Part 1: Meeting
Day 1: Thursday (continued)
Sanosuke had put Aoshi and Misao in one room, Megumi in another. His home was a spacious two-story, the kitchen, dining made of hardwood floor. One downstairs guest room, where Megumi stayed, had cream carpeting and a futon with beige and brown sheets. The upstairs guest room where Aoshi and Misao stayed, had a twin bed with beige and yellow bedcovers, and a small fold out bed stored in the closet. Another guest room contained a double bed, and that would be where Kenshin and Kaoru would stay. The entire upstairs floor was lined with cream carpet, as well as the family room downstairs.
"Towels are already in your rooms," Sanosuke announced as he placed a pot on the stove.
It took Megumi a couple minutes to settle in. Misao was taking a nap to catch up on some sleep while Aoshi took a shower. While Sanosuke was heating up lunch, Megumi wandered into the kitchen and decided to help set the table.
"Thanks again, Sano," Megumi spoke up as she opened cabinets to look for plates and bowls.
"I told you, it's no problem," he responded easily. "Bowls are in there…" he pointed to a cabinet above her head.
"Oh…thanks." Megumi glanced at the pot. "What's in there?"
"Chicken soup I made from scratch," Sanosuke answered, stirring the contents slightly.
Megumi's eyes widened. "You can cook now?"
He grinned at her. "Surprised?"
She grinned back. "Absolutely. I remember when you couldn't even make your own grilled cheese sandwich…"
"I wasn't that bad," he admonished.
Megumi crossed her arms and leaned against the sink against the kitchen counter, staring at him over the spanse of several feet. "Please. You'd panic using a microwave."
"No, I didn't," he denied.
"Yes, you did." Megumi laughed as she opened a drawer to retrieve utensils. "I remember when you first cooked…" she retrieved several spoons, "…you tried to make an authentic Hawaiian meal…" She grinned mischievously. "You destroyed the entire meal and had to order one for delivery…"
"You didn't believe it was delivery food until three days after when you found their business card in my wallet," Sano replied, shaking his head. "I can't believe how easily fooled you were."
Lunch proved to be a very quiet affair. Which was interesting, since, in Megumi's opinion, nothing was ever quiet with Sano around. After lunch, Megumi had gone to take a nap, Aoshi watched television and Sanosuke surfed the internet. Kenshin and Kaoru were due to arrive near dinnertime, just around the time Kat would be getting off work. Sano and Kat had agreed that they would fix dinner at the house for Sano's out of town guests. And it would be the perfect opportunity to meet.
Since Sagara left to pick up Himura and his wife, the house was left in Aoshi, Megumi, and Misao's care. Misao was on the computer this time, dropping not so subtle hints about how Sanosuke's computer seemed far much more advanced than hers.
The sound of a garage door opening caught Aoshi's attention, and after several moments he headed in that direction to see a silver SUV parked inside, the backseat door open and a female figure bent over to retrieve what appeared to be grocery bags.
"Do you need help?" he asked when he came to stand next to her.
She let out a startled shriek and banged her skull against the door frame. Aoshi winced and gently pulled her away from the vehicle.
"Are you all right?" he asked as she rubbed her head.
Her dark eyes settled on him, widening slightly. She was a pretty woman, with wavy dark hair and a small stature. She probably didn't stand over five-foot-three in her blue scrubs, white sneakers, and thick fleece jacket.
She nodded, continuing to rub the slowly forming bump on her head. "Yeah…You…must be Aoshi." She held out her other hand, which he accepted. "I'm Kat."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," she responded, grinning. "Megumi described you perfectly in terms of looks…"
He arched a brow. "Really?"
She hefted up one bag and he reached over to help her.
"Yes."
"Should I even ask what she said?" Aoshi murmured as they entered the house.
"Probably not, if you get embarrassed easily."
He decided not to ask. Once in the kitchen, Aoshi helped Kat put groceries away.
"Hey, Aoshi…" Misao's voice came up and she paused at the sight of the other woman, Megumi following behind her. "Oh. Hey…"
Kat smiled warmly at them. "Hi…you must be Misao."
Misao grinned. "Yup."
They shook hands. Sano's fiancée then went up to Megumi, giving her a hug, much to Megumi's surprise. "Megumi, it's so nice to finally meet you…"
"I know…after all our talks on the phone…" Megumi returned the woman's hug, smiling at their host's fiancée.
Kat took a step back to examine Megumi, who had changed into a white cotton dress with long bell sleeves and a wide, off-the-shoulder neckline. "You look great…" Then she shot Aoshi a glance and said with a smile, "Your taste in men is certainly different. He's gorgeous, Megumi, just like you said."
