Himura was out on the porch, waiting for Sagara and his friend to return, no doubt. Everyone else had gone to sleep long ago, leaving Kenshin and Aoshi the only ones up. Aoshi, used to being the only thing awake and aware, if not necessarily moving, at this time, was not sure if he appreciated the almost-company or not.
He sat on the porch next to Himura, not out of any sense of companionship, true or false, but merely because the porch was a very convenient place to sit. Just because Himura was there, it didn't mean anything. He certainly hadn't chosen his place because the tiny redhead had looked lonely, sitting there in the dark.
Aoshi certainly didn't notice the slight, grateful incline of the head Himura had given him before turning his attention back to the street.
He wondered if Sagara knew what kind of a friend he had in Himura. He wondered if Himura knew the same about Sagara. They probably did – and just as probably had never said anything about it. Aoshi would have snorted softy, had he been a man given to verbal demonstration. The two could not have been more different, in appearance and in temperament, and yet they acted like they had been brothers for their entire lives, when Aoshi knew perfectly well they hadn't even known each other for five years.
Two figures – more like one and a half, the way they were leaning on each other for support – walked down the street with surprising steadiness, given the amount of alcohol they must have consumed. Himura stood up to greet them, smiling warmly at the more conscious-looking of the two. It was not Sagara.
"Welcome, Tsukoika-san. Thank you for being there for Sano." Aoshi had stood up with Himura, and watched as the stranger – Tsukoika – shifted the burden of a half-sleeping Roosterhead off his shoulder.
"Heeeeeey, Keeenshhhhhiiiiiin. H'w y' doiiiiin'? me 'n K'tsu foun' d' beshtesht bar lik y' wou'n't believe! Ishnt shat jusht greeaa …"
Sagara had lifted his head up during the slurred, drunken speech, but now it sagged back down again, his eyes fluttering closed and his body falling to the porch with a dull thud. The three men looked at his unconscious form for a little bit before Tsukoika spoke up.
"Shit." Oddly enough, he sounded nowhere near as inebriated as Sagara had. "I knew that last dozen was pushing it, even for Sano."
"D-d-dozen?" Aoshi almost whished he could see Himura's face from the angle he was standing at. It would probably have been priceless.
"Yeah, that sounds 'bout right." Obviously Tsukoika was well aware of exactly how much sake Sagara was in the habit of consuming when allowed free rein. "D'you think you could help me drag him inside or something …"
He trailed off when Aoshi stepped out from the shadows and hoisted Sagara's softly-snoring form over his shoulder. He didn't look surprised though – either he had known someone was in the shadows, or he was very adept at concealing surprise. Either way, Aoshi gave him credit. For some reason, a lot of people had problems keeping up a cool face in his presence.
Off to the side, Himura was still looking faintly stunned, mouthing "dozen?" to himself over and over again.
"Hn. Thanks. Are you going to take him to a room?"
"Yes." Aoshi didn't need to pause to think over his next statement, though he did anyways. "You are welcome to stay as well, if you have no other arrangements."
"Ah -" Tsukoika sounded taken aback, then thoughtful. "Actually, I was planning on just renting a room for the night but," he shrugged, though it was more heard than seen in the darkness, "sure, why not. Sano drank most of my money anyways. I am Tsukoika Katsuhiro." He added the introduction almost as an afterthought.
Aoshi nodded, and turned to go into the Aoiya. "Shinomiri Aoshi. If you would follow me."
Tsukoika did, and they left Himura blinking on the porch. Immediately, his stunned act dropped, and he stared into the shadows with an intensity fit to make a normal man soil himself. There was no hostility in his gaze though, and after a moment, when his eyes focused on one bit of shadow that looked no different than any other, he softened, almost completely.
"Thank you very much, for walking them home."
As could be expected, the shadows made no response, but Kenshin smiled anyways.
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Okay, I actually had this done yesterday, but ff.net was acting screwy and wouldn't let me log in, so I guess this is another two-in-one day. Damnit, I absolutely hate being off-schedule – especially when it's mine!