By Yuki
Chapter 17 - Scheming Tactics
Author's note:
It had been such a miserable month at work. I barely had time to sleep. I apologize for the late update. Mismatched will probably be finished by the end of the year or maybe even before the end of the year, as we only have two more chapters to go and then an epilogue. This would be Sano and Megumi's part. I hope I didn't royally screw this up. Please feel free to leave a review and tell me anything you want. Flames are ok. Death threats too... LOL.
Seriously, I don't like this one much. But eh, I tried my best... or at least I think I tried my best. My brain is too cluttered by work stuff. And they keep changing my schedules! Argh! Damn them!
I think someone mentioned that I am a Draco fan, I'm sorry, I forgot the name, but yes I am a bit of a Draco fan (at least in fanon) Hehehe... I have a couple of HP fics. Anyone who'd like to beta-read for my HP fics, please let me know. I write mostly H/Hr and D/Hr. Just e-mail me if you're interested. I guess that would be enough advertisement for me. So everyone, on with the fic!
Special thanks to Tina for beta-reading this chapter, I'm so glad to have found a new friend in you! (If there are any mistakes in this fic, that's because I'm stubborn or I have missed correcting it… all blame goes to me.)
Chapter 17
Scheming TacticsSANO and MEGUMI
Silence is golden.
Bullshit.
Sano thought that silence, at least the silence that they were all experiencing now wasn't golden in anyway. In fact, it was a ticking time bomb. After his booming declaration of utter confusion, which was understandable enough after seeing Megumi sucking on Kenshin's neck, they had been enveloped in endless silence waiting for someone to make the first move. Sano didn't know if they had all turned immobile because of the indecency of the scene that they had just witnessed or if they had just stepped into another dimension, because totally, the Aoiya seemed like the nesting place for the mentally unbalanced and the supernaturally queer, just take Okina and Aoshi as an example. He glanced at Megumi and wondered inanely what she was thinking about at this moment.
Megumi had always thought that the saying 'moment of eternity' was not only a cliché but a total impossibility as well, especially strictly in the logical, realistic sense, but then here she was guilty sitting beside Kenshin with the rest of the Aoiya looking at her like she was some very interesting piece of furniture and she was experiencing a clear moment of inexplicable eternity.
She was waiting for Kaoru to walk away and for Kenshin to follow her, oro-ing for forgiveness. Megumi wondered if drinking Sake was making her hallucinate, because not only did Kaoru not make a dramatic, sighing-sobbing exit, but instead the Tanuki girl strode inside the room, confidence oozing from her every pore, head held up high with no trace of anger or fear or nervousness or of confusion in her face. Kaoru was calm and every bit as poised as she herself was... well on those occasions that she hadn't drunk a whole jug of sake that is.
Megumi swore that she heard Kenshin mutter a curse. She would have gladly whipped her head just to watch Kenshin utter words from Sano's vocabulary but she was too riveted to Kaoru's sudden newfound womanly confidence.
Megumi's eyebrow raised itself to its highest possible level as Kaoru elegantly reached out her arms towards Kenshin and calmly, clearly spoke up, "I think we should talk, Kenshin."
Megumi actually wanted to stand up and begin applauding. This was how women should act when faced with two-timing bastards! Not that Kenshin was a two timing bastard, at least technically speaking he wasn't. Anyway, as she was saying, women spurned by love should act exactly as Kaoru had; filled with unparalleled grace and without any hints of bitter murdering tendencies. For the first time in Megumi's life, she was actually cheering on and for Kaoru.
Sano, on the other hand, scowled darkly. Talk? Isn't Kaoru going to at least kick Kenshin in the ribs or something? The guy deserved a bruise the size of Japan! He watched silently, more and more convinced that the Aoiya was the most screwed up place on the face of the planet, able to change the already weird people to greater heights of weirdness.
Megumi watched from the corner of her eyes as Kenshin took Kaoru's hand and stood up. There was another full-blown silence as everyone in the room waited with bated breath for Kenshin to finally say, "ORORORORORO!" with complete gusto and relish and for Kaoru to suddenly bash Kenshin's head with a hidden bokken.
Never happened.
Speechless with disbelief, mouths and jaws hanging open, well except for Aoshi who was standing stone-like as always, everyone watched silently as Kenshin and Kaoru went out of the room hand in hand as though they can no longer see the rest of them that had been reduced to gaping idiots. The weirdly acting pair exited the room and disappeared through the hallway, leaving them questioning their state of mind and their sense of sight.
And as if on cue, after the silent graceful exit, then came chaos.
A cacophony of sound, noise pollution being the correct term, pierced through the one moment of eternal, golden silence.
Okon and Shiro began arguing and elbowing each other, each wanting to follow the saner couple and not wanting to be stuck with either the more violent Sano and Megumi or the more angst-filled Aoshi and Misao. It was a battle to death and in the end, with Okon getting the upper hand and knocking Shiro aside; she was able to run into the hallway, her geta clack-clacking loudly against the wooden floor, the sound slowly fading until she disappeared from sight.
There goes spy number one. Good luck! Megumi thought ruefully.
Sano eyed the groaning and bemoaning Shiro. The guy had barely recovered from falling off the ceiling the other night and now he had just been trampled on by the once graceful, quiet Okon, all because of a stupid bet! Gambling and its many evil ways! Sano shook his head in disgust.