Aoshi's eyes widened. Misao giggled.
"But he's a lot better in person than I thought he'd be," Kat added.
Megumi smiled conspiratorially and said airily, "Oh, Aoshi has other good points besides his looks."
"I'm sure…"
Aoshi fought the urge to tug the collar of his deep blue long-sleeved shirt. Megumi and Kat missed their calling. They'd make anyone nervous with their scrutiny. A sound entered his ears. Was that the garage again? Aoshi cleared his throat. "Ladies…I believe Sagara is home with the Himuras…"
Kat's eyes widened and she headed to the garage, Misao following her. Megumi took the opportunity and brushed her lips lightly against his.
"We haven't had much time together since the entire West fleet stopped at the harbor," she murmured.
"I know," he agreed quietly.
Thanks to a crisis overseas, Aoshi had had to work long hours over the last three weeks. He had missed her during that time, so he had cherished any interaction with her, whether it be a quick lunch or a ten-minute phone conversation.
The sound of voices quickly reached his ears.
"Later," he promised with a smile, before turning to empty the grocery bags.
Megumi smiled as Kenshin and Kaoru appeared. She greeted her friends with a hug. "Hi, you two. Did you have a nice flight?"
"It was long…and tiring," Kaoru admitted.
"How are you, Aoshi?" Kenshin greeted.
"Good."
"Why don't the men leave and we can help you with dinner?" Megumi suggested. Then shooting Kaoru a grin, she added, "Except for Kaoru…she can cut food or boil water, if you need it."
"Megumi!"
"Sano, can I use your computer again?" Misao piped up.
"Sure thing." He smiled slightly as Misao rushed off. "You girls just want to talk about us behind our backs…"
"No, not at all…" Kat denied.
Sanosuke dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "You're a bad liar, babe." Straightening, he nodded towards the family room. "All right, men, you heard the ladies…"
"So, Megumi…how did you and Aoshi meet?" Kat asked as she began chopping up the meat she'd use for enchiladas. "You never told me that story…"
Kaoru and Megumi were both chopping vegetables for the salad.
"He was investigating the hospital I work at…Apparently someone was selling medication on the streets," Megumi explained. "That was…two and a half years ago, I think. He thought I was a suspect."
"Are you serious?" Kat gasped.
"She and Aoshi did not get along at all," Kaoru added. "From the beginning, he always thought the worst of her and she hated that."
"Must have been tough…" Kat mused.
"It was at first…" Megumi admitted. "But you know what they say about love…the person you fall for pushes your buttons the wrong way and the right way."
"Tell me about it," Kat shook her head. "Sano drove me crazy with all the stunts he pulled when we first met…"
Kaoru and Megumi settled back as Kat tossed the meat in a pan to fry it.
"I'll believe that," Megumi mused. "Sano is…well…we all know how he is…"
"I remember he used to play dice with his friends, and end up missing meals at the chow hall so he'd come over for dinner since the chow hall was closed," Kaoru laughed. "He was such a free-loader. And when I didn't have any food for him…he'd call Megumi-"
"Who had just gotten home from a thirty-six hour shift," the doctor added.
"-to see if she had any food," Kaoru finished.
Kat laughed. "That sounds like him, all right."
Megumi ran her fingers through her hair. "I have to admire you, Kat. You must have all the patience in the world to put up with him. He's-"
"Megumi!" Kaoru admonished.
But the older woman blinked. "What? You remember what he was like, Kaoru. And don't even be nice and say you didn't mind all the times he'd leech food off you and Kenshin…"
Kaoru coughed. "Yes. Well…"
But Kat smiled, her eyes lit with merriment. "It's all right. I'm lucky to have Sano. He keeps things interesting and I never doubt what he feels."
"So Kenshin…is Jo-chan pregnant yet?" Sanosuke asked, shifting the toothpick between his teeth as he examined his cards.
"Oro?"
Aoshi glanced between the two men.
"You heard what I said," Sano continued. "Is she pregnant? You guys have been married for how long and no kids yet? It took you forever to ask her to marry you, now it's going to take you forever to knock her up?"
Aoshi's brows lifted slightly at the other man's blunt manner.
"Sano…" Kenshin smiled sheepishly. "Kaoru and I…will have a family when we're ready…"
Sanosuke nodded, apparently understanding his best friend's reasoning. "That's cool. She's still young, anyway…" He nodded in Aoshi's direction. "Your turn."
