A New Life for the Wolf
Part 4
Ana Barton
Nights were dangerous for a man. The dark skies and the muted glitter of the stars above invited numerous thoughts to reside in his head. Saitou took a deep drag on his nth cigarette for the day, probably the last for the whole day but who knew. He looked to the side and stared up at the moon hanging on the sky. He stretched out his legs and leaned back against the open shoji frame.
The night was dark and deep. The child was asleep in his room, snoring only every once in a while and talking to an imaginary opponent.
He hadn't really noticed it before, that Eiji talked in his sleep. After Tokio died, he had taken to just staying at the station and only coming home to get a change of clothes. He'd stopped sleeping in the house, preferring the hard surface of his office chair to the comforting softness of the futon that he shared with his wife… that was still scented with her.
"Tou-chan…?" Eiji asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.
"Hmm?"
"Why aren't you asleep?" The child came to him and settled on his lap.
He raised an eyebrow at the display. "Oi."
It was for naught, the kid was already asleep.
"Baka." But there was a hint of hidden fondness in his voice.
He cradled the child in his arms. He put out his cigarette and closed his eyes. He'd carry the boy inside later; he just wanted to be out in the night sky for some more time.
A knock then a timid call. "Fujita-san?"
"Hn."
A head peeked inside his office door timidly. "Anou, Fujita-san…?"
"If it's not important, get the bloody hell out of my office."
The man sweatdropped and willed his knees not to shake. "Anou, Fujita-san… your son is here to see you…?"
"Hn. So let him in already."
"…Hai Fujita-san…"
The man closed the door but not before Saitou heard his relieved breath escape. He squashed down the grin – why people were afraid of him had always been a source of amusement for him – and resolutely focused on his paperwork; he was behind by a day and he didn't like it.
"Tou-chan!" Eiji burst into the room holding up two containers.
"Oi, don't make a mess in my office."
"Hai!"
The other police officers just beyond the doors shook their heads in mystification – they couldn't figure out why and how this energetic and cheerful kid could be related to their taciturn and broody officer.
"I got double portions for both of us!"
"Close the door, Eiji."
"Hai, 'tou-chan!"
"Is that the kid?"
"Hai."
"Hmph. He's turned soft."
"Like Battousai?"
"They're not worthy."
"Are we to go ahead with the plan?"
"Hai. Take Battousai's kid as well."
"Hai, Hiromori-sama."
"Let's see if these two still have what it takes."
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I do not own and did not create the series or its characters... I'm merely borrowing them for a few pages.
01 March 2003
Uh-oh. Me bad… me really bad… I don't know what possessed me to go with this angle. I was seriously trying for something of a light nature for Saitou but he turned serious on me!
Ne, minna-san, if by chance you can't look at the previous chapters of this story, just search for me – Ana Barton – at the directory and look for it there, onegaishimasu ^__^;; I don't know what happened coz when I looked for my story and I just uploaded it, I couldn't find it.
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