Megumi noted that Shiro wasted no time begging Omasu for help, but Omasu was not going anywhere, especially with Misao cornering her and giving Aoshi the thumbs up sign.
Wait. Thumbs up sign? Megumi frowned, what the heck?
From her position, she saw Aoshi deliberately (and with a smile on his face! Was that an illusion?) push Sano inside the room, eliciting an endless stream of curses from the Foul-Mouthed One, who was obviously taken by surprise by the abrupt and sudden turn of events.
Sano, with his arms flailing about him, trying to gain a sense of balance, was cursing as he had never cursed before. This, Megumi was sure, didn't help him any because as she watched, fascinated, his right foot awkwardly and inevitably stepped on the jug of sake idly lying on the floor. She winced as the cursing was instantly cut off and was replaced by the soundless, Ahhhhh! that Sano made with his wide open mouth.
The jug of sake rolled forward, bringing Sano crashing down, his chin effectively hitting the floor and almost knocking him unconscious. He distinctly heard the door slam shut followed by the distinct thunking of kunais against wood mixed with garbled angry instructions from Aoshi. And then sounds of running, thudding pairs of feet becoming fainter and fainter slowly reduced to a muted thumping that went unnaturally on and on until he realized that it was his heart that he was now hearing as again, the ever present and annoying golden silence filled the room.
With a painful grunt, he rolled over, his back flat on the floor and his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He was still alive, but with an aching, confused heart and a bruised chin. Oh happiness, like he had never known before! He grimaced and followed with a condensed version of the wide range of curses that he had learned since birth.
Sano went on undisturbed as Megumi's guilty silence escalated to cringing and wonderment that one could curse as freely and with as great a variation as Sano. She didn't know that you could shove a lot of things on certain places of the body...
After the historical rant, which included the many ways of eviscerating Shinamori, Megumi finally cleared her throat. "Very colorful vocabulary, I'm a bit impressed."
"Thank you," Sano said breathing heavily, "took me years to learn it."
Megumi paused, totally at a loss on how to respond to that. She supposed congratulating Sano for that feat would not do her any good. She cleared her throat once again. "It's safe to assume that you're still alive, Sano," Megumi said slowly, as though he wouldn't understand what she meant.
"Bummer," he answered back dully. "For a moment there, I thought I had gone to a place of free speech."
The silence was pretty uncomfortable for the two of them and Megumi felt compelled to speak up again. She was afraid that if Sano started talking again, not only would her ears bleed, she might pick up a few of his more intense word choices. "It was too interesting to be cut off," Megumi said, referring to his Declaration of Curses.
"It was." Sano agreed blithely. He clenched his jaw preparing himself for the silence that he knew would come. What was there to say?
Outside, the wind stirred, picking up speed. And clouds moved, blocking the sun. Now, aside from the stillness, darkness enveloped them. It was gray and murky inside the room and Sano thought that it fit his mood. He scowled even more when he remembered that he'd be stuck in this room. He was in no mood to start banging his body against the door to open it. Everything hurt right now. He couldn't even breathe properly.
Damn, stupid Aoshi and his brilliant plan. Yeah, lock me up inside the room with Kitsune. Can't murder me, have the Kitsune murder me then. Sano grimly wondered when the slaying would start.
Lightning flickered in the sky and briefly lit up the room with jagged unnatural lights. He could see Megumi wince and he wanted desperately to crawl over her and hold her. He remained stuck in his position, unsure of why his heart was still insisting on going over to Megumi, when clearly, it would be the end of him.
But hadn't seeing Megumi with Kenshin been the end of him? Exactly how many lives does he have? A rooster only has one, right? Well, he had heard of stories about chickens still running about even with their heads chopped off...
Right. Bad image. Very, very bad image.
Thunder boomed overhead and without another warning, the rain from last night finally lashed out. The sound of heavy, angry rain swallowed the silence and Megumi felt the need to crawl over and curl up next to Sano. She shivered and tried to think of what to say, because she could not stand the silence anymore; she needed to hear his voice. "You think Okon got to Ken-san and Tanuki?"
"Do I care?" Sano asked in his best rhetorical voice.
"I don't know, Sano. I don't know how you feel," Megumi retorted with a sniff.
"Obviously, you don't. And don't ask me what that means."
There was a warning tone in his voice and Megumi wondered why he seemed to be angrier than she was. Fine, maybe she was at fault here, hypothetically speaking. Maybe she should not have kissed Kenshin. Maybe she should have not drunk the sake. Maybe she should have never forced Kaoru and Misao into following her ill-advised plan, but heck, those were a lot of maybes and she wasn't built to dwell on the past. What was done was done; she let out a soft snort and decided that Sano should learn to let go. Well she'll teach him that lesson, among other things. It was time to confront whatever it was that they had been trying to avoid for the last few months.
Sano could feel a confrontation coming. It was in the air. He could practically taste it. Women just loved this kind of stuff. And Megumi would no doubt deem it a shame to pass up the opportunity for a confrontation. He heaved a heavy sigh and prepared himself for the worst. The rain just kept on pouring down. Perhaps, in a little while, he could hope for death by drowning. Better that than death by guilt, since half of the blame for this mess was his fault. Sano groaned out loud. Guilty, as soon-to-be-charged. Well, no sense in being the first one to admit it.
