal warfare. They were getting close to the physical stage, as well. An involuntary grin crept unto Sanosuke's face.
"I told you to knock on the door before you came bursting in, you little pervert!" Kaoru said, darkly beautiful eyes flashing down at Yahiko like hot coals. "That's what an real gentleman would do!"
"Well if you didn't make a habit of taking so long to get dressed all the time, you'd already be done by the time I got in!" Yahiko shot back, glaring up at Kaoru with pure indignation in his reddish brown eyes. "And did you say gentleman? I'm no gentleman, you stupid hag! I'm a fighter!"
"No, you're an insubordinate little punk and I swear that if you keep on as you are you'll never become a true swordsman!" Sanosuke could swear that he saw steam coming out of Kaoru's ears. "They have honor!"
"What's that got to do with anything?" Yahiko demanded irritably.
Kaoru was just about to descend on Yahiko like dark storm cloud when Sanosuke interrupted by loudly clearing his throat.
"Ah-hem?" he said.
The two turned their heads to him in anger and astonishment, then cooled down a little bit.
"Sanosuke what are you -?" Kaoru began, barely concealing her obvious distaste for his sudden and sharp interruption of the argument ensuing between she and her student.
"Hey, that's no way to welcome your friends, little missy," Sanosuke replied with a small smirk.
Kaoru let out a loud "humph!" and then folded her arms in front of her chests, looking at him crossly.
"All right, then, what do you want?" she asked a bit snappishly, still struggling to get her ugly mood under control.
"He probably just wants to get something to eat," Yahiko said. "Lazy fool…" He began to walk away, shinai slung across his back.
"Hey, who the **** are you calling a lazy fool?" Sanosuke demanded.
"You," Yahiko said, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Sano. "And I'm also calling you an idiot. Happy now?" Yahiko added a touch of irony to his voice, and looked darkly at Sanosuke for emphasis. He turned back around and stiffly began walking off. "I'm off to go practice."
Sanosuke glared at the little punk's back, and to his faint surprise, so did Kaoru.
"Stupid little ill-mannered brat," she muttered under her breath. Then her gaze turned back to Sanosuke.
"So, what are you doing here anyway?" Kaoru asked, finally starting to sound conversational. "I wasn't expecting you, I admit. It's kind of early and of course…" her voice trailed off as though she was thinking, and then her eyes narrowed. "You didn't really come here because of that reason Yahiko gave, did you?"
At that very moment, Sanosuke's stomach decided to let out a loud growl. Sanosuke grimaced with the sudden remembrance that he hadn't had anything to eat, but instead, placed his clenched fists inside the pockets of his trousers.
"Well, not exactly," he replied. He found an old fishbone hanging out in his pocket, and decided to stick it in his mouth, turning it over around in his teeth. One of Kaoru's brows raised quizzically and Sanosuke continued. "I'm actually over here looking for my coat. Seen it around here anywhere?"
"I…" Kaoru began, putting a finger to her lips in thought. "…Don't think so," she said finally. She looked at Sanosuke intently. "Are you certain you didn't leave it in your… apartments? I'm willing to bet anything they're quite a hell of a mess, if I know you at all." She said that a bit bitingly, as if boasting about her own neatness and cleanliness.
"Do you actually think -?" Sanosuke snapped his mouth shut. His stomach suddenly growled again. "Well, I am kind of hungry, I guess, since you mentioned it and all." He grinned at Kaoru.
Kaoru's face brightened a bit at that, and her eyes gleamed.
"I never thought I'd see the day you actually asked me before eating me out of house and home," Kaoru said that a bit dryly. "But sure, I guess you can eat your fill. Just let me go wash up and get out of this gi and hakama, and I'll be right with you, all right?"
"Right," Sanosuke said. Kaoru began to walk away, when suddenly Sanosuke remembered something, and called back after her. She turned to face him again.
"Oh, and where's Kenshin, anyway?" Sanosuke asked. His eyes scanned the dojo for any sign of the former Hitokiri.
"He's out back washing some clothes," Kaoru replied. Then suddenly, her face brightened as though she was hit with some sudden new realization. "Hey! That might be it- maybe your coat got mixed up with some of my laundry. Maybe Kenshin came across it."
"Yeah, probably," Sanosuke replied, finally starting to feel a little happier. "I'll go and find him. You hurry and get your bath so I can eat."
Kaoru did not look too pleased at being bossed around, but she just nodded at Sanosuke and hurried off to get cleaned up. Sanosuke, however, went out back to find Kenshin.
He walked past Yahiko's training yard, where the boy was slashing and swishing his sword through the air, letting out an emphatic "ha!" every time he brought it down. Yahiko was concentrating very hard on his practicing, but he did stop for a moment to glance at Sanosuke. Or rather, glared at him. Sanosuke's amusement was aroused, and he decided to stop for a moment to take a few free hits at the hotheaded youth. Yahiko noticed his teasing smirk, and looked at him spitefully.
"Don't come close, rooster head," Yahiko said warningly. He began his practicing anew. "Or I swear I'm gonna hit you."
"What did I do?"
Yahiko flipped around, glaring at him, snarling.
"You ate all the fish last time you came!"
Sanosuke bursts out into purposely mocking laughter.
"Oh come on-" he said teasingly. "You're not still mad at me about that, are ya, kid?"
"How many times do I have to tell people I'm not a kid!" Yahiko said, his anger flaring. "And leave me alone! You ate all the fish last time, and me and Kenshin caught all that fish, when you didn't work at all!"