Aoshi reached over to retrieve a card before dropping it into his collection. Then he placed another card in the disposed pile. He preferred Hearts over Rummy, mainly because of the strategy involved, but they didn't have enough players for that game.
"So you and fox-lady have been together for how long now?" Sanosuke asked. "Eight months?"
"Ten months," Aoshi corrected easily.
"Has she been giving you a hard time?" Sanosuke asked, smiling slightly.
"She's dynamic, that's for sure," Aoshi admitted. "Especially when we first started…"
Sanosuke chuckled. "Let me guess…she loved flirting with you…but when it was time to be serious, she backed off."
Aoshi's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"
"The woman's a freakin' tease," Sanosuke replied.
"Sano, maybe you shouldn't be talking so familiarly about Megumi…" Kenshin said quickly.
"It's all right, Himura…" Aoshi spoke up. "He knew Megumi for quite some time…"
Sanosuke pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and grinned. "But I get the feeling you didn't really make it easy for her, either." At Aoshi's lack of response, he nodded, "Good for you. It's cool knowing that someone was able to beat her at her own game…"
Kenshin played his turn. "How are you and Katherine doing? Is the wedding stressing you out?"
Sanosuke shrugged. "I just let her handle all of it. She's been planning her wedding since she was old enough to understand what a wedding was…so I'm not gonna step in her way…"
"Weddings are important to women," Kenshin commented before saying quietly, "Shouldn't you participate at least a little?"
"You mean when it comes to the planning and stuff?" Sano asked.
Kenshin nodded.
"Hell, no," Sanosuke declared, playing his turn once Kenshin was done. "We got into fights about those things. I try on a tux, I buy gifts for the groomsmen, the bride, say I do, party at the reception, and that's it. I don't meet with caterers, decide on decorations…you know she and I fought over the color scheme of this wedding?"
Aoshi's eyes rounded slightly. "That seems such a…"
"Small thing to fight over?" Sanosuke supplied. "Yeah. The colors were the first thing we fought over. Then how many guests. Then the food. She wanted things to be perfect, so I told her to take charge. If I join in, we're just going to argue."
Kenshin and Aoshi glanced at each other.
"And she…prefers it this way?" Kenshin asked.
To which Sanosuke nodded.
"She must like being very organized," Aoshi finally said.
"Yeah," Sano agreed.
"And he volunteered at the dojo so we became colleagues for a while," Kaoru said. "We then fell in love and he proposed on New Year's Eve."
"That's so romantic," Kat stated. "Sano proposed at Disneyworld."
Misao stepped into the kitchen. "Hi, all."
"Hi, Misao," Kaoru greeted. "We're just trading stories on how we got engaged."
"Or exclusive, depending on who's talking," Megumi added.
"I didn't realize that you and Aoshi will almost be together for a year now," Kat said to the lady doctor. "Must be nice."
Misao grinned at Megumi. "What are you going to get him for your anniversary?"
"Well…" Megumi said slyly. "I have been saving up for a vacation somewhere special…"
"I wish I could do that with Sano," Kat smiled. "But who knows when he's going to be on ship…even planning this wedding has been hard on us thanks to the timing."
"I'm just glad Kenshin retired. He served eight years and was finished," Kaoru declared.
"I'm glad Aoshi's on shore," Megumi mused. "I normally don't go out with naval officers, but…there's something about a man in officer dress white uniform…"
"I dated an officer for a month," Kat whispered. "So I know. But military men in general. They certainly are in good shape!"
"Absolutely…" Megumi agreed.
"Megs, stop," Misao covered her ears. "You're talking about Aoshi, here. I've known him since I was a baby. As cut as we all know he is…this is Aoshi."
Megumi laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I'm sorry…"
"How's your reading going?" Aoshi asked Misao casually at dinner.
The teenager groaned. "I hate reading Charles Dickens for school!"
"Ooh. High school reading," Kat smiled.
"I recall reading Shakespeare in high school," Kenshin supplied.
"Books in elementary were so much more fun!" Misao declared. "Like Willy Wonka!"
"I personally liked the Dr. Seuss books," Kaoru grinned.
"I liked that mouse detective story when I was a child," Megumi commented.
"Basil of Baker Street," Sanosuke supplied.
"Like that Disney movie?" Misao asked.
Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, that Great Mouse Detective movie…"
"I remember the book had several sequels," Kenshin added.
"Misao has a test next week," Aoshi informed. He shot her a look, which earned him a small wave from the teenager. "And she's nowhere near finishing when she had a month to read…"
"Just read the Cliff Notes," Sanosuke smirked. "They help."