Let the argument begin.
"You can sit up now." Megumi said, with a flippant wave of her hand, which was lost on Sano because he was unable to see it. She wanted to see his face. They had never argued like this before, with him avoiding her eyes. She wanted to see his brown eyes turn darker, dangerously sexier... Megumi shook her head. She just wanted to see him. Period.
"I like the view here better." Sano said bitingly. He didn't think he could stand to look at Megumi and let her see how awful he felt or that he was actually on the verge of being emotional. There it was, the big burning lump in his throat and stinging in his eyes. And aside from his throbbing, burning chin, there was an internal organ of his that was in immense pain.
Megumi took in a sharp breath and tried to swallow down the stubborn tears. Why wasn't she drunk now? Why wasn't she numb now? Her dislike for sake instantly doubled up. "Well, you can get out of the room then," Megumi retorted, using the same cutting tone that Sano had used.
"I don't want to." Sano answered stubbornly, crossing his arms across his chest again, assuming his usual pose only this time without his usual height advantage. "And from what I was able to hear, it looks like Shinamori has locked us in." He snorted loudly. "He's such a funny guy, isn't he? I am going to kill him later," Sano added in a voice filled with forced cheerfulness.
And again, the bullshit silence, broken only by the incessant drumming of the rain on the roof and on the ground.
Megumi let that comment pass. She decided that calling Sano criminally insane would only worsen their current situation. It was better that they clear things up now or else they'd be stuck here forever and she didn't mean being stuck in this room either. "I think Kenshin mentioned something about an apology from you," she informed him and waited for his reply. She heard him take in a deep breath. He seemed to be deliberating on what sort of apology he'd make.
Good. She didn't want to rush him, so instead she took her time taking in his familiar, albeit distorted, appearance. She could see the perfect arch of his nose and the spiky-ness of his brown hair. It was such a shame that she couldn't see his eyes. She liked the color brown better than lavender. His eyes were much, much warmer than Kenshin's eyes and she didn't have to be afraid of seeing them turn into icy feral amber.
"Kenshin has a very big mouth. He should keep it shut," Sano replied angrily. At the mention of Kenshin's name, he flashed on the memory of seeing Megumi's red, wet lips pressed against Kenshin's throat and he was sure that Aoshi would support him if he announced that Kenshin's throat should be slit open.
But then again, it wasn't Kenshin who was doing the kissing.
But then again, also, you did kiss Misao.
But then again, again, aren't you going to kill Shinamori? So how would he be able to support you on that proposition?
Sano let out a huge sigh. Argghh!
"And..." Megumi prompted.
"And his 'oros' are incredibly annoying," he continued, doggedly avoiding an apology.
Nope. No, "I am so terribly sorry for hurting you Megumi. I am madly in love with you. Please, please forgive me...let me be your slave, punish me, I am at your mercy." from the Rooster Head. She should've known better. Disappointment washed over her but she wouldn't let him see that. "No offense meant, but between you and Kenshin, you have a bigger mouth." Megumi paused and shook her head as soon as she realized what she had just said. She wasn't really comfortable talking about comparisons of mouth sizes right now, especially since she could see Sano's mouth pouting and now imaging how it would feel to have his mouth kissing her. "Would it kill you to apologize?" she asked, wincing at the sudden change of pitch on her voice. High and shrill, almost on the verge of begging...
Sano clenched his teeth and wondered again, for the nth time, if Megumi did feel something for him. Listening to her now though, she didn't seem to feel anything for him that remotely resembled love or even affection. "I don't know. Haven't tried that one out yet." And even if he did apologize to Megumi, he was sure she'd never take him seriously. She'd brush it off; it wouldn't mean a thing to her. Why waste time? She clearly has feelings for him all right... murderous feelings and the likes.
"You apologized to Misao," Megumi pointed out, not able to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"I guess that means it wouldn't kill me then. So maybe you should ask yourself that question instead." He said, wincing at how cold and sarcastic he sounded. So that was it. It was still some sort of competition to her. That he apologized first to Misao and not to her. Was that how she saw it? That he prioritized Misao instead of her? Was she jealous about that? And if she's jealous, what does that mean? Sano's head was definitely going in circles. WOMEN! No, wait, correction. MEGUMI!
"I have apologized many times Sano. You just never listen!" Megumi finally gave up trying to make a point. If she sounded desperate and resentful she didn't care anymore.
Sano sucked in a deep breath. He had never ever dismissed any of her apologies. In fact, he had never dismissed any word that had come out from her luscious mouth. He remembered each and every letter, word, expression, phrase, sentence, paragraph, rant and rave that had she had ever uttered. He had some sort of memory bank for her voice! How could she say that he never listened to her, when it's the complete opposite? She always had his rapt undivided attention! "When? When in Kami's name did the words, 'I'm sorry' ever escape your lips?" he asked incredulously.
"I didn't have to say the words! I... I didn't know how else to say them!" Megumi, for the first time in her life, was rendered speechless with frustration. Ok, so maybe she had never apologized verbatim, but Sano had to know that she never meant any of her scathing replies. Well maybe some of them she did, but only because he's the only one who could get her all worked up over the simplest things. It was but a natural reaction she had to him.
