Battles of the Heart

Chapter 4: The Scenes

Megumi sat up angrily. So, he was just one of those guys who picked up a new girl for each week. How could I have been deceived that easily? I can't believe I got myself into something like this. Oh well, too bad for him. Megumi Takani is not a woman to be messed with. He'll be left completely in the dark for fooling me like this. She smirked and dressed herself for breakfast.

Sano eventually gave up and sat down, right in front of Akeno's house. I don't know if I'll ever find her. I'll rest for a minute, and then go back to the Aoiya. Maybe she's already there. He looked up to find someone leaving the apartment.

Megumi closed the door behind her, took Akeno's hand in her own, and headed in the direction of the Aoiya. Sano saw her and recognized her. Who the hell is THAT? I'll follow them. He stalked them, watching jealously as she smiled and laughed with him. His pulse rose slightly as she kissed him on the lips and hugged him goodbye. He followed her in. "Megumi-dono," he spoke sharply.

She turned in surprise, "I didn't hear you come in! And where did the 'Megitsune' go?" She laughed nervously.

Sano frowned, "I've been looking all over Kyoto for you. Where were you last night? I was worried!"

Megumi's eyebrows shot up. "My tori-atama was worried about me?"

Sano lifted an eyebrow, "Since when do you call me, 'MY tori-atama'?"

Megumi looked around the room desperately for an answer, "Ummm…"

"If I'm YOUR tori-atama, who's the guy you just kissed?"

"You saw me?" she squeaked.

"Damn right I did."

"Is my tori-atama jealous?" she inquired slyly, attempting to calm her pounding heart.

"No," he replied confidently, but his eyes clearly said, 'Hell yeah!'

Kaoru sauntered up to Saitou, greeting him politely with a, "Ohayou, Saitou-koi." She knew Kenshin was watching her and a smile played on her lips. "Saitou-koi, would you please accompany me on a walk?"

"Of course, Kaoru, koishii," he replied, playing his part beautifully. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, what was Kaoru-dono doing with Saitou? And what was with the '-koi's and 'koishii's?

Saitou and Kaoru held hands and walked in silence. He picked a cherry blossom off an overhead branch and gave it to Kaoru. "Why arigatou, Saitou-koi!" she blushed, giggling.

"Only the best for you, koishii."

"Thank you…anata." He smiled. Kenshin growled.

They turned around and faced each other. "Kaoru, koishii, I've wanted to say this for a while, ai shiteru, and I'd like you to live with me."

She smiled sadly, "I can't, who will watch my dojo? And there's Kenshin…"

"What about that thick-headed baka?" he smirked.

Kaoru ground her teeth, "I can't just leave him, and especially after all he's done for me! It wouldn't be fair on him."

Kenshin sighed, she only thought of him as a guest and a friend.

"But you love me more than him, right?"

Kaoru stopped. He wasn't supposed to ask that! I guess I'll have to play along.

Her shoulders slumped, "I didn't use to. I used to love him more than anything, but…" She trailed off.

"…He never showed his true feelings and you got tired of waiting for him, so you decided to move on. And you found me," he finished for her.

"Yup. Lucky me," she commented dryly, but Kenshin didn't hear her.

She was waiting for him? She loved him? Maybe he still had a chance! Kenshin! This unworthy one mustn't think like that. This unworthy one is unworthy and will never take the opportunity to taint her with his blood-stained hands. He shrugged sadly, but he still felt jealous when Kaoru kissed Saitou lightly on the cheek.

"Ai shiteru," she whispered.

That could have been me, he thought regretfully.

Aoshi watched Misao drink some punch with Soujirou by her side. They laughed and she looked truly happy. She needs someone who'll make her laugh and keep her young for the rest of her days. Someone who'll preserve her innocence. I'll only take away her happiness, make her grow up faster, taint her heart. He sighed silently and for a moment his eyes flashed a sad blue, the blue of surrender, but that was all he showed.