"So?" Sanosuke asked. The brat was beginning to irritate him. "I don't think you work all that much when I see you stuffing your mouth at Kaoru's table."
"Yes I do!" Yahiko retorted. He brought down his sword, but the slash was unsteady. Sanosuke took as a new opportunity to strike.
"Your slash was unsteady," he said.
"First you sound like a bloody idiot, now you sound like that hag!" Yahiko said angrily. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"
"You are alone," Sanosuke said shortly. "I don't see anyone else in the training field with you."
Yahiko let out an indignant cry and threw his shinai at Sanosuke, who dodged it easily.
"Missed me," Sanosuke said with a small smirk. Then he decided to add something else at the last minute. "Brat."
Yahiko's nerves refused to take anymore of it. He shouted a raging torrent of curses at Sanosuke, who pretended to ignore him, whistling quite conspicuously. Finally, Kaoru yelled out from the shower that she was going to wash Yahiko's mouth with soap if he did not shut the hell up and start training. Yahiko looked sullen, but stalked over to the place where he'd thrown his shinai- right past where Sano was standing- then retrieved it, remembering to give Sanosuke a good slash across the shoulders with it before continuing his training.
"Yeesh," Sanosuke said, grimacing. "Some people have problems."
Then he suddenly realized he was wasting a good deal of time tormenting the boy, and not getting any closer to seeing Kenshin. So he finally started to head out into the direction where Kenshin was.
Kenshin did happen to be exactly "out back" in what Sanosuke called his "environment". A close line was hung between two lovely Sakura trees, and several articles of clothing were already hanging out on it to dry. It would take a while with so little breeze blowing, but the sun would be sufficient to sap the moisture from them and fill them with dry warmth. Then on the far left, was the samurai man himself, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of a large wooden bucket, the sleeves of his badly beaten and worn magenta hakama rolled up to the elbows, arms fully immersed in the warm, sudsy water. The bangs of his cherry-auburn spilling down his head, partially hiding his violet eyes, as well as the X-shaped scar on his left cheek. But a small, content, and mostly peaceful smile- a slight twist of his mouth in an upward direction- could clearly be seen. Sanosuke was a bit disgusted… how could this man, former Hitokiri Battousai, be enjoying washing clothes? How stupid was that?
Sanosuke did not even have to speak to know that Kenshin knew he was there- he was just pretending not to see… loving his laundry washing.
"Favorite past-time of the former Hitokiri Battousai," Sanosuke said dryly. "Washing clothing and doing housework."
Kenshin's head slowly rose from his work at that, and the bangs gave way, displaying perfect violet eyes and a warm smile.
"Hello, Sano," Kenshin said in greeting.
"Hey, Kenshin," Sanosuke said, returning the smile. "What's up? Wait no- I know. Kaoru's got you washing a bunch of clothes again… I really feel sorry for you sometimes, Kenshin. And you scare me." Sanosuke said the last part very seriously.
Kenshin chuckled softly.
"I wouldn't want to do that, that I would not," Kenshin said, again starting to scrub one of the articles of clothing in the bucket. "It is surprising to hear you admit to fear, though, I say."
"Any more surprising than seeing you washing clothes?" Sanosuke said grimly.
"It's not that bad, that it isn't, Sano," Kenshin said. He had just finished washing the clothing he'd been scrubbing, and was now ringing it out gently. He abruptly stood, and walked over to hand the clothing on the clothesline. "I am just helping Miss Kaoru around the house, I say. She is very busy, that she is."
"She didn't look all that busy to me," Sanosuke replied.
Kenshin smiled, and Sanosuke knew he could read pure affection in his eyes… just for a moment, but still, obvious.
"I'm sure you didn't just come here to speak to me about my washing clothes, did you?" Kenshin asked.
"You're right," Sanosuke said, putting his clothes in his pockets. "I actually came here to get a good meal, and look for my coat. Seen it?"
Kenshin's eyes showed surprise for a minute, but in the same instant it was gone.
"I fear I haven't, I say," Kenshin said. "Erhm, uh, did you look in your quarters?"
Sanosuke got irritated.
"Does everyone in this place think I'm that much of an idiot?" Sanosuke snapped. "Of course I did!"
"Oro!" Kenshin cried at Sanosuke's sudden outburst. "My pardons, Sano, I meant not to offend, that I did not."
Suddenly, Kaoru was calling them all for lunch. Kenshin and Sanosuke looked at each other. Sanosuke's stomach growled again.
"Hungry, Sano?" Kenshin asked.
"Definitely," Sanosuke replied. "The little missy's cooking really sucks, but I guess it's better than an empty stomach." He grimaced at that.
"Well, actually, it's not Miss Kaoru's cooking for lunch today," Kenshin said. "It is mine- leftovers from a day before, I say."
Sanosuke let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.
"Good," Sanosuke said. "I won't have to force anything down this time." Kenshin looked abashed. Sanosuke continued. "Well, you'd better hurry up with those clothes, then, or there might not be any lunch left."
Kenshin smiled wanly.
"My pardons, but is there ever?" he asked.
Sanosuke slapped Kenshin on the back, laughing heartily, and hurried to the kitchen. He'd eat, then he'd find his coat. Then it would be a great day, just like any other.
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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Yee-haw! The first chapter is done. ^_^ I enjoyed writing it. Sorry I took so long with this story, everyone! I've been working on another one lately, an original fiction that I'm putting on gip-k's World, my web site! Please visit it, when you get a chance, by the way. ^_^
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