Sano rolled his eyes. "Repeat after me, Kitsune... I am so sorry for being such an incredible...tease!" He regretted that the moment it escaped his lips, there was no silence and no way for him to take it back because Megumi was already screeching at him.
"Me?! A tease! Me? I'm a tease?" Megumi paused and cocked her head to one side, nostrils flaring. Ok, maybe she had, in more than one occasion, been a tease; she had thought that Sano enjoyed that game. Apparently he didn't. Well, he played along all those times... were all men so unavoidably thick and dense? "You know what your problem is?" Megumi asked gritting her teeth.
"I have a problem? I have a problem?" When Megumi didn't respond to that, Sano continued on derisively, "Well, don't we all?" If he ever showed Megumi how he really felt, that she made him weak, vulnerable, always nervous and uncertain he was certain that she'd laugh at him. She'd find in endlessly amusing. Why can't she just be honest with him? Just tell him how she feels about him, instead of teasing him and then insulting him and then getting mad and then getting jealous. Sano rolled his eyes heavenward; Megumi had all the right moves to drive him insane!
"You are insensitive and manipulative!" Megumi declared, not sure if she was describing her actions from last week as well.
Ouch! Well, maybe insensitive and manipulative was a little too strong. He glared at Megumi. Two can play this game. "As you are, Megumi. As you are." Sano realized belatedly that maybe Megumi would see that as a compliment more than anything. He sighed. There would never come a time where he'd understand her as perfectly as he could understand Jou-chan or Misao. It was one of the many things that he found sexy in her... and well, confusing as well. He was still angry with her for kissing Kenshin, although he knew that he had no right at all to feel that way, which only doubled up his annoyance. Arguing with her always felt like, in some ways, exorcising his little demons.
"And mean and cruel!" Megumi continued on. And she was really, actually liking this... at least she was in some ways letting all the tension escape her and if anything, this had definitely banished her drunkenness. She was thinking clearly now.
Sano was staring to feel that Megumi was just doing this to get him all worked up. It was... well, kind of working; they were back to their familiar territory, although he didn't want to be always here. He wanted to move forward or just simply back away, whatever Megumi's choice would be "And you don't know what you want. Then you blame people for it." Ha! Take that!
Megumi scowled at him, indignantly crossing her arms against her chest. That was true. Kami, how could he know her that well? She wasn't supposed to be little Ms. Loneliness. She was supposed to be steel and grit and independence. That was how she had survived all these time. It was such a tiring façade to keep up. She didn't have the time to feel sorry for herself; she had an argument to win, and win it she would! This was Sano after all; she will not bow down to the pains of yesterday. "And underneath all those negative traits of yours, you're just a little kid afraid of being abandoned!" Ha! Take that!
Sano sucked in a deep breath. Did she really know him that well? He had never mentioned that fear to anyone. Well, perhaps Jou-chan and Misao and Kenshin knew about this fear but they have never acknowledged it, never in anyway made him feel as though he was silently needing, begging for a family. One that would forever stay with him...
Ok, this was getting way too personal. Time for a little distraction. "Oh why don't you just kick me or something!? I'm sure that would make you feel better!"
"Don't temp me Sano." Megumi warned him.
"I'm not tempting you. I'm asking you nicely. For the first time. Please, just kick me." Sano waited for her foot to connect to his jaw. It didn't come. Damn that woman. "If you happen to have a knife there, you can stab me also." He muttered, not wanting to take in any more of her verbal taunts that hit too closely to home, to his heart.
"You can't have the easy way out Sano." Megumi said softly surprised at how she sounded. "I don't have a knife and I don't have the energy to kick you, so this is all you're going to get and you better listen, because I'm saying this once Sano." She paused and closed her eyes. "You're afraid that no one will stay for you."
There was the quiet sadness around them and the coldness of the rain, of the wind from outside seeped in. Megumi opened her eyes in time to see Sano's chest heaving heavily, as though he was struggling to breathe.
If she can't make him face what he feels for her, then she'd make him face what he had always feared. It was the only thing that she can do for him if he won't allow her to love him. And she didn't believe in Kenshin's quiet ways or Kaoru's careful sisterly approach. This was something that Sano should not be denying himself of.
Sano felt like he had been stripped naked and he discovered that it was such a scary and wonderful feeling at the same time. Hearing her say all those things that he feared... he didn't seem too terrified of them anymore. Knowing that someone understood what was hidden in the very depths of his soul didn't feel intrusive at all. And it was Megumi. It was her that bared his soul and Sano felt his heart swelling with the knowledge that she knew him, inside out.
He closed his eyes. If she wants it as truth for truth, he's ok with that. He turned his head and for the first time, met Megumi's stare. Her eyes were wide, her lips caught between her teeth and Sano could feel his heart slamming against his chest. Here's your truth Megumi. I know you can handle it... "You're so afraid of being alone that you'd rather be alone. So that you'd never know how it is to be with someone."
Megumi had never realized that Sano saw her as that. And that more than anything, there was no pity on his voice. And she had always, always known how to deal with pity... but not Sano's quiet, honest declaration of what she feared the most. "I hate you! I totally despise you! You're annoying!" Megumi tried to get the words past the rapidly growing lump in her throat.