Megumi shot him a look before smiling to Misao. "It's probably best to read it once through then look at the Cliff Notes."
"Hey, I got along fine without reading," Sano cut in. "You only read if you want to have a four point ten gpa…"
"Can we not talk about school?" Misao begged.
"All right…" Kat said sympathetically. "I hear you like to study hula."
Misao nodded enthusiastically. "Yuki-sensei is a great teacher. She's been teaching hula for well over thirty years and she's been in a lot of performances."
"Megumi's aunt is her instructor." Sanosuke leaned towards his fiancée.
"Oh." Kat nodded. "How often do you perform?"
"Every couple months." Misao tapped Megumi's arm. "Oh, yeah…Megs…I'm going to need some help with this one part she's been trying to teach us…"
"You're still struggling with that?" Megumi asked.
Misao nodded. "Oh yeah. It's some weird hip movement then I have to spin and it's too fast for me to do…"
"You know hula as well, Megumi?" Kat asked.
To which the lady doctor smiled and said, "I help my aunt with her classes every Friday night…and I've learned a bit here and there…so it seems as if I know the dances as well as the students do."
After digesting dinner, Megumi and Misao had asked Sano and Kat's permission to use his stereo system so they could practice the steps. Everyone wanted to watch, but Misao was far too embarrassed to have an audience while practicing. So everyone had agreed to leave the two women alone.
But they couldn't help be curious as Hawaiian music filled the living room.
First Misao did the routine, only to stumble at the area she was apparently having trouble with. Then Megumi proceeded to demonstrate the part of the dance the teen was struggling in. As Kenshin, Kaoru, Aoshi, Sano, and Kat covertly watched from behind a doorway.
"Here…why don't you do the whole dance?" Misao suggested. "So I can see it as a whole. That might help."
"All right…" Megumi hit the button to replay the song.
Megumi's hands flowed with the music, her hips swaying with ease to the lyrics and song. When the section Misao was having trouble with came, Misao raised her hands and mimicked the movement.
"I've got to learn how to dance," Kaoru commented. "Hula looks so pretty."
"It takes years to be that graceful," Sano added.
"What are you trying to say, Sanosuke?" Kaoru demanded.
"Sano…Kaoru…calm down…" Kenshin said softly.
"I am calm!" Kaoru insisted.
Sanosuke studied Megumi's hands before half-turning to Kaoru. "And it helps to have an aunt who teaches that sort of thing."
"So you're saying there's no hope for me?" Kaoru put her hands on her hips.
"I didn't say that," Sano denied.
Kat looked at Sanosuke for a few moments, before looking at the two women performing the dance. She immediately felt another's eyes on her. Looking up, she saw Aoshi observing her carefully. She smiled at him and looked at the dancers again.
It was midnight when Megumi had given up on her reading. Kat had left long ago to her parents' home. Misao, Sanosuke, Kenshin and Kaoru were asleep. The last time she saw Aoshi he was doing a little reading himself. Megumi threw the covers back from her futon and turned off the light before climbing in.
Thanks to the heater, the house was fairly warm, so she had worn a white cotton long-sleeved sleepshirt, the hem falling mid-thigh. Not her usual idea of sleepwear, but the weather in Virginia was different than in Hawaii.
It felt unusual to be away from home. Sanosuke and Katherine's house was very spacious…she could hear all kinds of interesting sounds.
A soft knock on her door caused her to sit up in surprise. She climbed out and opened the door, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her visitor.
"Aoshi."
The first thing she noticed as he slipped inside her darkened room was that he hadn't changed out of his casual wear just yet.
"Aoshi, it's late. Shouldn't you be-?"
Pulling her into his arms, he silenced her with a kiss. Prickles of awareness seeped throughout her body, causing her fingertips to tremble as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders. He stood with his back braced against the door, holding her in the circle of his arms.
Eyes closed, she released a sigh of pleasure when his lips moved to brush against her jawline. "This is insane…It feels so…so…"
"Inappropriate?" he supplied, his hand opening at the small of her back while his lips grazed the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met.
"Very much so…" Megumi responded with a sly smile.
All thought processes stopped when he claimed her lips again.
Sometime past two-thirty a.m., Megumi was in Sano's kitchen, heating up a kettle of water. Aoshi had left her room an hour ago, wanting to squeeze in as much quality time as possible before morning. She caught her reflection in the microwave door.
Her sleepshirt was wrinkled in several odd places, but other than that, she just looked like an insomniac.