Misao danced around and sat and chatted away happily with Soujirou. She was truly happy for once, but something pulled inside of her. I wish I was sitting with Aoshi-sama, not Soujirou. She sighed inwardly. It was so lonely when he acted so cold. But she showed nothing. Soujirou, being the master of disguising emotion, whose only competition was Kenshin and Misao's beloved Aoshi Shinomori, noticed, however. He stood up, pulling her up by the arm. "Just play along," he whispered in her ear as he led her to a corner where only Aoshi could hear if he listened, which he did. "You love Aoshi-san, don't you?" Misao looked surprised at the question.

"Iie."

"Do you love anyone?"

"You," she answered shyly. Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "But I did use to love Aoshi-sama. He knew I loved him, but he never showed that he loved me, so I figured he didn't. My heart was broken, but I found you, and you've begun to heal me." She kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"To say 'arigatou', Soujirou." He smiled, but this time it stretched from eye to eye.

Aoshi scowled, Why that f---ing btard! How dare he take Misao! She's mine!

Actually, a voice in the back of his head reminded him, you haven't claimed her, and besides, you can't. You'll 'taint her heart', remember? It mocked him, and he growled.

So?

Tsubame hugged Yutaro for a moment. "Arigatou for spending the evening with me, Yutaro." He smiled and hugged her back. Yahiko yawned loudly and jerked to a stop to find Tsubame hugging Yutaro. He flattened himself against the wall and spied on them. They pretended they hadn't heard, though, and quickly pulled apart. Tsubame blushed and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She didn't move to kiss him anywhere else, though. She wanted her first kiss to be with Yahiko.

Yutaro blushed bright red and stood in front of her closed door for a moment. Yahiko snuck up behind him and clouted him a hard blow with his bokken. "That's for taking MY Tsubame," he whispered fiercely, but Yutaro didn't hear him. "Oyasumi nasai, Tsubame-chan!" he yelled through the shoji. It opened and Tsubame's wide-eyed, blushing face peeked around it.

"Oyasumi nasai to you, too, Yahiko-chan!" she smiled. As she closed the shoji again, he dragged Yutaro into his room and placed him on his bed. He then walked to his own room, and into his own bed and fell asleep. He didn't even hear Sano as he entered the room they shared, muttering about some 'damn f---ing b--tard Akeno'.

Megumi awoke early and quickly got dressed. She rushed quietly out of the room she shared with Kaoru and Tsubame. No one saw her meet the young man outside. No one saw her kiss him. No one, except Sanosuke Sagara. His blood boiled and it took almost all of his self-control not to jump out and beat that guy into a pulp right then and there. He watched them closely as Megumi kissed him on the nose lightly. He responded by caressing her cheek. His free hand entwined with hers and they stood there, staring into each other's eyes for a moment. Suddenly, Akeno leaned forward and brought his arms around her waist, pulling himself down to her. Her arms snaked around his neck and they brought themselves closer together. Akeno captured her lips with his and they kissed passionately for a few minutes. Finally, they pulled apart, each gasping for breath. She smiled contentedly at him. Sano growled. Who the hell does this guy think he is? He whipped around and stormed off.

Behind him, Megumi heard his quiet footsteps, and smirked. He's buying it!

Kaoru sighed, how was she supposed to go around, doing this? She had absolutely no idea how to make a man jealous, let alone Kenshin. Saitou seemed to be getting along fine, she'd just have to follow his example, if, of course, it was actually safe. Saitou sauntered up to her. "Koishii, what's the matter? You seem troubled." Kenshin spotted them, and silently rushed over, hiding behind a tree, which did not go unnoticed by either Saitou or Kaoru.

Kaoru smiled at Saitou, "Iie, nothing is wrong, anata. I'm just fine." Yeah right, thought Kaoru. If only this were Kenshin. She sighed inwardly. Not noticing that she had looked down, Saitou lifted her face with two fingers under her chin and kissed the tip of her nose softly.

Kenshin growled. I'm gonna-Wait! This unworthy one must let him take Kaoru-dono because she seems happy with him. Besides, this unworthy one would taint her, wouldn't he? But the last sentence was thought only half-heartedly.