"Really? Well, it doesn't take a genius to know that! You've made that perfectly clear from day one Megumi. From day one. You didn't even give me any chance."
This was now a different truth. This has nothing to do with him or with Megumi. It had everything to do with them. Sano could feel his heart pounding, but not with anger, only with fear, with anticipation and a bit of hopefulness that he couldn't quite quell.
Megumi was quiet, robbed of anything to say, because what Sano had said was true. From the first day she had made it clear that she wanted Kenshin. But only because wanting Kenshin was safe... it would never have put her heart on the risk.
"I can't be Kenshin." Sano continued, his voice suddenly lowered, suddenly sounding unsure.
Megumi shook her had, not wanting to remember the regretful tone in Sano's voice. How it almost sounded lost and sad. How it sounded un-Sano-ish. "I'm not asking you to be Kenshin!" She replied firmly.
"Isn't he who you want?" Sano accused again. Why can't she tell him? Why does all of her answer have to be evasive? Was it because she wasn't sure? He felt his heart twist painfully. But he already was sure of how he felt for her! Maybe Misao was wrong. Maybe Megumi did love him, but only because she couldn't love Kenshin and that she knew that Kenshin couldn't love her back.
It was such a sad, terrible thought that, Sano, for a moment, didn't want to ever stand up again, just lie on the floor and rot away.
"You're not listening again!" Megumi was actually on the verge of emotional breakdown. How could he know her fears and still not understand her? Maybe Sano loved her, but not the way that she loved him... not the way she needed him so that she can begin to truly live.
"Excuse me, but until I hear the words, 'I want you Sano.' I don't want to make any assumptions that would just make me hope and dream and then crush me in the end. In fact, I'm tired of being your second choice. Why don't you just go and follow Kenshin and Jou-chan and try to break them up. You're good at that."
"Why don't you run to Misao?"
"Maybe I will! Since she has been honest from the very start! It just so happens that the poor girl is in love with Mr. Ice Personality!"
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. You have your geisha friends, you can always go to them." Megumi snapped at him. Back to where they started. Will it always be like this for the two of them?
"Gee, thanks for the advice Megumi, I'll be sure to remember that. But I don't need you to run my life!"
Don't think of murder, Megumi... don't think of murder... Megumi gritted her teeth. "Oh. Ok. I get it Sano." She started to stand up, taking her time, because her whole body was shaking. She didn't know if it was because of the emotions that she was trying to quell or because she had hit another dead end. This was it, her last chance and she was walking away...
She wanted so badly to apologize, but she won't do that with Sano lying on the floor not even looking at her. She didn't want to do it after such a terrible argument when all of their emotions are running on high. She smoothed her rumpled clothes and tried to calm her beating heart. But the more she concentrated on breathing, the more painful it got and she knew that she'd be crying in no time and the last thing she wanted was for Sano to see her weak and vulnerable and crying.
Sano felt more than heard her stand up and at that moment he was gripped with the sudden fear that their lackluster verbal tussle would be their last and that he would never, ever be allowed to love her again. And worst, was that he had hurt her, and he had meant to hurt her this time. And what for? Just because she had kissed Kenshin?
And don't be dumb Sano; you saw that jug of Sake, in fact didn't you actually spectacularly tripped on it?
Megumi was right. He wasn't listening to her.
Maybe she still can't say her feelings out loud, but have you?
It was creepy that he finally heard a logical voice inside his head...
He can wait. He will have to be the first to accept defeat and this wasn't even a bitter defeat to begin with. If he loved her more, he didn't have any problems with that. If being the second choice was all that she could give him; he could swallow up his stupid pride. Who needs it anyway? If it would cost him Megumi, then he had no use of it.
She passed by him and he was filled with resolution that he will not let her walk away, that he will keep her forever.
He grabbed her ankle.
Ok that wasn't the most romantic gesture, but that was because he had been stubborn and would not get up from his position. He would just have to live this one down for the rest of his life. At least she didn't trip over or stumbled down, that would surely put a dent on his image of suaveness. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, his voice not at all husky and strong, as he wanted, but small and weak and needful. But surprisingly, he wasn't ashamed of that. He stared up, seeking her eyes and not the chance to see underneath her kimono. "Don't go Megumi."
Megumi was startled how sincere and vulnerable Sano sounded. How he had said her name with softness she would have never thought he was capable. She looked down and everything that she had tried to keep in, her pride, her stubborn resistance for love and weakness and fear stumbled down, poured out off her eyes and all she could do was gasp out his name.
Oh no! She's crying. She's crying you big stupid idiot! You made her cry!
Megumi who never ever allowed anyone to see her be like this...
"Megumi" Sano all but choked out, automatically reaching out to her as she ended up kneeling beside him, her arms reaching out to him as well, not even in the least bit trying to hide or erase her tears. And he thought it would be only fitting if he tried to erase her tears. He did just that, watching in wonder as her brown eyes, although a bit red and watery shimmered and shined like he had never seen before.
He felt her fingers brushing against his cheeks and he was half mortified half relieved that she wasn't wiping any tears from him, but was instead tracing his skin with care, with wonder, with hope, without any hesitation or reservation or fear.