Damn that man and his infinite amount of patience. Megumi sometimes wondered if her significant other ever lost control. Or ever dropped his sense of formality and propriety. Seducing her under a stranger's roof was obviously not a problem for him, but carrying it out through the end was. She sighed. I suppose patience and self-control can have their good points…She grinned mischievously. Aoshi was very fond of anticipation and waiting. If most men followed his example, women wouldn't have to read trashy magazines or help books to spice up their love lives.
Pushing the footstool over to one side, Megumi easily stepped on it to retrieve a packet of hot chocolate perched on a high shelf.
"Hey."
She gasped at the sudden sound, immediately losing her footing and dropping the item in her hands. She could have sworn she would have hit the floor if it wasn't for a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and a hard chest braced against her back. It felt familiar…yet…foreign. Megumi didn't have to look over her shoulder to confirm that it was Sanosuke who had caught her.
"Are you all right?" Sano asked as he set her down.
Megumi tugged her hem further down her thighs before whirling around to face him. "Sano, what are you doing awake?" she demanded.
"I could ask you the same." His eyes appeared startled, and as if moving on their own, the gaze lowered.
He bent to retrieve the packet she had dropped on the floor while Megumi held very still.
"Here." He rose to his feet, holding the packet out to her.
"Thanks," she murmured. Megumi hugged herself for a few moments. "So…why are you up?"
He turned to retrieve two mugs from the cupboard. He had worn a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants as sleepwear. "Couldn't sleep. You?"
"Same."
"You can keep me company, then, if you don't mind."
She cleared her throat. "Maybe…I should put some pants on…first…"
Sano's brown eyes flicked to her face. "I've seen you in a lot less."
Megumi cleared her throat, tossing her head back. "That was a long time ago…"
"It doesn't bother me," he added with a cocky grin before pouring the hot water into each container.
Her eyes widened. "Sanosuke, you are going to be married in a few days."
"I know that," he replied, still smiling. "A guy'd have to be unconscious to not notice you got great legs. Taken or not."
Her mouth dropped. "Sanosuke! I can't believe-"
"Since when were you so uptight?" Sanosuke asked curiously. "I gave you a compliment and you're acting like I committed a sin."
"Sorry…It's just…Things are different now," Megumi explained, shrugging.
"You've never had a problem receiving men's compliments...if you were taken or not. So why now?"
Megumi shook her head. "Sorry. You're right. Thanks…I…I think…" She moved over to dump her chocolate powder in the mug he set aside for her. "So how come you couldn't sleep?"
Sanosuke's eyes took on a serious tone and he glanced away. "I don't really know…"
She studied him as she stirred the liquid with a small teaspoon.
"I guess I'm nervous," he admitted softly after a few moments.
"That's only natural…" Megumi concluded.
He settled on the kitchen stool. "When I asked her to marry me, I was sure I was doing what I wanted…but lately…I just…"
"I'm sure you two are just under a lot of pressure," Megumi assured him.
"I guess…" He ran a hand through his spiky brown hair before staring glumly into his cup.
"Aren't you…happy with her?" Megumi asked hesitantly.
"Yeah…" Then he shook his head. "I've just been…I don't know…acting crazy…I don't know what's going on…"
"Sano." When she called his name, he looked up at her with uncertainty. Marriage was a big step for him. If there was ever someone who could be called a player, as the slang term went, it was Sanosuke...long before he had met Kenshin, Kaoru, and herself. But even players knew when it was time to settle down. Megumi said reassuringly, "You'll be fine…"
He nodded, a rueful smile crossing his features. "Thanks."
A tall figure leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the kitchen, obscured from view, his blue-gray eyes taking on a thoughtful expression...
A/N: Forgot to mention Aoshi and Meg have a 'hot scene'. And easy on the Sano bashing you Sano-haters wherever you are, in addition to being an A/Meg fan, I'm also a Sano/Meg fan, provided it's done right. (Not sure if that makes sense…=P) So why is Sano uneasy? Answers in the coming chapters...
And that's it for a while. I'll be going to the land of the Rising Sun the last week and a half of July, so I don't think I'll have any time to write before I go. Hopefully I'll have things written by the time I come back from vacation in two weeks…it's gonna be a long flight. ^_^
NEXT!
1) The guests from Hawaii meet Kat's family
2) Megumi, Misao, Kaoru attend Kat's bridal party
3) Kenshin and Aoshi attend Sano's bachelor party
4) A fight in the snow, and more to come!
Stay tuned!!!