"Don't Megumi. Don't." He whispered fiercely and she nodded, biting her lips and burying her face on the crook of his neck, where she felt warm and safe. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." He repeated over and over and he realized that Megumi was also mumbling her own apologies. His heart swelled as he felt her apologies vibrating from his skin, her lips skimming his neck...
Sano tightened his hold on her, bringing her closer to him. She was practically draped over him, as he was half sitting, half lying down. He loved the way she fitted in her arms and how he didn't feel awkward or unsure. It was like he had always held her. She was all warmth and softness and he was afraid that he was dreaming. He didn't dare ask her to pinch him though, because he knew she would and that it would definitely hurt. He kept on stroking her hair, her back, her arms, anywhere his hands can touch. And he was suddenly aware of her breath against his skin...
Megumi didn't want to let go. Nobody had ever held her this way; so fiercely and yet with obvious gentleness and care. She wasn't even aware that she had started crying. And she wasn't in any way worried of what Sano would think. She let her tears soak the collar of Sano's shirt as though her tears could mark him as hers. She smiled at the thought of that and Sano probably felt it because he asked her if she was feeling any better. She didn't know how long she had stayed wrapped around Sano's arm and although she wanted to stay there forever, she knew that was impossible and that sooner or later, she'd have to let go so that they can talk about them and what they had now. When all her tears seemed to have disappeared, Megumi lightly pushed Sano away so that she can sit on her own. She was still Ms. Independent after all.
Sano grabbed her hand, as though afraid that she'd go away and leave him. His brown eyes flickered up to meet hers and she was surprised at how young he looked and how serious at the same time. She waited for him to finally get the words out.
"You're right, I'm afraid no one will stay for me and that..."
Megumi placed her finger on his lips, "I know I'm right. Am I not always right?" She said softly, surprising Sano, who had arched his eyebrows, because he was just about to throw away his macho image and beg her to stay and to please love him, because he was sure that he would never ever love anyone as he loved her now, at this moment and maybe for the rest of his life. All those schemes and tactics had been incredibly low and useless and stupid. All he had to say was Ai Shiteru, even though he was still afraid of saying it. But maybe words were no longer needed. What he needed to hear, he could see it in her eyes already. He looked at her expectantly, wondering what she has to say.
"And as always Sano, you were wrong. I know what I want." She said with a smirk, which Sano returned.
"You do?" Sano asked, knowing fully well what she would say. Looking at her bright eyes now, he thought that he could read through them and knew that a smile was coming.
She smiled slowly, "Yeah...I know what I want." She looked at him straight in the eyes as though daring him to tell her.
Sano grinned and decided that he'd never forgive himself if he let this golden opportunity pass. "Does it have, in any way, something to do with getting naked?" He asked in all innocence.
Megumi rolled her eyes and slapped him lightly. "No! I was going to say you, stupid!"
Sano felt a blush rising from his cheeks, but he quickly recovered and pulled Megumi closer. "And what else, aside from me?" He asked suggestively wriggling his eyebrows.
Megumi tilted her head and paused. Smiling coyly, she answered in a lowered, husky voice. "Well, you know that I like red kimonos and those little silver syringes."
Sano chuckled. "No, I mean, what else that has to do with me, you, and getting rid of all these stupid clothes."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Megumi answered back, all innocent as well.
"I could give you the details..." Sano sounding incredibly pleased with himself. He leaned forward and began whispering in Megumi's ear.
"Sano... no... I mean...what? You... you... oh, that would be nice..." Megumi halted, wanting to actually smack Sano for making her blush.
"So? What do you think?"
Megumi shook her head. "No way Sano! At least... well, at least not now..." Megumi blushed even harder. She could feel the heat rising from her cheeks and something else at the pit of her stomach.
"Why not now? They have the door locked. I like this room." Sano noted the blush although didn't make any comments about it. Might make her want to slice off his head... or some very important part of his body.
"It doesn't have a bed." Megumi complained, trying to erase certain images out of her head.
"I don't mind the floor too much... and you know, you don't have to lie on the floor." Sano winked at her suggestively.
"Don't be stupid Sano!" Megumi said, trying to get away from Sano's grasp. He held on and he was much too stronger than she was. She could feel his muscles flexing as he moved. Oh my! Megumi would've fanned herself if she could. Weren't they just arguing a few minutes ago? And now... how incredibly unpredictable Sano was! She loved it! She bit down the urge to giggle. That would be too girlish!
"I'm not being stupid. I'm being practical." Sano said, raising his eyebrows at her.
"How can you ask about sex when you haven't even kissed me yet?" Megumi pouted at him, knowing exactly what her pout could do to him. Oh! To have all these womanly power over the chicken head!
"Oh! Right! I am being stupid! I'm sorry! How could I've forgotten? I didn't mean to, you know... I mean, I didn't mean to forget about the kiss..." Sano started stammering and he didn't know why exactly.
Relax dammit, Sano thought as he continued to stare blankly, stupidly at Megumi's perfect mouth. She's just teasing you... she'd sooner behead you than let you kiss her... and that would be taking things too fast...
Right. And doing all those stuff you told her minutes was in no way taking things too fast! Geesh, Sano... make up your mind!
How can I even think? I was just teasing her! I didn't know she'd take me seriously!
Karma. Good karma, but karma nonetheless. You'll never get any good Karmas after this.
Sano heard all of his inner voices chanting and he could practically see them making the Happy Sano Dance. Kiss her, kiss her!
Disturbing, with a capital D.
Indeed, Megumi will no doubt make him go crazy...
Sano seemed to be in some sort of internal trance... battling with his conscience. If he had one that is. Maybe she should give Sano some sort of incentive. She demurely touched the edge of Sano's shirt. "Sano, I will murder you if you don't shut up and kiss me." Megumi murmured gently, wondering why on earth had she ever thought of all those endless schemes and tactics when all the while, they could've resolved all of their tensions while arguing. If they hadn't been sidetracked by the name-calling and who can think up with the best alias, they would have probably never gone to all those stupid lengths. She would have to beat him to saying Ai Shiteru of course, don't want people to think that she didn't have the courage to say that!
"Oh, ok...murder then... uhm, I mean, sure... right... kiss..." Sano suddenly turned nervous. Hands and armpits getting all sweaty... oh gross! He hoped she wouldn't notice this.
Just kiss Megumi, dammit! It's not like you haven't kissed anyone before.
Yeah, but I was drunk then!
Well no sense in pondering on who kissed you! I'm sure it was one of the geishas and not the waiters! Go be a brave boy and kiss her, dammit!
He looked down at Megumi, who had her eyes closed. And she looked so beautiful and Sano thought that there was a guilty feeling on the pit of his stomach and he couldn't pin point where it was coming from... He leaned forward and caught a whiff of her scent... roses and syrupy medicine... and oh, Kami.... SAKE!
Addicted! He was already addicted to her and he hadn't even tasted her yet! Can you just say, sexy?
Megumi leaned forward further, waiting for Sano's lips. It was usual for her to be the one with all the racy comments but she suddenly found herself feeling like a sixteen-year-old girl. Which was completely ridiculous! She took a deep breath again to calm her nerves and kept her eyes closed. She waited... and waited... and waited... and finally as though seeing Sano laughing at her, she opened her eyes and found him staring at her with a mad grin plastered on his face Well, at least he hadn't fainted!
"What?! What is so damn funny!?" She asked, feeling self-conscious. She fought the urge to knock Sano's grin off his face.
"You." Sano stated quite simply. He swallowed hard. He hadn't meant to make it sound like she was funny. Although in the right moments, she has the best sense of humor ever. He remembered the brutalized vegetables and wondered if Megumi hadn't lied about not having the knife with her. The way she was looking at him right now... looks like they'd be having Miso Soup A La Sano for dinner. He gulped loudly. "I mean you, but not as in the funny, wahahahaha way... funny as in warm and fuzzy feeling funny. You know? You make me feel... lighthearted, actually more like lightheaded... dizzy, disoriented...I think I'm going to be sick, but not sick in the bad way...I mean..." Oh, god, he can't shut-up... now he knows what Kenshin felt like whenever Jou-chan was around.
Shut up Sano! Shut up, please, before you get poked in the eye!
"Oh, great, now I really have to kill you. You sure know how to ruin a moment don't you?" Megumi looked at him like he was crazy. Too bad she didn't have her trusted knife with her. "You're stalling. Don't you want to kiss me?" She asked in a threatening voice.
"Of course not! I mean... I am practically dying to kiss you, Megumi..." Sano paused, suddenly aware of where the guilty feeling was coming from. He took Megumi's hand again and looked deeply into her eyes and concentrated hard on being serious. Do not muck this up Sano. She deserves to know the truth, that first before everything else. "I want to say it first." He said solemnly.
Megumi smiled at him but shook her head. "No. I want to say it first."
Sano let out an explosive sigh. Why was she being so difficult? "What? No way! I'm the guy, I'm supposed to say it first!" And as though this statement needed any more proof of his manliness, he puffed out his chest for emphasis. Wrong move. Megumi poked it with her fingers and he ended up in an unmanly coughing fit.
"You are such a chauvinist PIG!" Megumi declared, fist fiercely pumping the air, in a revolutionary heroine pose.
"And you are such a whiner! In the long history of my family, men had professed their love first!"
"Sano, I really hate to tell you this but it took you nearly a decade to tell me 'I'm sorry' If I hadn't thought of that stupid plan, you would have never even considered your feelings for me!"
Sano gave a long-suffering sigh. If he was planning on surviving being with Megumi, he would have to face the fact that her bossiness equals her stubbornness and there was no way for him to go against this. Men were not built to argue with women. It would be a losing battle. "Fine, we'll say it at the same time! You have to learn how to compromise Megumi, that's how a relationship works."
"I am happy that you have expressed your interest in a relationship Sano, although Kami knows that I think you don't even know the meaning of commitment but don't teach me anything about compromising! You're the one who can't make a compromise!" And again, another argument! Would she really have to cut off Sano's tongue?
"Well, I'm trying to compromise now and you're absolutely not agreeing with me! And what the hell is a commitment? What's that? Some medical term that you use? It sounds icky!"
"You're impossible!" Megumi said throwing up her hands.
"You're annoying!" Sano said shaking his head.
"You're frustrating as hell!"
"You're stubborn as a mule!"
"I love you!"
"I love you too!"
"Did you just called me a mule?!" Megumi asked frowning. Sano made a face and she just shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. I said it first!" Megumi said triumphantly. Sano's major weakness was that he couldn't keep track of the arguments they're having. Points again to the all mighty Goddess Megumi!
Sano blinked. Aw shit! He narrowed her eyes at Megumi who was smiling smugly at him and then with surprising quickness, he grabbed her and kissed her.
She was caught of guard, with an "oh" of surprised that allowed Sano to make sure that she gets the real kiss and not the wet, sloppy kiss that she had given Kenshin, or the tiny kiss that he had given Misao.
He kissed her like he had never kissed anyone before. With mad passion and tenderness... a bit of harshness also, so that he could cover up the shaking, trembling of his hands.
He kissed her hard and she kissed him back but it was all him, because Megumi's head was going to explode and she couldn't concentrate. She could only feel this volatile kiss, with his tongue sweeping inside her mouth, teeth clashing against each other...
Wet, hot kiss.
And then there were his palms, his fingers, across her neck and back, tilting her so that he could deepen the kiss. Kissing her with equal part roughness and gentleness. Marking her with his teeth, painting her mouth with his tongue. Making her moan. And when she started snaking her arms across his back and getting control of the kiss, Sano pulled back, surveying her swollen, red bruised, luscious lips that... oh Kami... he had just kissed!
He smirked at the almost lost-drunken expression on her face. "Kissed you first." He mumbled softly. Score again for the Love God, Sagara Sanosuke!
Megumi was still breathing hard. How could Sano still talk?
"Shut you up didn't it?" He smiled at her as smugly as she had only moments ago. Her brown eyes looked a bit dazed and she bit her lips and then licked it.
You have done the male ancestors of the Sagara clan so damn proud!
For a moment Sano felt compelled to dance in happiness as well but then knew that would be a definite wrong move. He snaked an arm around Megumi again, "More, Megumi, my sweet little Foxy?"
Silence still, only the sounds of rain, suddenly muffled by the beating of their hearts and their mingled breaths.
The insufferable punk and his mouth and his teeth and his tongue and Kami, his tongue! How could she have ever thought of cutting it! Bad Megumi! Bad!
"Liked it didn't you..." Sano began again in a teasing voice, obviously enjoying his moment.
"Shut up and kiss me again, you idiot!" She pounced on him. Or he pounced on her. Megumi didn't know anymore. She didn't care anymore. It was time that she threw all of her cares and worries and fears away and just feel...
It continued to pour outside, rainwater washing away everything, ensuring that after it had displayed its fury, something new, something wonderful will emerge again: a bluer sky, a warmer sun, a brighter rainbow... a new hope.
Megumi felt as though all of her past, although untouched by the rain was now being washed away and this was her new life, with Sano.
Outside, Shiro's ears had begun bleeding from the sounds coming in from the locked room. Even the droning rain can't cover it up.
Indecent, corruptive sounds!
Moans, grunts, groans, the loudest gasps he had ever heard in his life, a few shrill screams here and there, mostly giggling, Sano's muted cursing, sounds of ripping clothes and sometimes even banging against the wall (which was the worst!).
Why, oh why did Aoshi-sama assigned him to keep guard on this door? And Misao-chan! How cruel of her to stick him to the door using her kunais! Shiro sobbed pityingly.
He would never, ever be able to look into Sagara-san's face without blushing and stuttering like an idiot.
He would never, ever be able to look into Takani-san's face without having an impressive nosebleed.
He hoped Okon and Omasu were getting the same kind of cruel and unusual punishment. He hoped Hiko and Okina would get their own share of punishment too! He hoped this would end soon enough and that both Megumi and Sano didn't have the stamina to do it all day, because he had the feeling that he'd be staying here for a long, long while.
He clamped his hands unto his ear when he heard another earth-shattering moan. Goodbye to whatever that remained from his innocence.
One couple down, two more to go, he thought with a grimace.
He would never, ever again take on any spying schemes that would involve couples.
"Oh, Kami.... Sanooooooo!"
Oh no... now his brains are definitely going to leak out from his ears...
Never ever again!
END NOTES:
Well, erm, you all know that fanfiction.net doesn't allow lemon fics, so lets just leave it at that. I hope you guys like this one, although it's not the usual Megumi and Sano fic that I'd write. Did it seem rush? Or extremely lacking in something? As always, I look forward to hearing you comments. I'm still thinking though if I can try writing out a bonus lemon fic for every couple... another added work, so maybe not... but I would love to write just one decent lemon fic... (if there ever was such a decent lemon fic to begin with, but oh, you know what I mean...)
*sigh* I hate it when I hate chapters! Oh well, the usual please... C&C's are most welcome. Tell me everything and anything that you want!
Next chapter, we'll be having Aoshi and Misao. I think that title would be... My Lotus.
Hehehe... as you can clearly see, I am still in a weird mood. Hopefully it gets cured when I start writing for Aoshi and Misao... any suggestions for these two couples? Just send them in and we'll see what we can do. Till next time. Hope you guys would still be here for the next update! Thank you for your time and patience!
Hugs,
Yuki